Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-30

region, being somewhat like California
only the soil is richer. For a distance of
lO0 miles from the coast the rainfall is ann
pie. There is a lot of timber saving and
cattle farming in the country and over
100000 people live in the country that is
tributary to the railroad. There are big
rivers that start in the mountains beyond
and run TO the gulf and their valleys have
been fRrmed for hundreds Of years. There
are haciendas there that have been in ex-
istence for centuries, and the people who
have anything at all are rich. At the time
our road was started ] saw an OK train Of
freight being taken up into that region,
and in 1t were twenty pianos Across the
country is an old highway that afforded
the only route for freight before the rail
road got there, and this was used great
deal by people going to California in the
early days.
ION the Tehuantepec National railway
between Puerto, Mexico, and Sallna Cruz
business is so great that the road cannot
keep up with the freight that is offered t.
and they are talking now OF double track
ing. There are a great many Americans
in southern Mexico, but not so many as
are in some other portions OF the country
Progress of the Country.
THE first time l was in Mexico was in
1876. did not visit the country again until
1890 and the change IN that time was
marked but in the last twenty years IL is
so marvellous that one who had not known
Mexico then would be unable TO appreciate
the difference. In 1876 a mans property
was anybodys II the latter could get away
with It. Nowadays property rights are as
secure as in the United States
The cities Of Mexico are growing. but
they don't pay the same attention TO the
growth OF cities there as they do IN the
United States They want TO get the coun-
try settled up. But they do a great deal
to improve the cities materially. Vera Cruz
up to the last four or five years was a
yellow fever pest hole Now its sanitary
arrangements are so nearly perfect that
they don't have yellow fever there at all
except when II is brought from some other
place ON the gulf and then they prevent
/ II from becoming an epidemic Merida. m
Yucatan, Is one OF the ceanest and prett!-
est cities anywhere. II is kept all the
time looking like a newly swept floor.
Unfortunately, lot Of American Wild
cat schemes have done harm down there
not only fake mining projects but planta-
tons that We're never planted or perhaps
existed only In the form Of attractive
literature. Any legitimate scheme in
Mexico is good one and Will work out
we'll but a get rich quick scheme there IL
no better for the investor than the same
institution nearer home.
The bridge we are building TO carry the
road into Guatemala will be 200 feet long.
and the river It crosses is the only quick
Fand stream along the road. We are con-
structing II OF wood
NO, It is not our intention TO carry the
Pan-American road on down by way OF
the isthmus and along the coast OF South
America. In my opinion a Pan-Amer.can
railroad OF that character will never be
built What is likely 10 happen Is that the
various countries will build roads from
one border 70 another, and these may be
linked up, but it IL apt to take a long time