The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-04-20
John A. White Enjoyed His Tour
Through That Country.
MANY THINGS OF INTEREST
Learned a Great Deal Of That Sec
tons Resources; Story Of
the Cities and Towns.
From Fridays Daily.

leo immensely, and the four weeks off
duty has done me a world of good, and
| am now in the chair again ready for
a hard seasons work, and really, it
seems good to get home again, even
though the trip was short one, said
John A. White, who has just returned
from Mexico.
"Myself and companion, Mr. j. c. FL
field, general manager of the Tabasco
pantation--in which a number of people
in this city are interested-which is To-
Gated in the southern portion of the
state of Vera Cruz on the Coatzaeoalcos
river in the heart of the tropics of Mex
leo, left Minneapolis on the even
inc of the 18th ult. via
the st. Louis and Wabash systems, for
Mexico, via st. Louis. From the latter
city we enjoyed all the pleasures af-
forded by a beautifully equipped solid
through Pullman train, known as the
"St. Louis Mexico City Special and
which makes the run from st. Louis
to Mexico City, 1000 miles, in ffty-six
hours, reaching the latter city right on
schedule time, Thursday evening the
22d ult
''To illustrate with what rapidity one
can move around over the earth under
our modern rapid-transit systems, per-
nit it to be said here, that we travelled
by rail during our absence of less than
four weeks. over 5000 miles, besides doing
considerable horse back riding, canoe and
street car travel, and a considerable Wis
ting AS matter of comparison, the
writer well remembers when a boy iv-
ing on a farm in Wisconsin, when rail
roads were almost unknown. thirty miles
was considered a good days travel
while on "Mexico- Special one travels
that distance while taking lunch in a
beautifully equipped Pullman diningcar,
whose menu would do honor to the
queens table.
at would be entirely out of the ques-
ton, besides it would be tedious to
your readers) to undertake to describe
to you, to any extent, the country and
cities lying along the route between st.
make no mention of that portion of the
4 trip lying in the states of Missouri, Ar
kansas and Texas, through which we
passed before reaching the Rio Grande
river. which divides the republic of
Mexico and the United States, and will
mention, briefly, only what we saw be-
tween the City of Mexico. We passed in
to the Republic of Laredo, a city of no
special note, of about 10000 inhabitants.
Here we were examined for duty
turned our watches back thirty-six min
utes, changed our money base, from gold
to silver tim, receiving So in Mex, for
81 of our United States money, and it
was common remark that if we would be
in tune with our surroundings, we ought
to turn our minds back at least thous-
and years. This perhaps is true if we
were to review to republic in a compare
tive light; in comparison, however, the
Mexico of today, is new world, and
while there are many, yea, very many
crude and ancient like methods and
modes of living at the present time in
Mexico, it must be admitted that reform
has been abroad in the land, and within
the last thirty years, silent and salu.
tary revolution has been going on. This
reformation is the wonder of the CEN
fury to those who have given it special
attention. On this point, am glad to cite
the testimony of a competent authority
who has recently been giving the result
of his careful study of Mexico, to the
readers of Harper's Magazine, and we
commend his articles, beginning in Feb
ruary). Mr.. Lummis, under the title of
The Awakening of Nation aptly calls
Mexico, IAN ambitious marcher in the
procession of nations Transportation
facilities in Mexico are practically as
good as those in our western states, and
from what / can learn the Investment
far more profitable. The central portion
of the republic is Melted with telegraph
and telephone lines, with very cheap
rates.
Thirty years ago Mexico had practi-
cally no railroads; she now has forty,
with nearly 10000 miles of track, and
everything else in railway equipment
that that implies. Another fair illustra-
ton of improved conditions in Mexico
during the past twenty years is shown
by the fact, that the receipts of the
Mexican treasurer for the year 1881
were, in round numbers, $3O,OOO,OOOOO;
in 1901, 500 ,OOO, 100000.
"The first city of Importance south of
Laredo, is Monterey. distance of about
400 miles, the capital of the state of
Nuevo Leon, with population of $4,000
the most important manufacturing