Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-09-30
A MEXICAN RANCHER.


Soil Of Mexico.
George Carrel, an old resident of Hum
boldt county. who sold his ranches in
Paradise Valley some Two years ago to his
partner, William Stock, and Godchaux &
B~randenstein, went to Sonora, Mexico,
last January, and purchased the San
Rafael del Norte ranch of its Mexican
owners. The ranch 10 six leagues square,
and comprises about 200, 900 acres of land.
Don George, who il now visiting old
friends, confided much new Of an inter
esting character, relative to the soil.
climate, society, etc., of chat part OF
Sonora, in which he is situated, to q Silver
State reporter. He says the valley in
which he spent the last eight months, and
| in which his ranch is situated, ia about
| $500 feet above sea level. The hills as
we'll as the valleys are covered with differ
| ent kinds OF grass, which makes excellent
| feed for cattle all the year round. The
| soil is rich and free from salt and alkali,
| but water is scarcer than 1t is in Nevada.
1t is found In abundance, however, in
wells from 20 to 60 feet deep, and as cattle
have to come to tho wells, save in the
| rainy season, to get water, they are gentle
as dairy cows, and the expense of herding
| them is a mere trifie. They require no
| hay, az feed is plenty On the plains and
| hills at all seasons of the year. Crops are
raised without irrigation. and wheat o
in November is harvested in the latter part
Of April. All kinds Of fruits and vege-
tables of the Temperate zone grow there.
and he saw ripe tomatoes on the vines last
February. Timber for fuel and fences ia
abundant in the valleys. Oaks grow on
the bottom lands, and black walnut,
sycamore, ash and cottonwood in the can
yons.
The temperature ia rarely higher than
80 degrees ct any season OF the year, and
IL seldom goes below the freezing point.
Men camp out without experiencing much
inconvenience from cold In mid Winter.
There are two rainy seasons, one in the
Winter, which irrigates grain crops, and
another in Summer, which waters vegeta-
bles, and two crops are produced on the
same ground in a year, as corn and vegets-
bles are planted in June ON land from
which grain is harvested in May. Wild
game is abundant. Deer are plenty, and
anyone who can use a gun. and is not too
indolent to hunt, can have venison. Wild
turkeys uDDuuu Ill luo tItnDcIt I'LL var |
ifornia quail and the bob whites " OF the
Atlantics states are seen everywhere. There
are also wild hogs. bears, cougars and
other animals in the hills.
About one-sixth Of the Inhabitants are
Americans, many OF whom are engaged in
mining. the others being Mexicans, some
of whom are we'll educated, and sll OF
whom are hospitable. There are no In
dams except the Apaches, who occasion
ally make raids into the country from
Arizona and New Mexico. There is a
weekly mail to a mining camp some ten
miles from his ranch, where Judge Harlan,
formerly of Humboldt county, is situated.
The people pay no taxes, except to pay the
salary OF a project, whose duties are sim
liar to those of Q Judge in this country,
the revenue being all derived from custom
duties and stamps.
Gold, silver and copper mines are found
in the mountains, and there are placer
mines in the foothills. Americans work
the quartz mines, and Mexicans the placer
mines, the gold being separated from the
gravel by what is called "dry washing"
Seven or eight mining companies in his
vicinity ship their ores to Tombstone, q
distance of 140 miles.
This part of Sonora is about 100 mill
from the railroad, which runs from Benson,
Arizona, TO Guaymas, On the Gulf Of Ge6-
fornia, and $50 miles from the S.P. r. h.
at Wilcox. Arizona.
Wages range from Sc cents per day for
Mexican labor 70 50 so per day for Ameri.
can labor. At present Mexican cattle n
horses, both ihf~~ior stock, can be pur-
chased on the range at from $40 to SIS
per head. There is no market for the pro-
| ducts OF the soil. and everything in the
| vegetable line is cheap.
Mr.. Carrel, in common with other
| Americans in Sonora, hopes to see IL an
uexed to the United States ere many years.,
AZ it would make il one of the most de-
| sirable countries in the world to reside in.
though at present the rights of property
holders are respected as much as in any
new country.