THE LAND OF CORTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 64, 16 March 1910, Page 2

THE LAND OF CORTES.

m- -■ ——__r~~"l":." " ,-": _______xi __jd __s--_____jv__s_.'''-"' -li__EE»_r___j gotj?Pime^JLliH_. ._, ..;" T£OSi__rj___::: ~~ ~_~~~' i' v " -•;"._ ;; ____TH_^-_oig^TES--AjrD: :_____ ',•___ - - JAWArercwnw*,"- -•■'-■ ____— _; I _».'"■ "■' ■'-' '■':.: fig -_trf__a^lv3__r^r^.B_^-iJ,----' iJ____-_-__ '.angBBSUEf. : /_.,_,-_ ; ,_ u '': (p 'I-'::::-. -%"^ K! :,ht.\^ r liV " , ' _dco.i.t.__.cjouijtry of ;which,--"wb 4a ' JrJew.'.yVajmid' haTCj-for- "--the greater part [ ibut. -vague ideas-f_leas/'in - : whic— Aztec _—cr__es to -the fierce god Huitzlcoatl _•' mingle C____Biedly_with picturesque rev©- : _rr__n_, ■ engineered? by" 'brigs—Sbli_& i <_* : : BrCTn^.fe.'r : oJ:_Corb39 and his C-tlitiari _dventuiirß. <-. Ceai—s_.Vtb_" le.vo_d ■ l__,~_e_rd *—' —resid—it • Deiz' and "Ma : wh—_eTful ac__vemehta:and r_Eo_nsi"yet; few of "us _tat.do:n.ot travel .can appre- . date, _te. Mexico,.of. this .day by f,read- . ing or hearing of _te Mexico of even-a, —ecadsCagO, .—at Mr.; David B. j who 62 years ago was'b—_ _r_i__la_dj- ' yet .has -not : till ,a r few_days. since seen —is native place for 25 yea— ha 9 chosen iMcttco for hia adbptcd'-co—i—yj- __l _i —ie.. course, of . a ,'talk with a pressman _lis., ._tarntog, imparted some facts cbn^ " cerning that land -of recent and astonishing develop— - w_ten. • tsavoux-. iof the magic wand, and of the perfect! polity of .tttopiay— -'-- ----.'-'-'.'-' - . "'• '■■'-■;.-' . "My; .peoplei intended' mc fox the 'ehgK peering profession,' and I served niy timo wit-. _4__£_U_4 ; and C 0.," . laugjied ' Mi_—Q_- ■ _—_—______y, ..before'. plaining rf_i_fc'"_—"irwii-—ad" off "from engineering to .TTnrsir- and in ISS-1 set forth on his travels ro__l the world as a baritone. *_ had - dreams,. I suppose, of becoming _ Mario, int Fortune utd the fates decided -«.t—se, Tor at "the endrof '.'two years I was back in Melbourne, haying, go__.iiou_i.Agbod—St.'of. the • world" in ._te nraant_oe. " 1 i_tor_ed to Auckland _o see'iny people, and ;then set off again, _ran|Tng fox' San Fraraasco _t the old Mariposa.. -In .'l—bco-1 rspent.- about a year, . St—l in ■—te jrrrw——l line, and . then an tropdrfcu—ity -offered of going down. the Pacific Coast -in the; rubber trade, lac cepted, 'ami ' soon "I .'-fo__l'-'—tysetf'in; : Gi_ui_lagaxa, even, then'imports_t, but - li-rwriCTTfipimi'.'-'compared to 'its present _—oiu-'' a_d size. J__ at —_r tune ■; ith.ere was a big opening __re _>r a good - _tachine _ot_e, so my old trade. came in very-£an4y^'and fOT"_ine.''yea_s 1 made . good _fc ''_ rnachjne wort. .Then iI. ' heard that the lla_cnda dela Soledad, B_i—iife— r abo_t.'st inilei_ffr_)m_»_fche: ' —ty/was for; sale, and tatving a penchant! ■' _or such _fe as it prxraused, I p—rchaseaT«U mastlOtow that in those • days. ..the. .ccßostry,. .was .state.of < poverty and exitin.. through the- re- : volutioiffl.'wJiMih had torn Mexico a_d.de-. , ic_a_.ted'._er _ad many • the oii' ■ families 'WSS'e obUged to ee_'__ estates. .'. (The I_a__ida dela Sa_dad, of -which I'| _Decan_e_propr—y _:_ estate of about; : 9000 acres,"_ i___j_ j.&ttßoft ._bove sea : levet'-aoiaijm a ejungte-that I think could ; _iv_3__ry_l_ag'the wbHe-year.round,that _ the rem__de> of the world has to boast. j he-raij ry-'W—^__a--il*e_-B-_ilea_sint.-It htfts from 1311 about the 15th * tof Septanbef, bat s_dfini does it inCer-; ] fere wit_t_3u___B,-the-T_ual. thing heing. ' a steady 'downpour . aftexnoon,; of; } kme or: two honrs, and it ,clears off again f tDI ________ _ayf-f»- . ",*, ~ ,:'._ ~,' . ; . 'J _^_^_Y_fl__S__s_ -WEffiESaQP. , ' "Upon i-e-estateT-ihopgh, of_'«>urse, g tea a somewhat smaller scab>-r*s a the « __al'are_ -v_y'___rylequ—(• in variety to -jf iEotbi__ I"__ve'boi_ngm_i and water j Eprings from, which I can draw water 212 { degrees Jabrcnheit,. .s>W!k V? i « a ; t . S» * about _IS degrees on the coast leveL ; "At ' grtothfsr place is a M of pure white ? marble, 'and _»; little furt— on ano—uar" f __H of war— touMers, weigh- J ing anything from 2__.