Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/449

 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, though 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 1st 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 El 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.

A narrow-gauge railroad, crossing the country from Vera Cruz to Acapulco, was long ago projected, by way of Jalapa, Puebla, Mexico City, and Cuernavaca. This transcontinental line is continued westward from the capital by the Morelos Railroad, one of the very few enterprises purely Mexican in