The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-05-08
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
NHERE are no sudden changes to
temperature in Mexico and
there are but two seasons, the
RAILROADS UNDER PROCESS OF CON-
STRUCTION IN MEXICO.

"HERE are no sudden changes to
temperature in Mexico and
there are but two seasons, the
rainy and the dry. The rainy
season begins in April or May and con-
tinues until about the last of Septem-
fber, but the weather always behaves
well even during this season, for it
seems to be systematic in all its per-
formances. For instance, never knew
it to rain in the forenoon and never
saw anything but clear sky during
that portion of day. At the COM
mencement of the rainy season clouds
begin to make their appearance every
day between IL and o'clock and with
in an hour there is shower. Each
day the rain is little later and heavier
until late in the summer, when all rain
falls during the. night and in large
quantities.
The winters are not very much cooler
than summers as usual thing, tho
there is some freezing weather in the
northern part, and have seen two or
three inches of snow and a couple of
improvised sleighs in Monterey.
The highest mountain peaks are Po-
pocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl and Orizaba, all
in the southeastern part of the repub-
lie. Popocatepetl is an extinct volcano,
and, next to Mt. Saint Elias in Alaska,
is probably tie highest mountain in
North America. This great peak is
about fifty miles southeast from the
City of Mexico, and it is beautiful
sight to stand and look from the city
of perpetual summer to this white
topped mountain covered with snow
the year round, the same in July as in
January, and in far southern and
tropical climate. The altitude of this
mountain is about 1900 feet. A rail-
road passes near its base and it is pos
sible for one to reach the top on foot
with great effort and hardship.
:. Mexico has produced between two
and three billion dollars in minerals
since the origin of our present day sta
tistics and histories and there are evil
dences of prehistoric cities with sug-
gestions of mining ante-dating the dis
covery of America. And yet so crude
have been most of the mining appli-
ances, it would seem that mining is still
in its infancy, vast expanses of noun
tain regions still remaining unexplored
with any degree of thOroughness. One
obstacle which has retarded develop
ment in the northwest, and particularly
in the state of Sonora, has been the hos
tility of the Yaqui Indians. Recent
encounters and battles with Mexican
soldiers indicate that the Indians will
eventually be subdued, driven out, or
exterminated. Sonora is the extreme
northwestern state, bordering the Gulf
of California and is one of the richest
states in silver in Mexico.
The city of Chihuahua, mentioned
in former paper of this series, is the
capital of the state of the same name.
A railroad, called the Chihuahua &
Pacific, is now building from Chi
huahua southwest and has recently
been purchased by the Kansas City,
Mexico & Orient, a road now being
built from Kansas City to Port Still
well, Toplobamo Bay, on the west coast
of Mexico. This road will open up
rich mining districts in the states of
Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Sonora. The
Kansas City, Mexico & Orient road
is being built by A. E. Stilwell, who is
doing in the southwest what j. j. Hill
has done in the northwest.
A few years ago Mr.. Stilwell was
working for an insurance company in
Kansas City. While thus employed,
and before he was 80 years old, he con-
ceived the idea of building a railroad
from Kansas City to the Gulf Of
Mexico. Within few months, un-