The haciendas of Mexico : a list of plantations and principal farms in the Republic of Mexico together with the names and post-office addresses of their owners

1886·11.1 MB·English

by  Cochran, John C

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,
Shelf
.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
UNIVERSITYOFN.C.ATCHAPELHILL
00013486603
DATE DUE
MMM
AUG 1 6 2002
9W
mi Q 9
PRINTEDINU.S.A.

THE
'
HACIENDAS OF MEXICO:
A LIST OF PLANTATIONS AND PRINCIPAL FARMS IN THE REPUBLIC OF
MEXICO, TOGETHER WITH THENAMES AND POST-OFFICE
ADDRESSES OF THEIR OWNERS.
COMPILED BY
rA JORls COOHEAN.
(J.
PUBLISHED BY
ROOT & TINKER,
1886.
The tlbnary
Th« University oi North Gmftr*
Enteredaccording to Act of Congress, in the year 1886,
By JOHN C. COCHRAN,
in the office of Librarian of Congress at Washington.
PREFACE.
fT^HIS work is the result of a vast amount of correspondence, supple-
mentedbya personalcanvassofmuchoftheterritoryof the Republic
of Mexico. The final revisions of the various reports received have been
made within the present year, and the correctness of each fully attested to
by Mexican government officials, whose signatures and seals they bear.
The object ofthiswork is to provide manufacturersandothersdesirous
ofcultivating trade relations with Mexico, the means of addressingthem-
selves directly to the wealthy landlords of that country.
In the compilation of this work no published directories of anykind
have been referred to, and in fact none of this kind exist. Every name
has been obtained directly from correspondents whose position and long
residence in their respective communities higldy qualified them to give us
We
trustworthy reports. can assert without fear of contradiction that this
is the only list of the kind extant, and it may be relied upon as correct as
itis possible to make such a work.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
http://archive.org/details/haciendasofmexicOOcoch
THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO.
1\ /TEXICO embraces all the territory of North America south of the
United States. It stretches away from the southern borders of
Texas and California 2500 miles to Central America, has an area of 750,000
square miles, and a population exceeding 10,000,000 souls. The great
table-land comprises the greater portion of this vast territory. Itlies be-
tween the two great chains of the Cordillera mountains, which enter the
country at the south, and expanding with its coast-lines, run the whole
length of the republic. This plateau slopes to the northward and has an
elevation varying from 4000 to 9000 feet above the level of the sea. It is
diversified by lofty mountain peaks, beautiful valleys, lakes, rivers, and
ranges of lowmountains. Within the borders of Mexico may be found a
greater variety of scenery, climate, and vegetation than in any other ter-
ritory of equal area in the world. Its geographical position gives tropical
climate and scenery to its low lands, and to the higher country all the ad-
vantages of the temperate zone. The soil alongthe coast is generally rich
and fertile, but the climate is not so genial as that of the interior. Some
parts of the greattable-land to the north are dry and uninteresting; and
the seeminglyarid plains areintersectedbyrangesof low, rockymountains
such as maybe seen alongthelineoftheMexican Central Railwayin pass-
ing from Paso del Norte southward several hundred miles. To the west
of the Sierra Madre range, which forms the backbone of the country, the
soil is rich and vegetation more abundant, making the western slope one
THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO.
viii
ofthe best agricultural districts iu the republic. Mexico has butfew navi-
gable rivers, and during the dry season the whole country is very deficient
in water for agricultural and mining purposes.
While the natural resources of Mexico are unsurpassed in wealth and
variety they are as yet undeveloped. Our modern system of soil culture
and our improved labor-savingmachinery and implements of all kinds are
almost unknown. This, in a measure, may be attributed to the natural
conservatism of the inhabitants, and to their ignorance ofthe advantages
to be gained from the use of such articles. The chief cause of this condi-
tion of things, however, may be found due to the prejudices, jealousies,
and fears ofthose classeswithin the country who have heretofore monopo-
lized the trade, and who have done all in their power to retain the same
by discouraging such native enterprise and progress as were likely to at-
tract the favorable attention of American business men. During the past
few years these trade prejudices and obstructions have been largely over-
come. Since the establishment of railway communication between the
United States and the interior country of Mexico, enterprising business
houses in the United States have made a peaceful invasion ofthat country
and have convinced many of the people of the necessity of changing their
industrial and trade methods.
The time is evidently not far distant when American labor-saving
machinery will be universally employed by the newly enlightened people
of Mexico. Wherever our farming implements have been introduced,
and workmen properly instructed how to usethem, primitive contrivances
have been discarded. For instance, the planter finds that his men can
do more and better work with a modern plough, and that the products
of his land are materially increased in quantity and quality thereby. In
every department of industry, our machinery is being used with equally
satisfactory results. For this reason the demand for American machinery
and tools is rapidly increasing, and the prospects for the future are ex-
tremely good.
As agriculture is the chief industry of Mexico, the demand for all