Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-04
SALIVA Cruz ACTIVE
A Modern Town With Ex-
pensive Building Going On.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TO COST MILLIONS ARE WELL
UNDER WAY.
To Compete With the United States in
Its Canal at Panama-Diaz
and His Army.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

SALINA CRUZ, Mexico, March q, 1903
There Is great activity at Salina Cruz.
The ancient seaport town consisted of a
custom house, cable Office and a hut or
two. Now there is a substantial modern
town, with extensive building going on.
The new town is not the result of new
commercial activity, but Is preparatory to
the demand that win be made on it when
the Pearson & Son transcontinenta1 line is
In successful operation. The new buildings
are uniform in style and modern in archi-
lecture They are so arranged as to give
artistic effect to the whole. Salina Cruz
Will undoubtedly be much handsomer city
than that one the forty-niners found there
when they came down the trail from the
Gulf OF Mexico seeking an easier route to
California The valley they Travelled is the
only break in the ridge from Cape Horn to
Alaska. 1t begins to slope about thirty
miles on either side of the Tehuantepec
railroad. and the canon at the bottom is
Verltable cave of winds. The various cur
rents, temperatures and climates mingie in
this pass and fight it out. The wind is
seldom boiSterous, but it is steady. On the
Paclf1c side the dry side, 1t keeps the air
hlled with clouds of dust.
Millions to Be Expended.
The work of the Mexican government, in
SoAiiOStioh Will fedrSOn q son, is oXCen-
sive Besides the town proper, railroad
buildings, warehouses and side tracks are
being constructed, and there is no question
as to the intention to compete with the
United States in its canal at Panama The
harbor improvements, to cost millions are
we'll under way. Two thousand men are
now at work on the breakwaters at Salina
Cruz, which are about half completed. At
ter they are finished deep basin is to be
dredged inside 1t Is announced that an
other track is to be begun across the 18TH
mus to the Gulf of Mexico as soon as the
present single track is put in perfect con-
dition. Officials of the road say that the
line, steamships and all. will be in sue
cessful operation before the Panama canal
Is begun. and that they will be able to
carry through freight at one-half the cost
of tolls on the same freight by way OF
Panama. However this may be- the work
is wei under way, with millions of dollars
already expended. There are those who
claim to see in the contract of the Mexican
government with the English contractors,
the hand OF John Bull If neutral zone Of
ten miles on either side Of the railroad is
established by the government, as now pro-
posed, the route may sometime become as
great rendezvous for war correspondents
as was Mole st. Nicholas in the Spanish
American difficulty. :
An Important Factor Internationally.
In any event. 1t promises to become an
ihfPol ldAI 1dCtOT III International dna1rS,
interesting the United States and South
America The cable line connecting South
America with the United States by way of
the Gulf Of Mexico, crosses the isthmus
from Salna Cruz to Coatzacoalcos, and will
be a valuable aid to the railroad in it's eff
forts to secure business. However success
full the line may be in the matter of earn
ing dividends, there will be no question as
to its facilities to handle business AS to
the whole project, from a business stand
point, opinions differ. 1t Is said that the
American Pacific lines will not permit any
California trade to be thus diverted: that
the route Is too far west to take any South
American business away from the Panama
canal and Panama railroad, and that 1t
can hope to get only Mexican coast BUSH
ness and a little freight from Guatemala
and Central America generally. This work
is paid for in per cent gold Mexican
bonds. I he fixed charges are also provided
for by the government, and in the ninety
nne-year lease Pearson & Son only pay
half the. operating expense. receiving half
the gross receipts. not great risk. The
loss could not be great when the interest
on the few millions of per cent gold gov
eminent bonds on hand as profits Is taken
into consideration.
AS an additional exploiting Of the coun-
try, the contractors have followed up the
oil Indications found along the north slope
above CoatZacoalcos. These indications are
surface deposits far south as Ubero and
the Junuapa river The surface oil Is said
but mineral oil, the product OF springs
Wells are being drilled at Minatitlan, and
one or two other places, and the results
will doubtless soon be known.
Strengthening the Military organiza-
ton.
President Ddaz has taken steps to
strengthen his military organization. Be-
sides his efficient regular army, his rurales
and his militia he now has a home guard
Of considerable magnitude. This Is COM
posed Of young men OF proper stature and
ularly in the cities. and in the City Of
Mexico as many as 5000 turn out at one
time for drill. There Is no compulsion in
the matter Of membership. nor in the mat
ter of service in time Of war. The idea Is
to give instruction in drill, so that the men
will be qualified to act as officers in a
large volunteer army if one Is ever needed
The plan Is popular. and seems to create
much enthusiasm among the young men
The regular army is not 50 popular 1t Is
composed, in part. OF men who have made
themselves Objectionable at home, though
convicted of no offense.
An earthquake jolt at Salina Cruz this
morning at six Is said to have been the
most violent in recent years. According to
the best authorities, II 1t had lasted ten
the town. The sound and sensation sug-
gested that mammoth torpedo had come
running up from somewhere in the earth
The Indians have great fear of these dis
turbances and hastily gather In family cir
cles in the streets. kneeling. praying and
awaiting death Volcanic ashes similarly
affect them. and the glowing red sunsets
and sunrises, the color caused by ashes
from Martinique. or Sanat Maria in
Guatemala, give them much uneasiness.
The earthquakes do no real damage except
once in a while. Like the winds they are
not always destructive. In this respect
they are not to be compared with the winds
Of the west, which occasionally become
cyclones. lsg-0c
Americans Seeking Investments.
The country Is filled with Americans
seeking investments, ., Many are Of the
opinion that Mexico is practically unex-
plored. Onyx and mica are found on the
sounth coast. but there is little metal The
north is sought for mining the Isthmus for
agriculture. TheiAmerican capital invested
in mines in the, state Of Sonora amounts
to $27 1913 518; in the state of Chihuahua,
$21, 277, 51S; In the state Of Coahuila. S. 3d.
600; and in the state Of Durango, &c. 900, 600.
The amount invested In Durango will prob
ably be increased, as 1t Is new territory
These investments correspond with the
general growth In twenty wears fho row.