The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-13
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.
MaNjCO CITY

n AILWAY travel in Mexico just
H now is mighty uncertain, al
- though the railway officials say
they expect things to quiet down from
now on, and the travel and business
conditions 10 show steady improve
ment. For the past few months things
have been decidedly bad in the roads
from here to the North. The Mexican
Central 10 FL Paso was out of COM
mission for more than year, and the
Laredo road has had many hold ups
and bridge burnings CoEditions up
ON it were especially bad shortly after
Madero was killed and some of the
regions through which it passes had
many rebels and brigandS.
AS / came here over that route,
some months before the battle at Men
leo City the passengers on my train
discussed the possibilities OF Il tunnel
being blown nip. and since then some
or the bridges have been burned and
rebuilt. iiold-ups by bandits and
rebels frequently occur between here
and Vera Cruz, and, in fact there are
hut few regions where travel is posi-
lively safe. II there are soldiers on
your train, there is liza BILE to be shoot
ing by anti administration prigands,
and your life is in danger Ii there
are no soldiers the train may he held
up and robbed by the rebels or ba ndits,
=,
nationality. he forced TO hand over
their money, watches and jcwclry at
the point OF the revolver. In some
such cases the passengers are search
ed to sec II they are giving UP all that
they have, and in others foreigners
are freed after their pocketbooks and
money rolls have been HANDED over.
For this reason ! am hiding my money.
always carry number of good yell
low bills as reserve fund for acct
dents. and these | now keep in my
socks while travelling by train. would
say, however, that in several hundred
thousand miles of travel all over the
world. this is the first time l have
done so.
Mca,co's New Rnilroads.
such conditions have practically par
alyzed travel throughout "a great part
OF This country. This is so, although
muc.r OF Mexico. geographically speak
ing, Is quiet and the freight and pas
seneer business is being carried on
almost as regularly as in times oil
peace. The most of the foreigners
have sent their families out Of Mex
leo. but many OF them are going about
from city 10 city. and there are Still
some thousands al the capital.
ny Rail TO Yucatnn.
In addition 10 this. concessions
have been asked for a number OF lines
Two railway companies hav. been
formed TO build roads south OF the
isthmus of Peh*ta ntepec one ,f these
is 10 go from Santa Lucrotia on the
Tehulntopcc National Railway TO the
town OF Campeche, through the states
ni Vera cruz, rabasco and Campcchc.
ana II VIII there connect with the
United Railways OF Yucatan This
road is financed by different capita
list II is now being surveyed. ana
construction will soon commence
This will form a main line between
the rest Of the republic and the pen
insula OF Yucatan. and will enable one
10 go from the United States to that
country by rail 1t Will open up
some of the richest tropical country OF
the world.
Another. important line financed ny
the British, hut to be built by Amcrl-
cans has been projected from Acapulco.
on the west coast, through the State
of Guerrero to Balsas. on the RaIsas
River. where connection will 90 made
with the National Railways. 1t will
open up ii scmi-tropica region and
also large timber and mineral re-
serves
Improving the Main line.
In addition to this new construct on
The old roads are being improved
Notw outstanding the revolution, the
National Railways have been relaying
'nuch OF their main line with eighty
Ye-ponnd steel rails. and they have
improved hundreds OF miles OF trach
on that limo with rock ballast They
have tdded TO the rolling stock H.
the addition of many oil burning loco
motives, and OF new PASSENGER anc
freight cars. The Mexican Railwa
has during the same time reiaid It's
main track with heavier steel and has
turned its engines from coal burning
to oil burning. while the Southern Pa
cifc has been improving its roadway
This work has OF course been Outside
the region Of active rebellion
Me1ico's HALLWAY System.
Few people appreciate how randi,
Mexico has been moving during recent
Years along railway lines IN com.
parison with the character and NUN.
Der of It's population, il has been build.
ing such lines faster than almcst an,
other country. II has now more ina
twice AS many miles Of railroad .,
either Spain or italy. il has 1000 mile,
more than Austria. and an coun
amount IN advance OF the ArEcntin.
Republic. 1t is far ahead OF Brazll
and there Is not a Spanish America
country on this hemisphere which ap
s proaches ii in railway construction
The lines now built are more thaI
! ] 5000 miles, and their cost has nee
- cyey s500.0o0.0o0 in gold. o! thes
e. roads, 20 per cent were constructe
under American auspices. - per cen
by the English and other foreigner,
md s per cent By the Mexicans
The general idea Is that the govern
This liz not SO. The Mexican railway