Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-04-05
Affairs in Sonora.

"A correspondent of the San Fran
cisco BMtetil,, writing from Guaymas
under date of February 9th, gives the
following interesting account of affairs
in our neighboring Mexican State:
Some Americans who lately made
the trip by land from Los Angeles in
your State to this place, gave me the
following item regarding their voyage !:
At Cavarea they passed the frontier of
Sonora, where they found about 1000
inhabitants, u cust0m-hOuse and well
cultivated lands; the next station was
PitiquitO, only six miles off, but beau
tifully situated in a fertile valley; fif-
teen miles further they reached Altar,
with 1000 souls and capital of the dis
trict, which embraces 200 square miles
rich in gold mines, with good agricul-
ture and commerce; though the inhab-
itants possess none of the improved
machinery used in California, the dig
gers succeed nevertheless in making
about So per day. This has induced an
American company TO secure $1,000
acres of land rich in gold at place
called Los Ilanos. To procure the
needful water the company is building
an aqueduct forty miles in length, the
cost of which is calculated at $500, 900.
The engineer conducting the work
says as soon as the water can reach
said lands the monthly benefit will be
at least S25, 900 and remain the same
for twenty years. In spite of the diff
culties under which the natives arc
working they make now about from
$50, 900 to $4,000. All the land which
can be irrigated looks like a garden,
producing every kind of tropical fruit
and of splendid quality. The ranches
yield excellent wheat and corn, with
numerous heads of cattle and noun
tains ofprecious woods, enough to en-
rich anybody but a Mexican. North
east from Ell Altar is La Magdalena,
with the same advantages and more
water, on account Of its proximity to
the Sierra.
Hermosillo, the largest city of So
nora, merits well her name, as the
most beautifully situated in fertile
plain, with rich mines and plenty of
trade. The sugar plantations yield
$500 per acre, with steam engines to
make excellent flour from it's abundant
wheat crops, on the large estates of La
Labor, Atlantic, San Juanito, Ell Chi
no Gordo, Eel Gavilan and others, each
of which employs from 100 to 200 men.
The inhabitants are famous for their
amiable character and the women for
their beauty. A Mr.. Ramariz owns
large cotton mill; it is large and
beautiful establishment surrounded by
evergreen trees, which makes the site
very picturesque.
Ures, the capital of Sonora, lies sur
rounded with the finest estates, with
abundant water for irrigation, and
mountains for precious wood and all
kinds of game.
Larique is new settlement of re-
turned Californians, who have either
became rich agriculturalists or re-
manned miners us rich veins have been
discovered in it's vicinity. The towns
of Subatama, Oquitoa, Ell Altil, etc.,
are rs favorably situated, and it is
thought that, instead Of cultivating
the sugar cane, cotton, tobacco, etc,
they only plant wheat, corn and beans.
If it was not for the fear of the
Apaches this State would certainly at
tract many emigrants !; but we have to
wait till the Southern Pacific Railroad
is finished and connected with this
port to show the world what riches
Sonora possesses and Of what import
ance this beautiful harbor will become
for the trade of the whole region, the
frontier State Of the United States and
Mexico.
A Mexican company is now cultivat-
ing the rich lands at the mouth of the
Colorado river, where an inexhausti-
BILE supply of wild hemp has been
found, and of superior quality; but
these new settlers have so far vainly
expected that the Mexican Govern
ment will permit them to get their
supplies from here or direct from San
Francisco; everything they need has
to be sent from San Francisco to Fort
Yuma, and then brought back again
to Point Isabel at q heavy expense,
though all this large tract of land be-
Ionps N MnVion