Early Days of the Mexican Railway

National

Connecting directly with the systems of Texas and the other Southern States, the National forms a short line from the capital to St. Louis and New York, over the Gould System for the former city, and over the great Pennsylvania Central for the East. The distance from Boston to the city of Mexico by this route is about three thousand miles.

It is built in pursuance of a decree of the Mexican Congress, and known as the "Palmer-Sullivan Concession," executed in September, 1880, for the construction of certain roads and telegraphs; first, from Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, "following the line that may prove most favorable for the mutual interests of the company and the nation"; second, from Mexico to the northern frontier; third, from Matamoras to Montercy; fourth, from Zacatecas to San Luis Potosi, and also to Lagos. Work was begun in September, 1880, and its progress, though not so rapid as that of the Central, has been marked. The total subsidies accruing from the various concessions will aggregate over $20,000,000.

The original concessions to this company were hampered by a great many conditions, the fulfilment of which created unnecessary expenses, and delayed the progress of the road. But early in 1883 the Mexican government combined all these conflicting concessions into one, and allowing a full limit of ten years, instead of eight as at first, for the completion of the entire system. It also increased the subsidy to an even $7,000 per kilometre, or $11,270 per mile, which is to be paid by six per cent of the customs duties received in all parts of the republic. The larger or more important centres reached by this road, with their populations, are;--

Monterey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,000
Saltillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,000
San Luis Potosi . . . . . . . . . . . . .45,000
Maravatio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,000
Acambaro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,000
Toluca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000
Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260,000
Morelia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25,000
Zamora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,000
Zapotlan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000
Manzanillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,000
Colima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,000
Guadalajara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93,000

The manager of this road, General Palmer, was one of the first to study the problem of railway connection between Mexico and the United States. The difficulties in the way of his undertaking at first seemed insuperable, and they by no means diminished as the work progressed. The road was many months in penetrating the mountains between the city of Mexico and Toluca, and endured a great deal of ill-deserved abuse because it persisted so patiently in overcoming the most difficult obstacles at the outset. Its system of working in sections, at various isolated portions of the route, though at first discouraging, eventually proved the most rapid and satisfactory, especially as labor could be commanded that otherwise might not have been available. The road has long since passed the bounds of the valley of Mexico, and has pursued the same undeviating march of triumph as has been witnessed in the advance of the Central.

To illustrate the condition of the road during the first year of its existence, I introduce a description of the departure from the central office of the weekly pay train, which I accompanied.

First, there was a small cart, containing $10,000 in silver; this was loaded and placed in charge of a guard while the mules were laden. There were seven mules. Upon the back of each one was placed a coarse bag containing $2,000 in silver. This bag was about two feet long and one wide, and was lashed tightly to the pack-saddle. The sum of $6,000 was despatched to a point farther up the line by diligence. In all, $30,000 was sent out from the office to be distributed before night. As the cathedral clock struck six, the great doors were thrown open, and we sallied forth,--first a small guard, then the mules, then the cart, then ourselves. As we reached the Alameda the diligence passed us at speed, with its escort galloping behind; and here we were joined by our own escort of rural guards and employees of the company. The drivers kept the mules on the gallop all the way, past the aqueduct of San Cosme, to Tacuba, the cart with its silver burden betraying by its jingling the nature of its contents. We were there reduced to twenty-six men, including eight rural guards furnished by government, and twelve armed employees of the company. Each man of the escort was clad in leather jacket and pantaloons, and armed with carbine, sabre, and revolver, besides carrying coiled at the pommel of his saddle the inevitable lasso.

The guards rode ahead, then followed the seven silver-laden mules at a swift trot, which they kept up the whole distance, out and back, of fifty miles. A few miles out, after passing through great fields of maguey, over the muddiest of roads, between ditches white with the bloom of sagittaria, we reached San Estevan, where we again struck the track. A few miles beyond is Rio Hondo (the Deep River). Here we halted to pay away a few hundred dollars, then pursued our course again. At Rio Hondo is a large cotton and woollen mill, a model establishment, very large and complete. Ascending by a steep path to the barren table-land above, we had some eight miles of uninteresting road. Above Rio Hondo, which is twelve miles from Mexico, is the spot where poor Greenwood was murdered in 1880. He was an engineer in the employ of the company, who had gone out only a little in advance of his men, when he was shot, his murderers taking his horse, watch, and money. Though the Mexican government pretends to visit such villains with swift retribution, yet these murderers, though caught, have never suffered the penalty of their horrible crime. A cross marks the spot, one of many that adorn the road, over this long stretch of "bad lands."

On this road we were joined by a contractor, who soon left us, taking two mules with their loads of silver. The road-bed is out of sight from the plateau, as it follows the course of the Rio Hondo through deep cuts. Owing to the many cuts and bridges, work here is extremely difficult; there are twenty-six bridges in this section of three miles, and sixty between Mexico and Toluca. At a dismal village called San Bartolome, the laborers gathered about us, and one of the bags of silver was again opened, and a few hundred dollars paid out. Then we were in our saddles and off again.

Mr. Pritchard, the superintendent, had received intelligence that a party of bandits intended attacking the train somewhere along the route, and had with great difficulty secured the escort of rural guards from government. As it was, owing probably to our strong escort, we were not molested; but only the next day, a party of five, three on horses and two afoot, attacked and

Distant 134 miles from Mexico City is the town of Maravatio, with about 13,000 inhabitants, and 34 miles farther westward is Acambaro, the southernmost town in Guanajuato, containing a population of 17,000. It is the point at which the trunk line turns sharply to the north, and runs directly to San Luis Potosi and Texas. It is distant from Manzanillo, the Pacific terminus of the road, 443 miles, and 60 miles westward is the small, through beautiful, city of Morelia. This westward route is not devoid of attractions, as it penetrates the only lake region of Central Mexico, reaches attractive Morelia and the towns of Tzintzuntzan and Patzcuaro, ancient seats of aboriginal civilization. Skirting the great and wonderful Lake Chapala, the line passes through Guadalajara, capital of the State of Jalisco, and thence runs southward to Colima and Manzanillo.

The Ist of January, 1883, saw the completion of 550 miles of the National Railroad. Monterey was reached in September, 1882, and the road opened to traffic from Laredo and Corpus Christi, Texas, the latter the Gulf port and terminus, 400 miles distant from Saltillo, capital of the State of Coahuila, which was entered in September, 1883.

From Mexico City northward, the line was open on January 1, 1883, to Acambaro, distant 172 miles; track-laying was being rapidly pushed on the Pacific coast, and the completed line out from the capital, the EI Salto branch, long since finished, in successful operation. The year 1884 opens with 875 miles of finished track on its main line and various branches.

All difficulties have vanished before its hosts of engineers and peons, and town after town has welcomed its engines with the ringing of bells, and the thanksgivings of people at last freed forever from dependence upon the burro, mule, and diligence.

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