-to_.'__|6' tons each, * and down beneath the granite, unjm- * ipaired-'by _v vokanici action, "Ilea the 1 ______e-agam l --' About metres -distant * from one <_ the marfale' beds is a water_aD with a l«sft_ -whicn: .* gives mc at that point IflOO-borse-power * for ____2nera"ting -t_e:_electric power, that .* ___s-__-_—-__—ui_ and other p__t J cm the estat— ____> - about -1000 met res ' from "here 'lies "*■ largei-hfl! 1200 ft high, * and consisting of : solid' gr__stone" and j iwhetstpnei ''About'"'_oQft"to the left of J this _ again is - another - hill, -of silicon, x gyps7Hn and Kme, in, proportionate; quan- ( tities, and ttiis, when burnt and ground ' * With __ _o_—Je, forms a pure Portland t cement. " : A_ 2 'th_»'things'-'sound like a I _ag^firon-a-lalry"iale, 'parhips^-' but' v/ 4 j V accfistomed t'o'tiie wonderful 'in _ MesSso.. . On myraifc—, I also grow cofc c fee and fruit, and raise- cattle, and 15 in one .way,—id aja^erj— n.'_ept pretty . fcusy, do assttre yMt" '"' "^■■'■■ : ' -- ,: •'' - .7-HB PBICAGO; OF MEXICO. . Hying, _ near the Bio IGraj.de J cr Santia_^^^y-__:te_T__e the ." Chicago of Meadco, ajd.hasat.'the pre- - Be_PE_ a popniaiidn about 200,000, > mative and' foreigner. -' _he' Ib___ -in " i_tat-part-are-of-the old-Azteo blood, and are Srnch superior -Qje'Puehla ii_- i taxta—of^^_ie-.'easi 7 proyjrwes. :.Ci They f ? ' n * ve . ™*__* I _i!__ "con- * gnerars,.a_d arp_.,^a_id racej the yro- a _n' J of : w.hn3»' Sre-fax-fanted ' for their * ibeaiity.. The saying, that the vices' "of * Iboth. parents, and '.the: virtues "Of heither l belong-to the halfireed seems to be re- J !verse^in~l_e;,__ie-;of-;thetraeW-sjcan, 1 iwho appears to be' more virile and ' a finer specimen of mankind generally ; - -the ; .- Spaniard. ,„ Singing, , ihnsie, " jpainUng-and.-thfl- higher "afts generally " IJ-e eifcensiyely .cnltivated, .'bui; Tthile ,' «jni_ excellent isingers, it is at painting where they seem *° e_E____Thejr art inc&__ mare to.the - . Itahan school' than-.-to: the Spaiii-tr.-in ' tEa^*j . %...g'eneral, .cbaractenstics of the people appear to -more-; nearly- approach ' the Italian than .fte somewhat "sluggish - which is now I_e most modeniT and-np-t<hdate , city in when I tot *enfr- ti, e re; - W. wq.joepple it .who eppke %ts- ' -■•■»P» ftere.'is-a colony- /English • S' _abQut._4opo, ?Z***Z * i °FV#>*i: «nd~ each group; has I i to _iw_lv the i .yiteni, and Lwer ' l#^_*^^&i ldea?!plii_el h— ■ rt«_--.-W^:___ffi__S__^-'-^ -aTiiessed, as nrnch power. _i ♦_. *-S ! I ; from - GuadaTa._arA,;is ■•^ ing loon«drut»' electa* power t 0 th , latter cUy. " l . ,- s _ ___k

Che. p—sdnce_ of Jali^.'.ofjwlueh.'lC_ada aiara_is:._ie .capital, is the. richest ii dexico, and- "with -.the-, deyelpj—lejjit of dectric power,: its progress .will jib.. be asily calculable.:!'MantjeJ: Quesa is Supplying power if> mines ttuu_have ack'of power—immensely rich gojd,'' silrer and copper mines. Mexico is parti[Ularly wealthy in copper; which" Cartes Xftrad as abu—da—t in use am_n» - fl__ __teca.as.ironi in,:J_t,rope," '■'.'.. ,-'-'.}, tse; saviour of ME_aq6; *A. wonderful man is' : the- President 'orfirio Die?. The foreigners; believe in amjt©>."ni_d; In fact, 4thong_.""ow___ o. his necessary-- severity _. the early %a while reducing 'the. country from haos to order, % rinaiK '"■^w'''emmS he relatives Of those enemies are to-day is most loyal friends.. A man of splen--3d judgment, b,e never; makes, a. "mistake n.—b government, and Jhe elects *ll'h__ <**&, practically .runs ' the whole ountry; aad.. fe ; 14,000,000 "odd leople. The-only thing which we are y little ajgrious. aboiit ho.w ; is _is""age." Ie was 79 -years last September, and yet s as lutlfs'and hearty 'and' as Active as —ten I Icoew _ it _!