115 



pletely remedied, and the second, the unhygienic way of living of the 

 poor classes, among whom takes place the largest mortality. 



The very large number of still-births which occurred in the City of 

 Mexico in 1896, almost exclusively among the poor classes, shows the 

 little care that the poor women take of themselves, and is enough to ex- 

 plain the present large mortality. 



RAILWAYS. 



For many years the government earnestly endeavored to further 

 the construction of railroads in Mexico, but the broken surface of the 

 country made the building of these roads very expensive. Until 1873 

 the means of internal locomotion were mainly limited to a few wagon 

 roads, over which travelled twenty-four regular lines of diligences, 

 under one management ; and bridle-paths from the central plateau 

 over the sierras and terrace lands down to a few points on both coasts. 



In 1854 the first railroad was finished, connecting the City of Mex- 

 ico with Guadalupe, about three miles in length, and another from 

 Veracruz to Tejeria towards the City of Mexico about twelve miles in 

 length ; these being the only railroads that were built, up to 1861. 

 During the French Intervention the French army extended the Tejeria 

 road to Paso del Macho, about thirty-five miles further, to the foot of 

 the mountain, so as to be able to transport their army, with the shortest 

 delay possible, out of the yellow-fever zone, toward the central plateau ; 

 and an English Company, which had a grant for a road from the City of 

 Mexico to Veracruz, which was supposed at the time to be the only one 

 that could be built in Mexico, extended the Guadalupe road to Api- 

 zaco in the direction of Veracruz and not far from Puebla. 



No construction of consequence was done immediately after the 

 French Intervention, because the country was generally in a disturbed 

 condition, although several efforts were made in that direction by 

 President Juarez, under whose administration a new and very liberal 

 grant was given to the Veracruz railway company. The Veracruz 

 road was finished in 1873, during SeSor Lerdo de Tejada's Presidency, 

 and when General Diaz became President in 1876 he earnestly pro- 

 moted railroad building ; and we now have two trunk lines connecting 

 the City of Mexico with the United States the Mexican Central to 

 El Paso, Texas, with a branch from San Luis Potosi to the port of 

 Tampico, and another from Irapuato to Guadalajara, which has re- 

 cently been extended to Ameca, towards the Pacific ; and the Mexican 

 National to Laredo, Texas, with several branches. Another trunk 

 line from Eagle Pass to Torreon and Durango, which it is intended 

 shall finally reach the Pacific, has also been built by Mr. C. P. Hunt- 

 ington and his associates. There is besides a line from Nogales to 

 Guaymas, built and owned by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe 



