The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-13
RAILROAD NEWS.
Important Line in Mexico Is the
Vera Cruz and Pacific.
Built in Unskillful Manner, Must
Be Reconstructed.
CONNECTS SYSTEMS.
A Link in IntercontinentaI Road
Gradually Being Built.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.
CONNECTS SYSTEMS

Writing to the Chicago Record-Her-
aid from Mexico William E. Curtis has
this to say about the Vera Cruz and
Pacific railway which some day will
be a part of an intercontinental line:
The Vera Cruz and Pacific railway is
a connecting link between the general
transportation system of northern and
central Mexico and the new road re-
Gently constructed across the Isthmus
of Tehuantepec. It will also be an i'm
portant link in the great Interconti-
mental railway that is being gradually
constructed along the spinal column of
the American continent from the
frosty gold fields of the Klondike to
the plains of Patagonia and the
Straits of Magellan. Mr.. Carnegie re-
Gently remarked to ex-senator Davis
of West Virginia that he expected to
live long enough to make an all-rail
journey from New York to Buenos
Ayres, and invited the late candidate
for vice president on the Democratic
ticket to be his guest on the journey.
Both these gentlemen have been deep
ly interested in the extension of rail-
way connections between the Amer
lean republics, and. although there
have been many discourage ments, and
some of the countries in Central and
| South America do not seem to be very
much in earnest about doing their
share, actual progress is being made
annually, so that Mr.. Carnegie and Mr.
Davis, the latter eighty years of age
may be able to realize their anticipa-
tions.
Mr. Carnegie once proposed to the
first international American conference
Z WnRD M II
sion that the government of the United
states offer to furnish the rails for
track between the termini of the
Mexican and Argentine systems if
the several governments along the
! line would build the road It
was hard times with US then and he
thought the offer might serve a double
purpose. It would keep our mills In
motion and our miners busy and
1 would give substantial encoura cement
to the other countries. The Mexican
government has constructed a railway
southwark from its capital to Oaxaca
the metropolis of the coffee country
and the most important city in south
ern Mexico where Juarez Diaz. the
late MatiaS Romero and other famous
leaders were born. And a concession
has been granted for the extension of
! the line to the sIsthmtIs of Tebaunfe-
pee. Construction will be very ex-
pensive, however. and owing to the
mountains. the route will be much
! longer than the railway which has al
ready been built The latter, the Vera
! cruz and Pacific. fills all present re
I Qulrements. 1t furnishes a connection
1 between the northern and southern
4 systems of the republic sufficient for
/ commercial purposes; it is of great
/ Importance from military stand
4 point ana opens up new country fha +
/ is very rich in agricultural and pas
/ tOraI resources
Alfred Bishop Mason, son of the
! late R. B. Mason, once mayor of Chi
cagO and associated in the buildine NJ
/ the Illinois Central railroad. seems TO
have proposed and promoted the Vera
cruz and Pacific. He was a brother of
I the late Edward @. Mason, who in his
time was the most popular man in Chi
cago Alfred Bishop Mason is a versa
4 tile gentleman with a rather eccentric
career. He is generally regarded more
| as a. theorist than as a practical bust
i ness man. He has written books on
4 finance, has been q newspaper reporter
/ and editor and has done various other
things. I have not been able to discover
how Mr.. Mason's genius was brought
to bear upon the transportation prob
| lem Of the Mexican tropics, but he sue
ceeded in getting a subsidy of S., SOC, 00C
from the government and between s..
I 600 and $10000.000 from the Mary
land Trust company of Baltimore.
In this enterprise he seems to have
been more theoretical than practical
and to have shown the traits of an am
ateur, both as fnancier and as a rail-
way builder. He laid 26 miles of good
steel rails upon the soft soil of Mexico
but his grades were so low that the
track was usually under water during
most Of the rainy season and curing
the dry season the wind blew his en-
bankments away Old railway mer
down here declare that it was the worst
piece of track they ever saw. The worl
was done by contract in peculiar way
The company furnished all the rolling
stock locomotives and machinery. paic
the skilled mechanics to handle it anC
everything in repair, while the contrac
tor merely bossed and paid the peon:
without furnishing any capital or as
stunning any responsibility. This made
construction very slow and expensive
without producing corresponding re
suits The government had a similar
exnerience with the Tehuantepec rail
road. which was originally built in tn
same way at an enormous cost and ev
cry foot Of the track had to be relaiC
before a heavy engine or a train couiC
pass over it.
The government proposes to recon
struct the line in its entirety
TO PUSH PHILIPPINE LINES.