_: tas several. c_ a yeiry pronisifjg* ybung" iiaii'' named '..Vtojfaia .' aftej r lis father, has many of his sire's charac-. eristics, and ba_ had the advantag?s of freater educational benefits. But we iave 'sow no fear for the >• future of dexico, for among, her younger genera-! Don—are- same - very- clever men,--*nd-my of the old generals' showed a disposition to getup a rev_ntion, they and heir hopes would very, quickly "be' setled. My own opinion is thatif'Porflrio Deis- died to-morrow, - the Government is iow -so strong that althougfi there might je a little 49-houx rising, the two,.facr —ins or' partidas would 'get" together and oose 'each " it_. "own" —an" and "they yonld then be put to the popular . vote. Che vote .would, of course, hie really cast jy Congress, the-most sensible way, as m absolute plebiscite would mean eonlusMn,. a..large number of-, the Indian population being neither able to read nor vrite.' " 11: •• the wise thinking-people voold "prefer /the matter : sett by gonjress, as th,e: Government has been in rmery way so successful and sfacory/' ...... _Al__o_XlS, TOKEKJN PO-lOS, AND : ' .MINING. ' "The railroads of ' Mexico are found hi_fly-in two systenrs—the Mexican Cenral _nd't— National lines. '..' The Goviirnnent has acquired the great bulk of the, •ailways on. the cwjuttry','- and "practically 11 the trunk lines -now .belong to the ——tonal system. Although a treaendoas amount -of English■ and- Anieri: an capital -is invested in Mexican railrays, the stocks -pf Which are. therefore oatrdiled QutsM_.thft:coujtl7i 'yeV'.'thS | Joverxun—ifc'hi "stipulated for the confol of the boards, and therefore dictates heir . policy and . administration. '. J3je njl—ary power of Mexico is » now no mall affair, and the peace of its borders rives ■no . doubt to anyone. The United >t— . of America, and Mexico are in —rfeet amity, and- it is • generally repgnised that it would be more than foolih for any nation to look fpr trouble .Mexiop on land. The army is like , sleeping dog, but once the time for ction.. arises, ! the organisjvfern and the ien-. will he found to lack very little. 'he Mexican' makes': a splendid poWier, nd-would have "a big pull over European roops in the matter of endurance. Like he Japanese, who can go through a a_tpaign, so to speak, OB; a few ppck*tils of. rice, -the Mexican can gp-for-dayß n a few tortilla cakes, As : faJr as the onthern neighbours of ' Mexico are codep_ lam convinced -that -before niany ears have passed, probatay, within five r : siXj.Nicaragnav Guat«r—lar and" the thei. little: S_ Cehtial.Aflier.ca, ill all' be annexed by. Mexico, an4:tt9. nnexation wijl have "Uie ratification of le.Cfnited States England, while -it ill .certaiply be for ; the very material enefit ".of "those turbulent territories. [ining is an industry that is in for a big ;.;there;' in ,fae__.fpr some time it is been leaping ahead; "The mining, re very just, ajl c|s,ims being 3QPft' -by 10ft, and held oh payment of a yearly cenjse-;ofi-«ix• dftlh*rsr -If a prospector _ts, say, gold'oh any property, public r private, he applies'for permi__on from te proprietor to work it, and this pe'rlissipq must be granted,, together. with ie use- of all such, working accessories 1 ' the. way of. .water power, etc., that re require—, provided : they. do not ,_i any. ay:tot»rfßre W)th'fl*prejndic.e'the inistjdea.c*—ied.qn by the proprietor of ie property. . The laws of Mexico, in tct, are made as nwiiih. in.the interests Lthe.jwor, maji .as of the rich man, ad are generally so just in tl>eir nature tat the most confirmed caviller would be 'oujjjed to .find Jaijlt,: with then}.- And ir a man ppsseasinga littla _tpita,( no lore --promfiiing field for his - enterprise raid _fl found .fcbja^'ltfeWßO.?: 1 ':-_-; .-'■'.'"