Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
RAIL WAYS IN MEXICO
Extensive Construction of New
Lines in Progress.
THE LEADING PROPOSITIONS
Pacific Coast Country Will Soon Be
Opened.
TRAIL OF THE CONoUERORS
Spanish Used to Send Their Imports
From the Philippines on Mules
Across the Same Country.
THE LEADING PROPOSITIONS
TRAIL OF THE CONQUERORS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

81 WILLIAM K. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Record Herald.
MONTEREY, Mexico, April 90. 1906.
There is a great deal OF railway con-
= struction going on in Mexico. and It is the
most noticeable consequence of the adop-
ton Of the gold standard. During the
next ten years Mexico will undoubtedly
be the theater of great commercial and
industrial development and internal i'm
provement. and they are stimulated by the
government with subsidies, amounting. as
q rule, to $4,000 per mile for standard
and s''5Vo per mile for narrow gauge lines
Inc government has obtained control of
the national lines of Mexico, a system of
something over 5000 miles. extending from
the Rlo Grande to Vera Cruz on the gulf
siue' 10 Uruapam on the Pacific and Tlan-
cuaIplcan IN the coffee regions of the south
II also has controlling interest In the
international railroad in the northern mart
or the territory, which formerly belonged
10 the Southern Pacific system and actual
~ owns the Vera Cruz and Pacific and the
Iehuantepec railroad, which gives II a
straight line between the-two oceans and
reaches nearly all of the important points
In the republic. There are now IT17O kilo-
meters of track In Mexico. The Increase
last year was nearly 2,O0O kilometers, This
year 1t Will be even greater
Propositions Under Way.
The most important propositions now
under way are:
l. The Pan-American railroad from the
lsthmus of Tehuantepec to the boundary of
Guatemala, which I have already described
in several letters.
. line from Guaymas on the Gulf Of
California following the foothills Of the
mother range on the Pacific coast to the
city OF GuadalaJara
g. The extension of the Mexican Central
10 ManZanillo on the Pacific coast
4. The construction of the Kansas C,itv
mexico and Orient railway across the
states of Chihuahua and Sinaloa to the
port OF Topolobampo.
There various rumors down here about
the piaEs of Mr.. b. +. Yoakum and the
ROCK Island Company. 1 cannot find out
anything about them here or in the capital
MI. 1odkum has recently been down to
the City Of Mexico where he had several
interviews with President Diaz and Mr.
fernandez, the minister of communica-
uons' out they are not ready to give out
information concerning the projects he has
proposed. The rumor on the street is that
they relate TO the northeastern part OF
Mexico; that Mr.. Yoakurn will build east
ana west from the coal regions on the Rio
dfande, and south from San Antonio to
monterey in connection with the roads he
Is now constructing in the southeastern
corner OF Texas. Everybody knows that
MT 1oakum Is comprehensive man. and
the Mexican government is disposed to give
Alm every possible encouragement
West Coast Railway.
The railway down the west coast. which
is extremely important for many reasons.
IS being built by the Occidental Construc-
ton Company Of New York, which is an
other name for Mr.. E H. Hartman and
his associates. It Is to be $50 miles
long and is to receive q subsidy Of
$4,000 gold. to be paid one-third in bonds
or the government Of Mexico and the re-
mainder In ten annual equal cash INSTALL
mentS. 1t IS TO be a part OF the Southern
racine system! Will touch several impor-
tant points and have branches to several
ports upon the Gulf of California and the
Pacific ocean, connecting with the Mexican
Central at the City of Tepic from whence
II viii use the Central tracks as far as
GuadalaJara. The most important norris
reached Will be Altata, MazatIan and San
BIAS al OF them now visited regularly by
the Pecifc Mail and other lines OF
steamers.
If you will take & map of Mexico and run
your eye along the Pacific coast you Will
notice that the mountains come very nearly
GOWN 10 the ocean and that there are a
great many rivers running at right angles
10 the coast This makes construction ex-
pensiye The track Will cling to the foot
hills at an elevation of !, 600 or 1000 feet. at
winch attitude there is plenty of good con-
struction material, and the rivers can he
crossed with less difficulty. But the work
VIII be expensive. Along these foothills are
Some OF the richest mineral deposits in
Mexlco-gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc
but hitherto they have been inaccess ible and
could not be worked without machinery
NOT has II been profitable to take out the
ore There is no place to send IT. There
are no smelters on that coast. Everything
is on the other side Of the mountains This
railway Will enable the mine owners not
ohiy 70 get their ore 10 market, but to take
In machinery to work their mines and plans
are already made for the erection Of smell
tiers at two or three places along the line
Ihere are very large American interests
Gown in that country Millions OF dollars or
New York, San Francisco. Chicago and Col-
orado money are invested in mining claims
in the states Of Sinaloa and Sonora. which
are practically valueless today because they
are out of reach.
Ideal Mining Region.
Minerals are usually found in desolate
and unhealthy regions. either In the nids,
OF miasma or a thirsty desert. but in this
case the reverse happens. From Guaymas
and southwark and along the mountains be-
tween Hermosillo and Durango ia one of
the most healthy and delightful climates to
De found anywhere, with plenty of fuel for
smelling the ores Labor is abuntant he
cause no Industries have been introduced to
employ the poems, and they have had no
opportunity 10 leave their native villages
Inc mountain streams will furnish plenty
or electric power for operating pumps and
other mining machinery. The temperature
Is neither too hot too cold there is no
malaria or mosquitoes and the miners can
work every DAY.
The railway company has already abou,
5000 men at work at two or three points
along the proposed road and is building
both ways. The route is selected and the
right-Of-way secured north of Mazatlan
South OF Mazatlan surveyors are stiT In the
Geld.
be- other day that the government had of.
Ared MIR. b. +. Yoakum a concession To
<build coast line from CoHna on the Mext-
can Central southwark along the Pacific
coast 70 Salna Cruz on the isthYnus touch
Ing at Acapulco and other ports, but | can
get no information on the subject. The
Mexican Central. which already has a line
far as the town Of Balsos on the Pacific
elOpe proposes 70 extend II to Acapulco the