Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-07

he had completed the Job. In 1858 Edward
McMurdo Of London undertook to rebuild
the track Sanchez had laid, hut he died be-
fore he had been able to do very much, and
the government paid his widow handsome
bonus to cancel the contract. Then J. III.
Hampson of Washington, d. g., E. l..
Corthell of Chicago and Chandos s. STAN
hope of London obtained concession. They
spent $13.3oo.ooo, which had been borrowed
by the Mexican government and then quit
with the work two-thirds DONE Fifteen
million dollars more was borrowed and
with that money Stanhope completed the
track, but Ii was unfit to use. IT was
scarcely possible to run train over it.
and there were no terminal facilities what
ever at either end Although something
like s50.o0o,0o0 altogether had b.en invested
In trying TO build a railroad 1876 miles long.
the results were not of the slightest conse-
quencc, and the isthmus need not have
existed so far as any benefit to the gov
eminent or the people was concerned
Built by the Pearsons.
Finally a contract was entered into be-
tween the government and the firm of S.
Pearson & Son of Liverpool TO put things
IN practical shape. Sir Weetman Pearson
the head of the firm, is member OF the
British parliament, and man of universal
reputation as an engineer and contractor.
who has carried through successfully some
of the greatest engineering enterprises ever
uIlOSTtdkeiI ne ITTl mas Deen PARTICULARLY
fortunate In its dealings with the Mexi-
can government. 1t bored a tunnel through
the mountains to drain the valley of Mex
leo and built a harbor at Vera Cruz, which
described the other day. Therefore. with
entire confidence President Diaz entered
Into partnership with the firm of Pear
sen e. Son to do a railway business The
working capital was fixed at 81, 100000, TO be
furnished in equal shares by the two part
ners. Pearson & Son agreed to rebuild and
eOufD the Tehuantepec railway a
pense and operate 1t for a term of fifty-one
years. During the first thirty-six years the
government Is to enjoy 65 per cent of the
net earnings; during the next five years
6S1a per cent; the next five years 721t per
cent and the last five years 76z per cent
Pearson g. Son receiving the balance
Under this contract the track has been
completely rebuilt and placed in the most
perfect physical condition possible. All the
bridges have been replaced with steel and
solid masonry abutments. and full equip
ment of locomotives and passenger and
freight cars has been purchased, so that no
other road in Mexico, or even in the United
States, is in better condition for traffic.
Terminal Facilities.
AT the same time the Mexican government
entered into two other contracts with the
firm of Pearson & Son to construct harbors,
docks. warehouses and other terminal IA
cilites for handling any amount of freight
at CoatZaeoaIcoS, the northern end, and at
Salina Cruz, the southern end of the rail-
way. These two contracts, although made
with the same firm, are separate and dis
tinct, and involve the heaviest engineering
construction now going on anywhere on the
American continent, with the exception of
the Panama canal, and probably In the
world. They represent an expenditure of
about $35000,0O0 silver, paid from the pub
lie treasury of Mexico. Everything is new
from the start and of the most complete,
extensive and expensive character. / shall
describe them more in detail in another let
ter. 1t is proper to say, however. in this
connection, that no public work has ever
been done more thoroughly anywhere on
either side of the world and no expense has
been spared to secure the most complete
and perfect facilities for handling freight
and passengers.
If the Tehuantepec line had been con-
structed twenty years ago It would doubt
less nave been an even more important In
Huence upon the commerce of the American
continent than 1t is destined to have in the
future. 1t has been built for the purpose of
competing with the Panama railroad which
now belongs to the United States govern
ment, and the facilities for handling large
LraHlc are so much greater here than at
fanama that the trend of commerce will
De watched with interest The Panama
canal cannot be finished for fifteen or
twenty years. In the meantime the project
ors OF the Tehuantepec railway expect 10
demonstrate its advantage and receive a
satisfactory return from their Investments