The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-05-19
MEXICO FAILS TO
USE ADVANTAGES
Natural Resources Are Richest
In Entire World.
YET NATION IS BACKWARD.

Oldest University Established Years
Ago, Yet Masses Are lgnorant-Con-
stitution Perfect, but Rulers Always
Have Been Law Unto Themselves.
Mines Most Valuable Of AL
Mexico City .--"Perhaps nowhere else
ln the world is there a country so full
of contrasts as Mexico says William
Joseph Showalter. with a university
established before John Harvard, Elihu
Yale or william and Mary were born
the masses of its people are hopeless
ly ignorant With a hospital founded
before jamestown was even dreamed
Of. it is one OF the most backward re-
gions Of the earth in a medical way.
With natural riches greater than those
of thousand Midases, its masses are
just as poor as the proverbial church
mouse. With a constitution as per
feet as any organic law in the civiliz-
ed world, il is a nation whose rulers
always have been a law unto them
selves
Here you will see Mexican half
breed, barefooted, wearing dollar
pair of trousers, fifty cent shirt and
ten dollar sombrero. There, at
single glance and within the length of
single city block, you may see an
Indian cargadoT, donkey, an oXcart.
carriage, a railroad train, a street
car and an automobile-almOst every
type Of Iocomotion since Adam. You
may tread the burning sands of
tropical desert with the wet of the
perpetual snow of towering mountains
still upon your shoes. You may take
q single railway journey Of thirty-six
hours in which the people you see at
the railroad station will be dressed In
four different weights OF clothing Ev-
everywhere you turn are contrast, high
lights and deep shadows.
mo other country south of the Rio
Grande is so well supplied with rail
roads. Prior TO the Madero revolution
II had 10000 miles of up to date Amer
! lean railroad which carried ll,OO0,-
coo passengers annually and handled
about II 100000 tons of freight. Their
total revenues amounted to about $40,-
100000 The government owns a con
trolling interest In the major portion
Of the mileage OF the railroads.
"Mexico produces one.third of the
worlds silver. considerable percent
age OF its gold one-ninth of it's lead
and one-twentieth Of its copper. The
country's mineral production, exclusive
of iron, coal and petroleum, amounted
to Sl5S,000O00 in 1910 The famous
iron mountain at Durango is estimated
10 contain GOO.OOO,000 tons of iron ore.
which is worth seven times the value
OF all the gold and silver mined in
Mexico in two centuries, The Santa
Maria graphite mines are the largest
and most important in the western
world The region around the gulf of
Mexico is rich in petroleum One com
pany at pOtrero del I.lano struck a
gusher which flowed 100000 barrels OF
oil a day
"Thp drawn work of the Mexican
Indian Is Justly famed throughout the
world and deserves 10 rank with the
finest of Spanish and Italian laces
The Indians make all sorts Of small
objects TO attract the centavos of the
tourist The little dolls of CuernaVaca
81 half inch tall ana dressed in finely
embroidered raimcnt. are the admira
ton Of every one who sees them. The
small clay animals, perfectly fash
toned and ranging from the peaceful
dog 10 the charging bun and the buck
ing mule. would do credit 10 the genius
of many a sculptor whose name figures
in the art publications OF the world
But perhaps the most wonderful OF nj
are the tiny dressed fleas which may
be bought in Mexico City. Anothe
wonderful work OF the Indians is tn
making Of feather pictures from tn
plumuge Of humming birds, now al
most a iost art.
"'rhe Indians OF Mexico eat man.
curious foods One of the most re
markable of these is made Of the egg
OF species Of marsh fly This fly de
posts its eggs In incredible quantitie
upon flags aud rushes The eggs ar
gathered and made into cakes whic
, are sold In the markets. The Indian
l call the eggs water wheat They II
I semble fine tish roe and when nike
[ with curnmeal and fowl eggs form
staple article OF diet, particularly du
ing I.ent The insects themselves
which are about the size OF the hous
fly, are captured pounded into u past'
boiled in cornhusks in much the sam
8 fashion as tamales and in this forT
j are eaten"