The Raymer enterprise., 1912-01-04
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Soldier Who Was Father Of Mex
ican Railways.
Gen. William S. Roseerans,, Who Was
Minister to Mexico After Civil
War, Was Largely RESPONSE
tle fer Their Development.
BY e. j. EDWARDS.

was afterwards elected a member OF
congress ever attracted, more attention
from the galleries than did Gen. VIII
liam S. Rcsecrans. Old Rosie" as his
soldiers called him. when he entered
the house OF representatives In 1881.
He had as a colleague Gen. Joseph f.
Johns ton. with whom he was on most
friendly terms. and in the senate were
Gems. John a. Logan and Ambrose Z.
burnside, and little later. Gen. VIII
lam Malone. Rosecrans was the per-
sorilicaticn Of sincerity. of perfect de-
moeracy. and he had. as SO many
great soldiers have. distinctive quail
ity cf innocence. almost chi.dlike In
its simplicity
At the time General Rcsecrans be-
came member OF congress great
deal Of discussion was prevailing as to
the practicablity of constructing II
ship railroad across the Tehuantepec
is;hnus of Mexico. In oidcr 10 do
away with the long voyage around the
Morn. The plan had been advocated
by Capt. James b. Eads. who had
gained nm International reputation rs
IN engineer partly through the con-
struciion of the Eads bridge over the
Mississippi at ST. Louis and partly
through his successful building of the
lefty system near the mouth OF the
mississippi river. which resulted in
the lonsdesircd deepening OF the riv-
sr's channel Before General Rose
Grams entered congress he had been
minister 10 Mexico | had heard that
lie was much Interested In Captain
Ead's plan for a ship railway across
the Tehuantepcc isthmns. and at the
first opportunity | asked the general
II he would tell me whether he
hcIght Eads' plan was practicable or
not.
Il have no doubt aboU. the prac,i-
cability of the construction Of a ship
railway across the Tehuantepec 18TH.
nus" re said, with emphasis. 1T isn't
\ very difficult scheme from an en-.
sinoer's point of view. All that would
Aave TO be done would be to build a
railroad Of six tracks that could ac-
sommodate platform cars; then the
ships could be hauled from the Al.
lantic hartor by an incline to these
cars. constructed on the drydock sys.
leni. and then the locomotives would
RAUL them across the isthmus 10 the
Pacific side. And vice versa. The
)nly tf.Aitle with Eads' plan is that 1t
would cost u great deal OF money.
When was minister to Mexico in
GS-that was Just after Juarez had
)ver,hrown Macmillan and set up the
'epublic nfresh--tl ere were scarcely
any railroads in the country. There
vas one that ran from Vera Cruz TO
The capital. and there were two or
hrec little ones elsewhere. and that
about tells the whole story. But had
rot leen in Mexico six months before
realized that with ample railway ia,
clities the republic would become, in
lime, one Of the most prosperous ma
lions in the world unquestionably Of
hat part of the world lying to tie
south OF the United States. So sUs.
gcsteh 10 President .IuareZ the con.
struct!on Of railway across Tehuan-
,nn,n |, pxniuipipu bn,v
road would shorten hv thousands of
emiIcs the transit OF freight. by water.
IRON the Atlantic to the Pacific side
Of the Americas. President Juarez
pgrecd with me that such a line should
be built. also told him that Mexico
should have not only n central
railway running to the Rio Grande
river. but lines parallel to it that
would skirt. on the east, the gulf
coast and on the west the Pacific and
the Gulf Of California. lie asked me
II thought n railway could be built
across central Mexico through some
pass Of the Sierra mountains. ! told
him that | was certain OF II: that
there never yet existed mountain
chain through which somewhere Or
other passes could no, be found
For some time after ! ceased Re.
ing minister to Mexico | stayed In the
country and agitatcd the railway de.
velopment Of the republic believe
that | was the first man 10 suggest
to the proper government officials ade.
Oua'e railway development Of the
Mexican republic. and have often re.
gretled that before could get my
plans well under way business rea.
IONS called me to California. | am
glad to see, however. tnat this dcyel.
,pr,cnt is now under way. as regards
= central railway. though | am not TO
reap any material benefits from 1t.
And | venture to make the prediction
to you that within the next fifteen or
twenty years n true transconiinental
line win he built across The Tchlante.
nee isthmus. and. when ii IL. Mexico's
progress as commercial nation Will
be magninccntly advanced"
General. .Rosecrans did not live long
enough 10 see tho completion of the
Tchuantepec railrOad--an e;cnt that
belongs 10 the twentieth century,
bnt In Tho last Years OF his ilfc-hc