The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-05-21
OF MEXICO FOR 400
YEARS GIVEN IN EPITOMr

large country as II is; its
SUI ct equals that of Great Brit
si'S "a ireland, France, Germany, and
.-strla- Hungary together
Aus" a. we realize that Mexico has a
wv i've ~ about seventeen hundred
ess' on the Gulf of Mexico and the
c.r,bbean Sea; while on the Pacific
u,ndng the Gulf of California, its
line is no less than forty-five
hundred miles
three territories, and the federal
s.a' s,., which contains Mexico City.
u' mso states bordering the Atlantic
that is to say, on the Gulf OF
s ~ and the Caribbean Sea-are, go
from north to south, Tamaulipas,
rsra Cruz Tabasco, Campeche, Yucca
~ and the territory of Quintana.
w y, the Pacific side, going from north
nth are the territory of lower Cal
mia Sonora, Sinaloa, the territory
!, ronic Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan,
r,syrero oaxaca, and Chiapas.
rha inland states are Chihuahua,
c..huila Nuevo / con, Durango, Zaca
,.oas San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes
srsnailato. Queretaro, Hildalgo, Mex
~ "a state), the Federal District Gin
.,osad in the state of Mexico,) More
ns Tlaxcaa, and Puebla.
m the above, those which generally
interest us most border our own south
arm frontier. From west to east, they
ava Lower California, with over $4,000
oomlation, and a percentage of popu-
aim per square mile of 0.S; Sonora,
and a population per square mile of
a. Chihuahua with a population of
aver 4O5 900, and a square mile percent
arc of 81 Coahuila, with a population
n nearly 36S,000, and percentage OF
a. Nuevo Leon, with population of
nearly SS9, 000 and a percentage of no
less than 1885, finally, Tamaulipas, with
population of over $4,000, and per-
cntage Of 6.S.
Population.
As might be expected, Mexico City
has the largest municipal population
nearly half a million souls. Then come
the cities of Guadalajara and Puebla,
each with over one hundred thousand
San Luis Potosi and Monterey, each
with over eighty thousand; Leon and
Merida, each with over sixty thousand.
The Spanish conquerors brought few
women with them, hence, of the Mex
lean population, over four fifths con
sst Of Indians or of an Indian mixed
race. From the first the Indians were
apportioned with the land, as serfs
among the conquerors. The Indians
we're subject to tribute and kept in
perpetual tutelage. Their condition has
changed but little.
Production.
Mexico has enormous natural re-
Sources as may be seen from the list
Of exports-gold, silver, copper, oil, rub
Oer hides, cattle, sugar, coffee, ma
nogany. In addition, there are three
special items of export. The first is
hsnequen, hemp-like fiber from which
iWine, cordage, hammocks and coarse
cloth are made; the next is guayule, a
KIND Of rubber; and the third is chicle,
me sap of the sapote tree from which
inewing gum is made. 1t would APP
pear that the Aztecs were the original
gum chewers.
Inc Mexican imports, amounting in
aiue to about three fifths of that of
ne exports, are chiefly machinery, iron
mo steel, textiles and manufactures,
umDer, coal, coke, and vegetable oils.
ohe thinks of Mexico as producer
principally of mining wealth. But the
alue Of the products of the soil and
cattle Is actually greater than the
nnuai output of precious metals. First
all among the standard crops is In
nan corn, as is proper when we con-
fioer that Mexico was its original home
also the original home of the cat
u range. Sugar, coffee, cacao, tobac-
ana marvellous variety of fruits
ad vegetables are also produced in
foundance. But all over Mexico a
Eoou deal of the agricultural develop
4'h. ana the trading is carried on in
aucn the same manner as before the
spanish conquest.
Climate.
ehmatically Mexico is very remark
poe' Within the limits of an extreme
suiaii area one finds at least three
climates. The least agreeable
neaithful climate is that of the
living region along the coasts,
Vesh there seems no reason why
region might not be made as
[ I, as we have made the coast
ouDa. But most of Mexico is an
s.a'ed plateau bordered by mountain
"ses and has an admirable climate
we year, both for comfort of liv-
Products. 'N'''' - :
4 =. Transportation.
can railway facilities are greater
|co n often supposed. With our own
unuy, connections are made at a
'oer OF points on the border. There
h.. ESQ on the southern Mexican Dor
|ma,. "ough railway service into Guate-
80, vi course, the main north and
hrn,ta mexican railway, penetrating the
maj states to the north and Guate-
|nar 70 the south. will form a vital
Ewo, VI 'he coming Pan American rail-
fron ~ winch ultimately one will pass
p pn Alaska to Patagonia.
\, nays also reach into the interior
moros from the Gulf ports of Mata-
On, Iampico. Tuxpam, Vera Cruz
sraso nhes') Puerto Mexico, and Pro-
crav and from the Pacific ports of
n,co Mazatlan. Manzanillo. Acap-
benu a,u saiina Cruz, the last named
'ne the pacific +o~,~.s. -, g.