Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/geographicalstatOOrome GEOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL NOTES ON MEXICO y BY MATIAS ROMERO G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS NEW YORK AND LONDON Q^be fjnicfterbocfter press 1898 lPffli1!««S'» {*(rj»i^iHi/i-wv ^11 2788 Copyright, 1898 BY MATIAS ROMERO ^ Ube ^nlcfierbocfccr press, IRew Kocfe PREFACE. I am printing in book form the several articles that I have pub- lished from time to time during my many years' residence in the United States, with a view to dispel errors prevailing here about Mexico, and so promote the good will and increase the commercial, political and social relations between the two countries. Those papers are preceded by one containing geographical and recent statistical in- formation on Mexico, that I have not seen collected in any single book in the English language. To answer a great many demands for infor- mation that I constantly receive from citizens of this country, I have concluded to give at once that paper to the public. Washington, January 31, 1898. CONTENTS. PAGE GEOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL NOTES ON MEXICO I Part I. Geography . Boundaries . Location, and Area 5 Location .... 5 with the States Boundary United 5 Boundary with Guatemala 6 Boundary with Belize . 6 Cession of Mexican Territory to the United States 7 General Characteristics 8 Geology .... 12 Mining ..... 13 Silver . 13 Real del Monte Company 15 New Mines, Topia 17 Li Hung Chang and the Mexican Silver Mines 18 Gold 19 Coinage of the Precious Metals 21 Coinage of Mexico from the Establishment of the Mints in 1537 to the End of the Fiscal Year 1896 . 21 Iron 21 Iron Foundries 22 Copper . 22 Quicksilver . 23 Coal 23 Mexican Miners 25 Mining Laws 25 Mints and Duties on Silver 27 Smelting Plants 28 Mexican Metallurgical Company 28 National Mexican Smelter at Monterey 28 . Contents. Central Mexican Smelter ..... Velardena Mining Company The Chihuahua Mining Company . The Mazapil Copper Company, Limited Sabinal Mining and Smelting Company, Chihuahua La Preciosa . The Boieo Smelter Orography . Hydrography Climate Summary of the Meteorological Observations Taken in Several Cities of Mexico during Several Years Summary of the Meteorological Observations Taken in Several Localities of Mexico during the Year 1869 Mexico as a Sanitarium Flora . Coffee . Sugar-cane . Tobacco India-rubber . Cotton . Agave . Henequen Pulque . Cactus . Cocoa . Vanilla . Silk Culture . Cochineal Rice Chicle, or Chewing-gum Yuca Ginger . Canaigre Peppermint . Cabinet and Dye Woods Grasses . Alfalfa . Cattle-raising Sheep . Products of Cold and Temperate Regions Fruits . Oranges Lemons Contents. PAGE Limes and Shaddocks . 6i Bananas 6i Pineapple 62 Cocoanut 62 Mangoes ^3> Alligator Pear 63 Mamey . 63 Zapote . 63 Papaya . 63 Flowers 63 Irrigation 64 The Nazas Irrigation 67 Fauna .... 70 Ethnology . 72 Mexican Indians , 72 Increase of Mexican Population ..... 76 Decrease of the Indian Population .... 77 The Spaniards in Mexico ...... 78 English and Germans in Mexico ..... 79 Americans in Mexico ....... 79 Ruins .... 80 Uxmal 80 Palenque . 81 Cholula 81 Teotihuacan . 81 Mitla 83 Languages .... 85 Synopsis of the Indian Languages of Mexico according tc Don Francisco Pimentel ..... 86 Population 89 Classification of Mexican States • 90 Area and Population of the United Mexican States 91 Religion . 92 Protestantism in Mexico • 95 Political Organization ........ 98 Political Division ........ • 99 Army and Navy 99 Education 100 Universities Established by the Spanish Government . lOI School of Medicine 102 School of Engineering 103 Mexican Technical Schools in the Present Time , 103 Reorganization of the Technical Colleges 104 Primary Education 104 — VI u Contents. School Statistics . Libraries Newspapers . The Valley of Mexico . The City of Mexico Climate . Mortality in the City of Mexico Climatological Data of the City of Mexico Summary of the Meteorological Observations of the City of Mexico in 1896 . Railways ..... President Diaz's Railway Policy President Diaz's Statistics on Mexican Railways Financial Condition of Mexican Railways . Annual Buildings and Earnings of Mexican Railways Approximate Tonnage Moved by Central, National, Inter- oceanic, and Mexican Railways for Ten Years ended December 31, 1896 Telegraphs .... Postal Service Public Lands Immigration .... Immigration from the United States Public Debt .... Banking .... Patents and Trademarks Patents .... Trademarks . Shipping and Communications Money, Weights, and Measures Non-Official Publications (English) Part II. Statistics Revenues and Expenses .... Revenue and Expenses of the Federal Government of Mexico in 1808 and from 1822 to June 30, 1867 Revenue and Expenses of the Mexican Government from July I, 1867, to June 30, i Revenue and Expenses of the Mexican Government from July I, 1888, to June 30, 1896 Federal Appropriations during the Fiscal Years from 1868 to 1895 • . Sources of Revenue Import Duties Contents* ix PAGE Additional Import Duties 144 Export Duties .... .... 144 Amount of Import Duties 144 Custom Receipts from 1823 to 1875 ..... 