Show FREIGHT CROSSING THE ISTHMUS Tho comparatively now new freight route Toute between the eastern and west western era ern coasts of the United States in which tho the Isthmian L railway linos lines form but bul a small share sharo of the distance coy cov covered CO ored ered and steamship lines a I very large share has been heon in operation so far faras faras I as relates to the Tehuantepec line but a little over two years rears Planned before beCore tho the of the tIme earliest I transcontinental railways In lu the tilt United States tho thc road I was WIll not completed Item flom ocean to ocean until 1594 and ond oven even then was I found so 50 unsatisfactory owing to defective conditions that I a partial ro re reconstruction construction became necessary nc esBar this reconstruction having been I through a partnership between the Mexican government and a com coin company company pany of ef British capitalists Tho The rail railroad railroad railroad road miles In length wa was wac recon reconstructed and steel docks docka and piers provided at the tho eastern e stern and western termini by which transfer from tho the hold of tho the vessel direct to the car standing stand Ins on the tho dock ie Ii i accomplished by b steam and electric power Traffic between the eastern and lOd western coasts coast of the United States by bj way of Isthmus railways and lOd andst steamship st lines line amounted to practical practically cal call ly l forty tort fort million dollars In value In t 1908 a marked Increase over any an earl carl earlier lei ier year I Tho rho railway lines now carry carr freight I across tho time narrow neck of or land con connecting connecting fleeting North and South America 1 ono one at tho the Isthmus of the Iho theother other at tho the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Ono One of these railways lint Hint of Pana Pami Panama ma lOa Is 10 40 miles In length the time other otheral at al Tehuantepec miles The one otto oneat oneat at Panama owned by ity h tho the government Is h of nf course largely devoted to work and traffic growing out of the construe construction lion ion ol ot the Panama Canal Canale the tue ono one at lb miles In length con comi constructed constructed chiefly with British capital and controlled in part at least by h the th Mexican government Is built bUill especial especially ly for fOl the purpose of handling freights between time the Atlantic and Pacific and aud an although opened only at the beginning of carried during 1907 and 1008 1005 between he tween CO GO and antI 70 million dollars dollar worth of merchandise passing between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the tho United These figures relating to this com corn comparatively new traffic route between tween he the tho th eastern and ani western we ports of tho the United States arc are complied compiled from re to reports ports harts received by h the bureau of ol sta statistics of tho th department of com corn commerce commerce merce and labor They Ther show that time the Railway which crosses tho Isthmus at Tehuantepec in time the southern part vart of Mexico carrying ing tho tue freights received from tho the steamship lines jn s plying I ing between the tho great ports of tho ho United States and its it eastern eastorn I Ian and an western termini carried in tho the first year of o its operation 1907 between 25 and 30 million dollars worth of merchandise and in the tho sec see second second ond onti year nearly 38 million dollars worth Tho Time Panama Railroad engaged ged chiefly chicO as above suggested in work on behalf of or the tho Panama canal carried in 1907 1007 about 12 million miHlon dol dollars dolIn dollars lars In worth of merchandise originating orl ing In in the United Un tell States and bound either cither for other parts part of this country or for foreign forein countries and in 1005 about 9 12 i million dollars worth Of the time crossing by byway b byway way wa of the Panama Railway S 12 millon million dollars worth moved mOed from tho the Atlantic to time the Pacific and only a lit little litlie littIe tIe lie over ocr 1 million dollars worth from the Pacific to the Atlantic Of or tho tue thoS tueS S 1 J 12 2 millions crossing from Cram the At Atlantic Atlantic lantic side sl e to the tho Pacific coast c ast by 1 the Panama line lIno 2 31 3 I millions was des linea to the lime western ports of the United Culled States and 5 6 34 millions to foreign countries located upon time the Pa Pacific chile cHIc coast of North Korth and aud South America |