Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-14
Things You Want to Know The % sssS:, Cen
IN Cen.
N.

walled temples before the Norsemen skirt.a
the shores Of Newfoundland and Massa-
chusetts. General Dias is in thorough &C.
cord with the American belief in universal
education, and declares that 1T Is our
foremost interest. We regard Il as the
foundation OF our prosperity and the basis
OF our very existence" There Is nothinc
that makes the Americans who have inter
ests there more hopeful OF Mexicos future
than this awakening spirit Of universal
education.
No other nation on earth has such a
wide range Of interest for the traveller
as the Republic OF Mexico with it's noun
tains, reaching 20 the realms Of perpetual
STOW, and its lowlands, lying in the region
Of greatest heat in the torrd zone, one
may at one view behold all the diversity
Of climate he would find in going from the
equator to the north pole, and all the
range of vegetation from polar to tropic
seas. There are fifty-two varities Of mann
NAL quadrupeds in the republic 200 kinds
Of fowls, fifty species OF humming birds
1853 other kinds OF birds, 1900 varieties OF
insects. forty-thrse species OF reptiles, and
variety Of plant life so great that the
scientists have not yet catalogued them all
There are now about 1000 miles OF rail
road in Mexico, a large portion of which
was built by capital from the United States
The mineral wealth OF the republic is esti-
mated TO run far into the billions. and
nearly every important mineral known TO
the minerooglst is to be found in quanti-
ties that will meet the demand OF the
miner for centuries to come. AS yet the
problem Of conservation Is not engaging the
n Of he Marirap authnrifiaa = tg
still a question of pioneering and unlock
ing the great store houses OF treasure that
remain all but unopened.
1t would be unsafe for anyone to be
carried away by the literature Of promo
ton concerning Mexican rubber plantations
and other agricultural opportunities, as very
few of them that are advertised are likely
to be productive of dividents in the near
future. Yet, for the pioneer in the farm
ing regions of Mexico there Is abundant
opportunity. The tablelands offer a climate
that for uniformity and delightfulness is
excelled nowhere, and there are millions of
fertile acres that are available for cult
walton. It has been shown that oranges
may be grown in Mexico and sent TO New
York reaching there two full months
ahead of the California crop, and that
lemons flourish the whole year round. 1t
will be recalled that at the end OF the
Boer war Mexico offered the Beers q
great stretch of territory in the state of
Chihuahua Many accepted the offer, and
the Boer colony in Chihuahua is now one
OF the most interesting farming communi-
ties of the whole republic. Among those
who came over was General Viljoen, and
sturdy race OF Viljoens is growing up.
Only lately Senior Enrique Creel, late am
bassador to the United States, stood god
"a
family.
One of the influences retarding Mexican
growth is the peon and his pitiable condi-
ton. He lives in dirt, squalor and ignor-
ance, but is as ready to assist friend as he
is to resent a wrong or avenge an insult.
He works like a Trojan IL encouraged, but
shirks like a Hottentot IL bullied. He has
no ambition to be rich, or to climb the
ladder of intelligence. AS long as he has
his tortillas we'll baked and plenty OF pulque
to drink he cares little for progress or the
betterment of his own condition.
Pulque is the national drink OF the Next
can. 1t is made from plant known as the
American aloe, or sometimes as the CEN
fury plant, from the fact that II blooms so
rarely. The pulque plant is a species OF
the maguey plant, which supplies the Mexi-
can with his paper. his vinegar. his mo-
lasses, his rope, his house-ro and his
drink to say nothing OF the fat worms that
are extracted from the stock and eaten by
the Indians as the piece de resistance of
their meals. When the old puIQus plant
withers multitude of suckers spring UP.
These are set out and In from seven to ten
years reach the blooming stage. The large
blooming stock is cut off and a hollow
formed in the stem. from which is gathered
from ten to fifteen pints OF unfermented
juice every day for two or three months.
This Juice is mixed with mother pulque to
hasten fermentation, after which II is
ready for drinking. AS 1t Is neither pleas
ing to the smell nor to the taste, and is
prepared under conditions that are as far
from sanitary as anything we'll can be, few
Americans drink ii.
No Land in the new world offers greater
attractions for the tourist, better advan-
tages for the health seeker, safer condi-
tons for the intelligent investor, or more
promise for a rich future than Mexico.
The greatest feeling of International comfy
exists between II and our own republic
and in celebrating its cetennial year It is
the hope of the government at Washington
that together they may so direct the trend
OF international events in Pan-America
that by the time of the second Mexican
centennial the new world may load the old
in all lines of human progress.
By FRED1EIC J. HAsKIN.
Tomorrow-PrssidSnt Taft'S Birthday.