The New Mexico 



'3 



pipes, but this work is nowpractically fin- 

 ished, and the municipality, with the aid 

 of $2, 000,000 from the federal treasury, 

 is engaged in the task of relaying the 

 streets with asphalt pavement. When 

 this is completed the City of Mexico 

 will be one of the cleanest, healthiest, 

 and prettiest cities in the word. 



THE CITY OF MEXICO 



Humboldt, in his visit to America at 

 the beginning of the last century, pro- 

 nounced it the best-built city on this 

 hemisphere. During the rule of Spanish 

 viceroys, under the stimulating influ- 

 ences of the great riches yielded by the 

 mines of Mexico, the capital contained 

 a population much greater than that of 

 any other city of the new world, and it 

 numbered among its public buildings a 

 cathedral unequaled in size and archi- 

 tectural attractions, the result of a hun- 

 dred years of labor and pious contribu- 

 tions ; institutions of learning and be- 

 neficence, public gardens and drives 

 without rivals in any other of the west- 

 ern countries. But during the first 

 fifty years of the independence of the 

 country, torn by civil dissensions, the 

 capital remained stationary, or at times 

 even retrograded, while New York and 

 Philadelphia, as well as Rio de Janeiro 

 and Buenos Ayres, outstripped it in the 

 race for population and development. 

 All that was needed, however, to enable 

 City of Mexico again to take its place the 

 among the first cities of the hemisphere 

 was the preservation of public order. 

 'With the establishment by General Diaz 

 of a government of peace and security, 

 beginning at the close of 1876, the cap- 

 ital gave the first symptoms of returning 

 prosperity. When it became apparent 

 that the new chief of the state had the 

 power to preserve a continuous govern- 

 ment of law, and the executive ability 

 to awaken the dormant resources of the 

 country, under the new regime of peace 

 which had at last dawned upon the 



country, the City of Mexico entered 

 upon an era of prosperity unparalleled 

 in its history. Population began to 

 flow in from the surrounding states ; 

 native wealth, which had been hidden 

 away or deposited in Europe, returned 

 to the natural channels of trade, and 

 foreign capital, which during the time 

 of disorder had kept away, began to 

 seek methods of investment. Before 

 the first term of Diaz came to a close, 

 the construction of railroads had been 

 entered upon under government aid. 



Today the capital of the Republic pre- 

 sents to the old-time resident the most 

 impressive evidence of the growth and 

 prosperity of the country. During the 

 Diaz administration it has nearly doubled 

 in population, the census of 1900 show- 

 ing over four hundred thousand souls. 

 The area of the city has greatly extended, 

 especially in the suburbs to the west and 

 northwest. Formerly it was regarded as 

 unsafe for a well-to-do family to live 

 outside of the city gates. As soon as the 

 new government could give an assur- 

 ance of safety to life and property, the 

 movement of suburban enlargement be- 

 gan, and now the most beautiful and 

 commodious private residences are found 

 in the quarter named, far away from the 

 noise and bustle of the center of the 

 city. In all parts the price of real 

 estate and of rents has largely advanced, 

 especially to the west of the national 

 palace, and marvelous stories are told 

 of the enormous increase in value in 

 suburban real estate — many hundreds 

 per cent; and it is gratifying to be in- 

 formed that wide-awake Americans have 

 shared in the profits, the projectors of 

 "Da Colonia Americana," laid out by 

 a New Jersey corporation, being among 

 the most successful promoters. 



IMPROVEMENTS OF THE CAPITAL 



The evidences of progress and pros- 

 perity are to be seen on every hand. 

 The streets are much more crowded 



