CHIHUAHUA, Mexico, capital of the state of the same name, the northern border of which forms the dividing line between Mexico and the United States, and one-third of the width of the first named country. Altitude. 4,973 feet above sea-level. Distance from the United States border at El Paso, Tex., 225 miles and from Mexico city, 999 miles. It is well provided with transportation facilities, being on the lines of the Mexican Central and Kansas City, Mexico and Orient railways, and the initial terminal of the Chihuahua and Pacific Railway. Is the centre of one of the most imp,ortant stock raising and mineral producing districts south of the Rio Grande. It is the first point of im -portance reached in die journey from the north ern boundary of the country to the City of Mexico. It is an important supply point for miners whose properties are situated in the mountain regions to the west and southwest. Among the manufacturing establishments of the city are extensive rolling mills and iron works, a brewery, a soap factory, a manufactory of clothing, broom factory, mineral water factory, manufactory of agricultural implements and various smaller industries. Since the outbreak of the revolutionary movements within the past few years, of which it has been the starting point, its industries and social life have come practically to a standstill.
A few miles distant from and connected with the city by railway, are the Santa Eulalia Mineral Springs and health resort, for which great merit is claimed. The principal buildings of a public character are the new penitentiary; the old cathedral, completed over 200 years ago by the contributions of a rich miner, at an outlay of almost $1,000,000, the recently built opera house, one of the largest and finest in the re public; the Government Palace, the palatial home of ex-Governor Ahumada; the new municipal palace and the Mineral Bank. It was
here that the patriot Hidalgo suffered imprison ment and was executed in 1811. The tower or dungeon in which he was confined is sacredly preserved and will ever be reverently visited by tourists. In the plaza adjoining the Govern ment Palace a splendid monument has been erected in his honor. The Alameda, situated in the business centre, is utilized on Sunday evening of every week by all classes as a prom enade, the occasion being always enlivened by excellent music provided by the state govern ment. An aqueduct built over 200 years ago conveys water into the city, and a modern built street railway provides means of local trans portation. A museum of minerals recently established by the state has already become one of the city's chief places of interest. Advanced methods of primary education are receiving much attention, both from the state and munici pal governments, and higher education is pro vided by a normal school for young women, a college for young men and a number of clerical and other institutions of advanced instruction. A library connected with the Preparatory School contains 6,000 volumes. The principal scientific organization is devoted to the study of medicine and is known as the •Medica Mutualista.' Financially, Chihuahua is one of the best equipped cities in the republic. It has four local banks,— the Mineral Bank, with a capital ization of $5,000,000, the Chihuahua Exchange Company, the Chihuahua Investment Company and the Commercial Bank; besides which there are branches of the National Bank and the bank of Sonora, and an agency of the bank of London and Mexico.