The Washington times., 1903-05-17
Stream Of Settlers From the
United States Rushing Into
the Old Spanish Domain
for the Purpose of Taking
Up Their Abode-An,eT-
can Money Used TO Deuel.
OPP Mexican Interests. e X
By ALBERT G. BIRCH.

~ nee upon time a poor fisher
erman and his wife lived in a
little hut by an inland sea. One
day this man drew from his net a fish
mt the woman wished that the fish
of gold. And into solid, dazzling
re fish was turned. Her lust for
a reused, she wished for greater
for a palace to live in; for
--Ves; for a throne-until the world
lay at her feet.
But she was not content.
She wished for the power to move the
sun. So runs the fairy tale.
But scarcely less amazing is the tale
of the modern invasion Of the republic
of Mexico by Americans and American
capital. After the stream OF settlers
had found Its way across the great
plains and mountains of the West and
had begun to open up the vast riches OF
the country, there were those who were
not content. Like the fsherman's wife
in the story, they wished for more.
It was then that they turned to Mex
leo. And the treasure they dug from its
hills required no miracle to prove its
richness. A great mine of wealth was
spread open before the eyes of the ever
progressive Yankee. That, at least, was
no fairy tale.
Possibilities Unfolded.
AS the years have passed, Mexico's
possibilities have been more and more
unfolded. Today men of brains and
energy and wealth in all parts of the
United States, and, for that matter, all
over the world. have become aware OF
the dormant resources of this Mexican
republic that are merely awaiting the
touch of modern enterprise and capital
to pour forth streams of wealth
At the time OF the Spanish conquest
of the country, all Europe was amazed
with the stories of the fortunes in gold
and silver that were being taken from
the mines of Mexico. Today those same
mines, under American ownership and
management, and worked with American
machinery, are yielding annually sums
that make the Wanted riches OF the
Spanish conquerors look small in com
parison. But this is merely. one branch
of the pervading American invasion.
Before the innumerable other re-
sources OF the country could be reached
or developed railroads had to be built,
wells dug TO supply water in the dry
season, and food supplied for the Amer
lean bosses and workmen who were to
have charge of the work. All of which
was done. But the tale of their accom-
plishment forms, in great measure,
the story OF the invasion and develop
nent of Mexico.
AS matter of fact, the first railroad
to be constructed in the country was the
work of English engineers and English
capital. But today the British still own
merely the one little road. Americans
own every other one of the lines that
make up the now large railroad system
of Mexico.
But before the products of the mines
and the vast rubber and other planta-
lions could be considered really vaIua-
BILE, some means of transporting them
to the markets whence they could be
shipped to the outside world had to be
established. A railroad company met
this difficulty. But it had only met it.;
the work of building the road and the
actual surrounding of the difficulty was
yet to come. And those very obstacles
were then considered well-nigh over
whelming; the plan was hooted at as a
visionary scheme
Then began the work. Silent. in
domitable. sure of the ultimate success
OF their plans the railroad engineers
took up their task. The man who had
peen termed visionary" made plans and
laid them to converge on one point He
had declared he could build a railroad
from Vera Cruz. on the coast, to the