The Columbus journal., 1909-04-28

Much interest has been excited by
the announcement that an extensive
Urea of Northwest Mexico is to be
exploited by British Canadian enter
prise, with. however. American and
Mexican cooperation. which is valued
for its intimate acquaintance with the
country.
Northwest Mexico's attractiveness
as promising field for enterprise
has long been manifest, inasmuch as
it borders the United States and is
known to possess great natural re-
sources as well as fertile soil and
perfect climate. It has certainly
been traversed-at wide intervals
by American lines running southwark
to the Mexican capital or westward to
the Pacific coast. but those lines have
been more concerned with their ter
ninals than with the development of
the country's resources.
Indeed. the best areas are of the
beaten tracks and lie westward Of
Chihuahua, the capital of the state
SO named and the chief city of North
ern Mexico. In that region-which
has been sparsely served hitherto
are magnificent pastures and arabic
lands unsurpassed for fertility in
North America. But still more impor-
tant are the immense forests of white
pire and the great abundance of min
erals which has made the Sierra Madre
for in, no n,.ivv, Two
times of mule transport.
Local lines operating west and
north of Chihuahua have disclosed
the great possibilities that lie beyond.
These lines are now the germ of a
far-reaching system. Having taken
over the existing lines, extensions
will be built which will not only give
a great impetus to local development
but connect with the American and
Mexican trunk lines running north
and south, east and west. from the
great cities of Americas middle states
to the Mexican capital in the former
direction. from the gulf ports to the
Pacific coast on the other. The ex.
tended system will form connections
at various points.
1t would be difficult to convey by
mere verbal recital what those vari-
GUS extensions and connections i'm
ply: but q system SO advantageously
situated, and working from the inter
Tor of far-reaching network of rail-
ways-One which will have 600 miles
of its own by the beginning of 1911,
of which 200 are in actual operation
now-can scarcely be negligible
quantity as principal or auxiliary. 1t
seems, indeed. to supply the key to
great problems in Transportation. and.
among other possibilities of the fu-
ture. to assure that there shall be eff
fective northern competition with the
Panama canal Considerable timber
traffic and milling profits are assured
to the new railroad by its ownership
of magnificent forest lands and saw
mills. 1t will convey the immigrants
who are already streaming to the in
terror, and it will carry their produce
and their cattle to the markets of
America or for shipment to Europe.
It will create new industries for the
good of the country and its own profit
bring new centers of activity into
being, and stimulate towns that have
languished for lack of communica-
tons.
Mining has hitherto been carried
on under difficulties. which would
have been insuperable were 1t not
that ores rich enough to bear the cost
of mule transport to the shelters
were available. Inferior ores which.
had there been a railway. might have
been profitably shipped. were thrown
on the dumps as useless. and mines
were neglected which. under more
reasonable conditions, would have
been excellent propositions. A trans
formation in that respect will be
wrought when the railway is ready