Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-12-03


countries Of Central America
will be the opening of the new rail
way connecting Mexico and Guate
mala, writes w. D. Hornaday in Grit.
But for the revolution in Mexico this
important link in the long-talked of
line of railway, that is destined ulti-
mately to extend all the way to the
Isthmus of Panama, and perhaps to
the countries of South America that
border upon the Pacific ocean, would
have been in regular operation ere
this.
According to reports from Guate-
mala the work of extending the Pa
cific division of the International
Railways of Central America from
Champerico to Ayutla, situated on
the Mexico-Guatemala border, is prac-
tically finished. At Ayutla this line
connects with the Pan-American rail-
road, which runs to San Geronimo on
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, dis
lance of 2S4 miles. The Suchiate
river forms the boundary line between
Mexico and Guatemala. This stream
is spanned by a costly bridge. On
the Mexican side is the town of
Mariscal and just across the river is
Ayutla.
The Guatemala link in the Pan
American keeps close in towards the
Pacific coast, and in places the blue
waters of the ocean may be seen by
travellers on the trains At the port
of San Jose the road connects with
the main line that crosses Guatemala
from southwest to northeast, forming
, direct route to the capital and to
Port Barrios, the Atlantic terminus.
The Isthmus of Tehuantepec and
that part of far southeastern Mexico
that is traversed by the Pan-Ameri
. can railroad possesses many features
of interest to the world-traveler or to
, the man who takes delight in pene
, trating out-of-the-way places and who
loves the beauties of nature. It also
has attracted many American colon
lists. When travel to and from Mex
leo was interrupted by the internal
, strife that has so long afflicted the
country, American colonists and tour
\ lists were just beginning to get &C
quainted with the remote region thai
> was made accessible to them by the
construction of the Mexico division
of the Pan-American railroad
Region of Great Interest.
All the way from Cordoba to Maris
cal there are many wonderful things
to be seen. but 1t is not until the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec is reached
that the full bloom beauty of riotou.
nature, with it's deep-green hued yer
dure, its picturesque life and custom!
of the careful natives. greet the eye
The encroachment of civilizing in
fuences has left but little impress
upon the town and village of tn,
Tehuana Indians. Their chief popula
tion center is Tehuantepec, which Il
located on the National Tehuantepe
railroad within a few miles of Salin;
Cruz, the Pacific coast terminus o
that trans-isthmian line In all Mexic
there is no place of more absorbing
interest and strange attraction to tn
visitor than Tehuantepec. There
little in common between the Tehuan
of the country in the matter of Gus
toms and everyday life.
The Tehuana men are of very o.
binary type, both in point of physiqu
and standard of intelligence, but tn
women as class are the pretties
and most attractive in all Mexico
They resemble in mobility and beaut
of features as we'll as in physica
charm the famous native Polynesia
women of some of the groups of Sout
Pacific islands. They are the head
of the households. The Tehuana me
are anything but their lords and ma
tiers. Practically all of the trade
the markets and stores is carried o
by the women. The slovenlookin
and unattractive male members I
the tribe lounge around and live @