Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-09
(Fditorial Correenor5.nrs \

Editorial Correspondence
sALINA CRUZ. Sept B-(special)-
While the United States has been building
the Panama canal to meet the certain de-
mands Of the near future for world com
merce, Mexico has not been blind to the
situation Eor neglected. Of its opportunities
20 contribute 10 the solution Of this big
Eest transportation problem. In its isthmus
OF Tehauntepeo Mexico possesses the mar
rowest strip Of land separating the At
lantic and Pacific with the exception OF
Panama, that exiscs between the two
Americas. and TO utilize this great natural
advantage II has constructed, and is now
operating, a transcontnental railroad con-
Meeting Atlantic and Pacific ports and
activity competing for oceanic traffic.
This great undertaking is not, strictly
speaking, one OF the public improvements
commemorative Of the centennial year.
having been finished and dedicated with
due official ceremonial in 1907. yet il is
the most striking example OF Mexico's ef-
hort 60 keep abreast Of twentieth century
progress eNemphfied in the various CEN
tennial demonstrations and IL is but nat
ural that as guests Of the Mexican govern
msnt, our editorial party should be in.
vitod to inspect this across-MeXico route
and It's terminals, although 10 is not on
the beaten path for tourists.
The isthmus OF Tehauntepec lies in al.
most the extreme southern part Of Mexico
reaching as far south as sixteen degrees
north latitude, which 10 about LOO miles
north Of the equator. At its narrowest
part II is approximately 125 miles wide al
the crow flies but to make the trip by raj
one must travel a distance Of 1870 miles
This, because OF the in and out windingt
Of the road TO ascend and descend The
steep grade required to cross the divide
the back Of the Cordilleras, which here a.
it's lowest is $50 feet above sea level The
country through which the railroad passe,
is thoroughly tropical on the Atlantic side
When It reaches the high levels the vege
taton thins out and on the Pacific side
except along the rivers, the vegetation {,
semi-arid because of the rare rains ant
high winds.
We had a delightful trip from Mexict
City south through picturesque valleys an,
inspiring mountain scenery with glimpse
here and there of three snow-capped peaks
PopOcatepetl and Ixtaccihaut and still
surther southwark Orizaba all of then
lifting their heads above the clouds an,
piercing the sky up to from 1900 to 1900
fset The sight Of uninterrupted mountain
un1Nr a summer sun was not entirely ne7
70 me, having been photographed on tn
top OF Pixies Peak in July and have slep
on the Alpine Rigi in August. but tn
novelty Of a single view embracing tower
ing palms. delicate orchids and tropica
flowers at the base our well known tree
and familiar vegetation in the center an
perpetual frost at the top Is indeed strik
ing and must prove memorable.
The junction Of the Tehauntepec railroa
was made at Santa Lucrecia, whence W
continued 10 a little station called Nina
titan, which is the site of a large oil re
filming plant with 6OOO-barrel capacity, pu
up by S. Pearson & Son. limited, who 20
the crude oil from their own wells in tn
oil fields at various points on the isthmu
We departed from special train her
and boarded a steam tug which was to TAX
US down the Coatzacoalcos river TO tn
harbor at it's mouth, which is twenty-fou
miles distant, and which used to be on tn
map by the same name-Coatzacoalcos-
but which now in Difference to the diff
Guilty foreigners might have in pronouncin
and spelling It, has been relabeled Puert
Mexico.
The Coatzacoalcos river is a typical troT
zeal stream, such as we read about an
see pictured in books of travel. IL is Wild
placid md limpid II is bOrdered on bot
sides with dense tropical verdure, shown
widely separated shades Of green. Hell
and there are open spaces that nave bee
cleared, sometimes with cattle grazing ar
and then building or a cluster
huts peeps out from the higher groun
Water fowl are plentiful chiefly black an
brown birds Of the parrot hawk variet
and only. occasionally wore gaudy plum
age, and whole flocks of blue and viii
heron. Two or three crocodiles were a.
cOmmodating enough to show themselv,
for our benefit Small floating islands
water hyacinth, all in purple bloom, let