El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-08
Copyright, 1913. by Frank c. Carpenter

Americans who have gone away on &C
count OF the depressed business state
which the unsettled conditions have
caused. There are stiu many Ameri-
can business men scattered all over
Mexico. Gen. Hanna thinks the number
is perhaps so percent Of that before
the revolution began. He tells me that
the opportunities here are great for
the investment Of American capital. and
predicts that there will be an American
invasion as soon as the country is
stable.
He also estimates that there are
something like 200, 600 Mexicaus in the
United States. and that there are per
haps 10000 in Texas. There are many
in Arizona and New Mexico. The sons
and daughters Of the better Mexican
families Of the republic are now being
sent TO our country for their education,
and there is scarcely an American col
lege which has not its Mexican students
Many Of the boys are taking engineer
ing and agricultural courses, and at the
same time many agricultural experts
are being brought here from the United
States to give advice TO the farmers and
to show how TO make the big estates
pay Some Of these are eN-clerks Of
our agricultural department. who are
paid double the salaries they have been
getting at home. and others have come
from our state agricultural colleges.
Mexico in 1913.
I am surprised how little the average
citizen Of the United States knows
about Mexico. We send 10000 Ameri-
cans to Europe every year and they
spend an average of $1,000 apiece. or q
selves tired in the galleries, and scratch
Holland. France, Germany and Italy as
with a fine tooth comb for strange Gus
toms and costumes They do not finC
them. The truth is, the Europe of to
day is all one 1t is practically the
same as the United States, and If one.
would see the big things of travel he
had better go to the lower part of our
own continent
This Mexico is a world in itself, and
1t IS a world Of strange sights and
strange people. It has a population Of
more than $1,000 600 and. of these, at
least 100000 are indians, the de-
ScendantS Of the AZtecS. They cannot
read or write, and in many respects are
about the same as the Aztecs Of the
MOnUeZumas. The other 100000 Mex
leans are the descendants of the Span
iards or of those with a large admix-
their queer costumes. and as one rides
through the country he sees. a new pic
ture at every turn Of the eye.
Picturesque Scenes.
Coming here from the Rio Grande. I
saw lusty. brigandlike men wearing
great sOmbrerOs, the crowns Of which
rose q foot above their heads and whose
brimS were a foot wide all the way
Of silver about them as thick as your
wrist and gorgeous in trimmings OF
silver and gold Not a few wore coats
or short jackets, Ornamented with
bright silver buttons The trousers OF
some of the men were striped with sill
yer braid, while not d few had silver
mounted revOlvers hung to their hips
At some of the stations men so dressed
gallOped Up on horses, also gayly- ap-
pareled, and looking across the country,
We no a nd 0arr q
dashing over the fields
The World of Mexico.
This is one of the human phases Of
this world of Mexico, a world which
was born when the Spaniards began to
marry the AZtecs in the days of the
Montezumas Physically there is no
fairer world in this universe Of matter,
and in natural resources there is none
richer. Let me give you some idea Of
its extent. There are only four other
republics on this hemisphere which
have as much land Mexico is equal to
the whole United States east Of the Mis-
sissippi river. and its coast line on the
Atlantic and the Pacific, is so great that
if it could be Joined, il would extend
from san Francisco to London and leave
some to spare It would more than
reach from Los Angeles to Manila in
the Philippine islands.
The country is about as long as from
New York TO Salt Lake City. and its
breadth at the top is as great as the
distance between Philadelphia and In
dianapolis. The land is shaped like a
great horn, the roots of which are
fastened to the United States and the
tip Of which is Yucatan. 1t slopes from
both sides to the top, and there are
ridges with great mountains UphOlding
d vast rolling tableland, the most of
which IS a mile above the sea The
comprise some of the highest
of the Rocky mountain system, Mount
Orizaba being over Is, 600 feet high, and
POpOcatepetl only a few hundred feet
lower. Mexico has volcanoes as high
as Pixies Peak, the names of which we
hardly know, and it has more than Is
which range from two miles to three
and One-half miles in altitude.
Crops All the Year Round.
This land is one of many climates,
and Of almost every crop desired by
man. In the low coast lands are all
the fruits OF the tropics, and American
companies are now setting out banana
not far from the Mexican
gulf A little higher up coffee grows,
and in other sections rubber can be
DrOfitably raised
ike an Ohio June all the year round.
The air is pure as the winter winds
which sweep over Egypt from the Lii
0yan desert and Greece can furnish
40 more beautiful skies.
This high plateau grows all the crops
regions which produce large Quanti-
les OF cotton, a fiber which was used
by the Aztecs when COrtez first came.
Il yields indian corn, which is the
staple food Of the people, and it is
slalmed that Mexico is the original
nome Of this plant. I have seen soil
which produces two crops Of wheat in
rr-H7a h.