145 Internal Revenue 146 Receipts of the Custom Houses during the Twenty-seven Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 1896 .... 147 Internal Revenue Receipts from January i, 1875, to June 30, 1896 ......... 148 Direct Taxes ......... 148 Receipts from Direct Taxes in the Federal District during the Twenty-seven Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 1896 . 149 Revenues of the Mexican States from 1884 to 1895 . 150 Expenses of the Mexican States from 1884 to 1895 . -151 Revenues of the Municipalities of Mexico from 1884 to 1895 152 Expenses of the Municipalities of Mexico from 1884 to 1895 153 State and Municipal Finances ....... 154 Foreign Trade 155 Imports ........... 155 Mexican Imports and Exports from 1826 to 1828 . 155 Imports in Mexico from July i, 1872, to June 30, 1875, and in the year 1 884-1 885 156 Imports in Mexico from July i, 1885, to June 30, 1886, and from July i, 1888, to June 30, 1890 .... 157 Imports in Mexico from the Fiscal Year 1 892-1 893, to the Fiscal Year 1895-1896 158 Exports 159 Imports in Mexico by Countries in the Fiscal Years 1 888-1 889 and 1889-1890, and Imports and Exports by Countries and Custom Houses in the Fiscal Years 1894-1895 and 1895-1896 160 Exports of Mexican Commodities from July i, 1886, to June 30, 1896 ........ 162 Statement of Exports of some Agricultural Products during the Fiscal Years from July i, 1877, to June 30, 1896 . 164 Value of Imports from Mexico from July i, 1882, to June 30, 1892 165 Resume of Total Imports ....... 167 Destination and Value of Exports from Mexico in the Fiscal Years from 1882 to 1892 168 Total Exports ........ 169 Trade between Mexico and the United States . .170 Total Imports to Mexico and Imports from the United States for the Fiscal Years 1872-1873 to 1895-1896 172 X Contents. PAGE Total Exports from Mexico and the Exports to the United States from 1877-1878 to 1895-1896 .... 173 Statement of the Commercial Transactions between Mexico and the United States from 1826 to 1850 . 173 Commerce in Merchandise between the United States and Mexico by Years and Decades from 185 1 to 1897 . 174 Total Commerce between the United States and Mexico by Years and Decades from 1851 to 1897 . -175 Quantities and Values of the Principal and all other Articles of Imports into the United States from, and of Exports from the United States to, Mexico, 1858-1883 . .176 Quantities and Values of the Principal and all other Articles of Imports into the United States from, and of Exports from the United States to, Mexico, from 1889-1897 . 181 Increase of Trade during the' year 1896-1897 . 184 Leading Merchandise Imports from Mexico . .184 Exports from the United States to Mexico . , 184 Tropical Products Supplied by Mexico to the United States 185 Cattle Exported to the United States 186 Coinage 186 Coinage by the Mexican Mints from their Establishment in 1535 to June 30, 1895 187 Production of Gold and Silver in Mexico in 1879-1880, 1889- 1890, and 1894-1895 188 Export of Precious Metals and Minerals from Mexico in the years 1879-1880, 1889-1890, and 1894-1895 . 188 Exports of Silver from July i, 1872, to June 30, 1896 . 190 Mexican Gold Exports . 190 Mexican Gold Exported to the United States . .191 Imports of Gold Bullion, Ore, and Coin from Mexico into the United States from 1891 to 1895 .... 191 Imports of Gold Bullion, Ore, and Coin from Mexico into the United States from 1892 to 1896 .... 191 Gold Exported from Mexico to the United States from 1891 to 1896 ......... 192 Railways ........... 193 Statement by the Department of Communications of Mexico of the Railroad Mileage in Operation on October 31, 1896 193 Resume of Railways in Mexico in 1895 . -195 Mexican Central . 196 Mexican National . 196 Earnings and Expenses of the Mexican National from 1889 to 1896 . 198 . Contents XI PAGE Mexican International . 199 Mexican Southern Other Railroads . Mexican Railroad 201 Interoceanic Railway 202 Sonora Railway . Hidalgo and Northeastern Railway . Merida and Progreso Railway .... 203 Tehuacan and Esperanza Railway 203 Merida and Peto Railway 203 Sinaloa and Durango (Altata to Culiacan) Railway 204 Merida and Campeche Railway .... 204 Merida and Valladolid Railway 204 "Tlalmanalco Railway ...... 205 San Juan Bautista and Carrizal Passenger Railway 205 San Andres and Chalchicomula Railway . 205 Orizaba and Ingenio Railway .... 206 Santa Ana and Tlaxcala Railway 206 Cdrdenas and Rio Grijalva Railway . 206 Toluca and San Juan de las Huertas Railway . 207 Vanegas, Cedral, Matehuala, and Rio Verde Railway 207 Merida and Izamal Railway 207 San Marcos and Nautla Railway 207 Monterey and Gulf Railway 208 Cordova and Tuxtepec Railway 208 Maravatio and Cuernavaca Railway . 208 Salamanca and Santiago Valley Railway 208 Monte Alto Railway .... 209 Valley of Mexico Railway . 209 Puebla Industrial Railway 209 Mexican Northern Railway 209 Mexico, Cuernavaca, and Pacific Railway 209 Federal District Tramways 210 Veracruz and Alvarado Railway 210 Total Traffic and Receipts of Mexican Railways 210 Traihc and Receipts of the Mexican Railways 211 Railway Subsidies Paid by the Mexican Government .