Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/579

Rh which suggests the opening of a new harbor of great capacity. Among the failures, we may mention the Mexican Southern, or Grant's line, embodied with Jay Gould's Oriental line. The concession was declared void May 29, 1885.

Other ramifications have been designed, connecting city with city, and all important districts with each other. Instance the Morelos railway, intended to extend from the capital, through that city, to Acapulco; then the Tehuantepec Interoceanic, which retroceded to the Mexican government. The importance of this scheme can hardly be overestimated, as it will save a distance of over 1,400 miles between New York and San Francisco, as compared with the Panamá route.

In connection with this important isthmus, Eads' scheme of connecting the two oceans by a ship-railway must be mentioned, but which may be regarded as somewhat visionary.

The ownership of these railroads by capitalists of the United States was regarded by some dangerous to the integrity of the nation. But there was indeed little to fear.

Telegraphic communication in Mexico was antecedent to that of railroads. In 1849 the exclusive privilege of establishing telegraph lines was conceded to Juan de la Granja, and in the month of December 1851, the first telegram was transmitted — between Mexico and Puebla, the line being completed to Vera Cruz during the following year. From this time these means of communication have increased rapidly, and the federal government has erected wires