MONTEREY, Mexico, capital of the state of Nuevo Leon, situated at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains at an altitude of 1,800 feet above sea-level, an important railroad cen tre for trade and commerce with the United States, 168 miles from the Texas boundary. The most notable industry is an extensive iron and steel mill, which employs a great number of men and large quantities of heavy iron and steel manufactures, both rolled and cast. Over $25,000,000 are represented by the manufacturing and industrial enterprises of the city. No other point in northern Mexico is so important commercially, as Monterey. There are two local financial institutions, the Bank of Nuevo Leon, with a capital of $2,000,000 and the Mercantile Bank, with a capital of $2,500, 000. The National Bank has a branch here and the Bank of London and Mexico an agency. The principal educational institutions are the School of Jurisprudence, Normal School for males, Normal School for females and the Acad emy of Drawing. There is a Natural History
Museum and a well-equipped public library. The principal buildings of the city are the Jua rez Theatre, the cathedral and the churches of San Francisco and the Purisima. The streets are well paved. In the centre of the city there - is a large spring of clear water. Four miles distant are the Topo Chico Hot Springs, the hourly output of which is 68,000 gallons. The waters of these are much like those of the fa mous hot springs of Arkansas. The prevailing style of architecture is Moorish. Pop. 78,500. The city was founded by the Spaniards in 1585 as Ciudad de Leon but renamed Metropolitan City of Our Lady of Monterey in 1596. The city was besieged in 1846 by General Taylor and compelled to capitulate. See MONTEREY, BATTLE OF.