Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-07

eminent toward government ownership. OF
this later proposition 1t may be said that ii
mas not as a rule been a success in Mexico.
according to current opinion. 1t is said
that there have been some enormous profits
In contracts; that very inferior work has
been done; that the service is poor and
the officials careless and unaccommodating.
Most of the railroads have the Pacific as
q destination, and many of them use the
word in the title. But apparently there is
considerable work yet to be done in the
way of railroad construction. for few Of
the roads have reached the Pacific coast.
An old law required that work should COM
mence at each end of the line when con-
cession was granted. and the Mexican Cen
tral Railroad Company was at great
pense getting material overland to the Cliy
of Mexico when that road was built. The
law is apparently a dead letter at the pres,
ent time, for few of the roads have done
any work at the Pacific end.
One Interesting Route.
One of the interesting routes extends
from the City of Mexico-where it connects
with lines to the United States-to Vera
Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico. The scenery
from Esperanto down is magnificent, as
the train winds around the mountains.
making drop of 1900 feet in two hours
The little town OF Maltrata nesting in the
valley below, is seen from the train for an
hour almost continuously before 1t is
reached on its own level. The snow-capped
mountain, Orizaba, is visible for a hum
dred miles or more along the line, and
there Is luxuriant vegetation everywhere.
Women crowd the stations with fruits
Mowers. dulces, pottery and other wares,
clad In the national garment, the refajo,
a short, bright-colored petticoat, made of
one piece, without seam. and fastened
gracefully at the waist. The art of wear
Ing the refajo is mystery to American
women. 1t is really a square blanket
bound around the hips and limbs. The
opening down the side is concealed in
double fold which does not break as the
pOssessor walks about. and yet the sides
are so straight that it is marvel how any
one can walk in them at all. This and a
light waist, which is sometimes dispensed
with, constitute the entire wardrobe in
most cases But it is at Cordoba, where
the Vera Cruz and Pacific railway branches
of that the interest in railroad construc-
tion begins. This line, owned by Ameri-
cans. extends to Santa Lucrecia on the
1sthmus of Tehuantepec-though it is not
yet officially opened clear through-and
there connects with the Tehuantepec rail-
way. the great government line, from the
Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico. At this
point by its concession 1t operates over the
Tehuantepec railway to the Pacific thus
connecting the City of Mexico with the Pa
cific for the first time by rail. At the same
time II opens out the fertile territory of the
1sthmus and brings into cultivation millions
or acres of tropical jungle. Thirty miles
OF this road is still in the hands OF con-
tractors, though the track is laid In a sort
OF way to enable work trains to operate
The first through passengers by this all
rail- route have just arrived at Santa Luz
crecia. The trip involved two changes Of
nat cars on work trains,s which did not
keep the track very well, and night in a
construction camp. where the cantina IAN
all night and Mexican faro was dealt over
soap box. So rank is the vegetation that
the newly laid rails had disappeared IN the
weeds and vines and underbrush swept
the engine side. Parrots scolded in the
trees. monkeys chartered In the jungle and
alligators gazed lazily at the train from
the newly made pools along the track.
The prospect of being dumped into the
mouth of one of these creatures was ever
Imminent branch line of this railroad
VIII run from G. station near Los Narangos
TO Vera Cruz. and the system when COM
pleted Will open up the immense and fer
tile 1sthmus OF Tehuantepec to the capital
and to the world via the port OF Vera
Cruz
The National Tehuantepec.
BY far the most interesting railroad is
the National Tehuantepec from Salina
cruz. on the Pacific, to Coatzacoalcos on
the Gulf of Mexico. 100 miles. Santa Lu-
crecia is about half way from sea to sea.
This line was originally a project of the
great American engineer Captain Eads
who had in mind a four-track line capable
of carrying ships on trucks. with engines
on each track working together. This was
TO be the browning success OF his life, but
after his death no one was found bold
enough to undertake the work. AS far
back as 1910 concession was granted for
railroad across the isthmus but II was
never built. and in the seventies the Mex
lean government commenced the construc-
ton OF the present line. Untold millions
were spent on 1t and fortunes were made
on contracts relating to It, but 1t was
never properly constructed. About 1897 IL
was opened for traffic. Trains were in the
ditch most OF the time. and the service was
very uncertain. The most that was at
tempted was to get one passenger train up
over the line one day and back the next,
and this was not always successfully ac-
compiished As an illustration OF this,