The sun., 1916-01-08
|MEXICOS RAILROADS NOW
"A HORROR TO TRAVELLERS
Regular Service" as Washington Announced, Found
to Be Nightmare Is Wrecked,
Engineer Takes Nap.

In all that whole stretch there was not
one bridge which had escaped dynamite.
The telegraph wires had been severed
and many poles cut down. sometimes for
fuel. sometimes for mere wantonness.
The roadbed has not seen pick or
shovel In the long years OF revolution.
and the fact that II continues as good as
1t is can be only evidence Of the splen-
did construction work done by American
builders and American dollars In the
days OF Don Porfirio Diaz. 1t is said
that OF all the enormous development
work done in Don Porfrio's long despot-
isn--in many ways a most enlightened
despotism-he was proudest OF the
American built railroads and that he
looked forward to the day when there
should be- through trains from the Cana
dian frontier through the United states
and Mexico to the Guatemala border.
The tragic days OF the roads started
on the day when Don Porf,rio's mon
archy crashed to the ground. Mexico
Tor Mexicans" was the cry OF Madero.
and the work started with such OF the
railroad employees as the Mexican party
dared to touch. with the landing Of
marines at Vera Cruz In Huerta's time
came the declaration by that patriot that
state Of war existed. wherefore moro
Americans were thrown out and Ill
trained Mex!cans substituted
And yet the full tragedy was st!ll TO
come, for whereas Huerta had LETT in
control the fairly capable foremen who
had worked under American direction.
Carranza's patriots proceeded 20 get rid
Of them. and there came the day when
men were put In charge on the sole nual-
itication of adherence to 'the cause
IL was "A poor substitute for mechani-
cal efficiency. In the first week Of Mexi-
can management eighteen locomotives
were derailed on one division. that rum
ming north from Torreon. Worse fol-
lowed.
over this neelected roadbed. past
wrecks which we soon quit counting. I'm
dilapidated equipment with more visible
neighbors than we wished and only an
unpleasant hazard as to the number OF
, invisible companions concealed in the
dirty sarapes. the wheeling locomotive
| dragged
Evidence Of the Torch.
We would reach n settlement where
I in the old days had stood n neat station
, and freight shed. "A few section houses
/ a water tank and the adobe houses o.
! the village. With regularity the station
| had been gutted by fire and the wood
built sheds consumed completely. Gen.
orally the water tanks had been blown
/ up. and II they had not been wrenched
4 apart had been reset on temporary base,
/ temporary, as there was no good way
OF telling there would not be another
{ revolution based on equally high pin
c.ples which would bring further wantor
, destruction OF national property which
the revolutionists, II successful. woulc
themselves have to rebuild out Of a
, looted and bankrupt treasury
Theoretically. IL has been revolution
against wealth and privilege. Under
Mexican reasoning maybe that furnishe.
justification for the wanton looting o
the fine big haciendas. although II die
not matter whether or not the haciendad,
had ever taken any part In politics. bu
1t Is difficult to grasp the idea unde
which the miserable little hovel
of the poor should also he burned (,
ashes. That Is another OF the million
mysteries.
We wee supposed to reach Saltill,
late IN the evening. We did not W.
7 finally passed Carranza at liermanos
where he had tarred, why no one knew
to remain two or three or maybe 81,
DAYS. QUEEN sabe" IL was cveninJ
when W. reached Moncova. less thar
half our run and here was another de
lay, carefully concealed in advance. 81
3 that no one might have "A chance to scou
the town IN search ~ moderately clear
food The run continued. now at bette
speed, and the Americans detailed nigh
watches 80 that most could sleep Will
one rema med awake to watch the bag
gage and prevent its being carried OF
bodily by the Mexlcans WI aptitud
for petty thievcry IL beyond the realn
of competition.
Engine on Tracks.
II was Just past midngh, when tn
watch loosened u yell and the sleeper