Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-08
"To The East By Way of The West"
Bv Bishop w. A. Gambler

International commerce takes to water
most naturally, and it follows a sea-far-
ing life.
From the time when the Phoenicians
first began to build ships until Columbus
discovered America the maratime trade
of the world was on the Mediterranean
Then, with the discovery of the western
world it moved into the Atlantic Ocean,
where it has remained for nearly half of
a millennium, expanding to proportions
beyond all the widest dreams OF the
traders of the ancient world.
1t is now passing rapidly into the Pa
cific Ocean. where its expansion will ex-
coed all that has gone before as much as
that great expanse of water goes beyond
the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and
as much as the multiplied millions or
Asia outnumber the populations OF Europe
and America.
To observe the pressure of this move
ment towards the Pacific one should pass
along the western coast of North Ameri-
ca from Alaska to Mexico, and at every
favorable port he will see the streams
of this commerce pouring into the Pa
cihc and headed for the Orient.
At Vancouver, he will find the Canadian
Pacific Railway turning a vast tonnage
of goods into subsidized lines of steam
ships. running to Japan, China, India
and Australia. At Seattle he will see Mr..
James j. Hills steamships receiving an
immense volume of traffick from his
Great Northern Railway and other lines.
At Portland, Tacoma, and San Francisco,
he will discover the several Pacific rail-
roads emptying into ships with sails set
for the Orient. huge cargoes of cotton,
grain iron and lumbar he iT1a cyipoS
however, that this movement is confined
TO Canada and the United States, he will
find himself surprisingly mistaken, when
he goes down to the western coast of
Mexico. While Mexico's navy and mer-
chant marine are at present inappreciable
she too has heard the call on the Pacific,
and there is activity and stir all along
her Pacific slope from the Gulf of Cali
fornia to the Gulf of Tehuantepec
About five years ago I had occasion to
visit the coast side of the great state OF
Sonora in the north and the state of
Jalisco further south. Recently | was
again west of the mountains in Sonora,
and was amazed at the progress made
in five years
AS 1 have mentioned in a previous let
ter the Southern Pacific Railway is ex-
tending its line. which for years has
been running from Benson, Arizona, to
Guayma9 Mexico, on the Gulf of Cali
fornia, so as to pass through the port of
Mazatlan. Thence on through the Ter
ritory of Topic to Guadalajara in the
state of Jalisco, where IT will connect
with the Mexican Central Railway, and
run directly into the City of Mexico. one
has but to inspect the map of Mexico to
see what such line means The roao
is completed to Mazatlan, one of the best
Mexican
within the next two years it will be
finished to Guadalajara.
While the Southern Pacific is thus push
ing Its line in the North the Mexican
central Railway is extending it's Cuer-
navaca division Southwark to Acapulco.
which has one of the finest harbors in the
World. 1t was from Acapulco Don Her
nando de Alarcon. the discoverer of Cal
lIornla' sailed on his voyage of discovery
May y. 1910; and from Acapulco the gal
leon carried the commerce Of SPAIN which
had crossed the Atlantic, to her colonies
In the Philippine Islands for more than a
century. Old Acapulco has before IL a
greater history than all il has ever
known in the past.
This route from the Southern ports of
Mexico, via Honolulu to the Orient is
far more direct than that from San Fran
cisco to the Hawaiian Isles, since Honolu-
- 10 AeAi cOulll-OH the same parallel with
Santiago Cuba. This fact implies much
to trade. When the International Railway,
now running from Eagle Pass, Texas, to
Durango, Mexico. has been extended to
Mazatlan. as ii will be in the near fu-
ture' what may not that port at the
mouth of the Gulf of California become?
But further north than Mazatlan. is the
comparatively unknown port of Topolo.
bampo, which has before II still bright
er future, if possible. 1t is the destina-
ton OF the Kansas City, Mexico, and
Orient Railway. which is to run from
Kansas City, through the great States of
Oklahoma and Texas in the United States
and the great States of chihuahua and
S1naloa in Mexico to the Pacific Coast
Inc line on its Northern end has already
reached San Angelo, in West Texas, and
on the Mexican side OF the Rio Grande,
work on it is being pressed rapidly. When
completed 1t will give very short line
for Oriental freight-shorter than by San
francisco, Portland, or Seattle 1t will
pass through some of the richest portions
of our own country and Mexico. and il