Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-27
LAND OF MEXICO,
NEWMAN'S WORLD
REGION OF THE T0LTECS
BECK0NS AMERICANS
WESTWARD TIDE TO TURN SOUTH
FOR OUTLET
Visitors in Republic Return for Longer
Stay or Permanent Settlement
Where Soil and Climate
Are Unsurpassed
BY FRED I. FOSTER

BY FRED l. FOSTER
OF late years there has been raised
throughout the United states, by rail-
roads and others interested in promot-
ing travel in our own country, d cry to
see America first" Whether this is
intended to mean all of North America,
or simply the United States, IS not
generally understood, but it is certain
that it should at least include the Re
public of Mexico, as no other portion
of this country offers the tourist,
health seeker or investor a wider or
more interesting field than the land
of the Toltecs. Each year brings an
increasing number of Americans to
Mexico. and those who really see Mex
want to go again for longer stay
No country in the world can ouer a
greater variety of climate. From the
cold of the frigid zones to the heat OF
the tropics is a matter of but a rev
hours In the intermediate attitudes
of central Mexico is to be found the
most delightful climate in the world.
Cuadalaj lara. with an elevation OF
about 5000 feet. enjoys climate that
cannot be surpassed in the civilized
world. This city has a population of
approximately 125,000 and its location
in the extreme interior of the country
is convincing proof of the wonderful
richness of the surrounding country.
one frequently hears Mexico spoken
of as the hot country but those who
have spent any time travelling through
out the different parts of the repub- .
lie win not agree with this. 1t is true
that the desert portion of northern /
Mexico. during May and June, enjoys
some pretty warm weather as does
every other portion of North America F..
during certain portions of the year, but /
seldom will one care TO sleep at night +.
without a blanket during the hottest
months. In the attitudes above 5000 .
feet the temperature rarely exceeds 80 .
degrees.
Among Worlds Rich Lands /
The past two or three years have
witnessed an awakening among Amer .
leans of the north to the fact that IN .
Mexico lie some Of the richest agri- .
cultural and fruit lands in the world .
and today there are thousands OF .
American homeseekers focking to va
rious sections of the sister republic 10
take up their residence and develop
their lands. Low prices of land, cheap .
labor, wide variety of products, and /
an almost continuous crop season IS The I
attraction that draws such large /.
number of the land hungry to Mexico
each year Many stop shortly after
crossing the border. in the northern
states, where irrigation is king. 9th
ers go to locations in the tropics while
thousands are now pouring into the
new country being opened to the out
side world by the west coast extension
of Harrimans extension of the South
ern Pacific railroad from the border
TO Guadalajara and on through to the /
Isthmus of Tehuantepec
The average American going tp /
Mexico is desirous of finding climatic
conditions more temperate than offered /
by the tropics. He also wishes to avoid I
the cold winters of the United states. f.
where six months of winter consumes I
large portion of the earnings of the
other half year. The humidity uf the
tropics makes it practically impossible
for the white man TO do manual labor, |
and the extreme scarcity of cheap labor
IS factor against locating there to
engage i'm agriculture and horticulture.
As a happy medium, where conditions
are as near ideal as can possibly be
imagined where there is plenty Of rain
during the rainy season and an abun-
dance of available water during the
dry season for irrigation. where prac-
tiCally every product of the temperate
or tropical zone can be raised in
abundance; where the climate the year
round is uuquestionablv more delightful
than and as healthfu as Southern
California, probably the states Of
NIichoacan and Jalisco offer greater
possibilities than any other in the re-
Self Evident Facts
a trip through the states at
any season of the year will convince
the most skeptical that the foregoing
statement is correct.
The state Of Jalisco is traversed by
the national railways from east to
short distance from the Pacific ocean.
The country is extremely rich in mines,
and a great deal of the valley land is
under a high state Of cultivation The
Ierma river, called in some sections
the Santiago river. is the largest in the
republic. 1t flows through the heauti-
ful Lake Chapala, at an altitude Of
about 5000 feet. On this river. near the
city of Guadala jara, lis located the falls
Of Juanicatlin. called by Americans
"the Niagara of Mexico" From these
falls is generated an enormous amount
of electrical energy, furnishing power
TO the street railway and the lighting
system of the city, as we'll as power for
the mines located in the mountains Of
Jalisco.
With the completion Of the
Southern Pacific road TO Guadalajara
from the north will come the agricul-
tural and mineral production of the
fertile lands Of Tepic. Sinaloa and So
nora, giving this city a greater prestige
ioyed, ana insuring its future as one
of the great cities of North America,
From there the road will continue south
through MichOacan, Guerrero and OAK
aca TO Join the Tehuantepec line. which
crosses the fsthmus and joins the Gulf
of Mexico and the Pacific ocean. This
road viii open a country rich in mineral
timber and agricultural wealth and
bring thousands of northern people into
country that today is practically void
of development of any kind.
The trip through Michoacan is best
made over the National Railways
through the city of Toluca, principal
commercial town of the state of Mexico.
through Maravatio to AcambarO. From
Maravatio the narrow gauge takes
one through the mountains and
valleys of eastern Michoacan, where
agriculture is one Of the chief indus
tries. The mountains are covered with
pine and oak, and in some sections
mining is engaged in quite extensively
Tourists Visit Lake
At Patzcusro is lake of the same
name which is visited by thousands Of
tourists annually The scenery is beau
tiful. and the old cathedral built on
one Of the islands of Lake Patzcuaro
contains several Of the finest paintings
in existence UruapGn is the present
end Of the road. and from there the
journey to the Balsas river must be