The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-15
IN BAJA CALIFORNIA.
Arguments For and Against
Investments There.
THE MYTHICAL CLAIMS SET UP.
Some Excellent Ranches-An Engiishman's
HOme-Titled Delvers-Of Soil and
Hewers of Wood.


and invest the proceeds in the more gener-
Gus soil of this summer country? Most
certainly not! On the contrary l would
earnestly protest against any such pro
ceeding on the part of the poor man, until
he has looked the ground over thoroughly
for himself and intelligently
CALCULATED THE POSSIBILITIES
and the drawbacks. The rich man or the
well-to-do, can afford to Try experiments,
but for those to whom existence is a strug-
gle, who began life with nothing and whose
families have increased faster than their
capital, the serious question Of wherewithal
to be clothed and fed can best be COPIED
with in the United States.
want to tell you fairly the pros and
cons within my knowledge. To induce i'm
migration here, the Mexican government
has made liberal concessions. By going
through the formula of becoming cOlonist
the settler is exempt from military duty
for twenty years, and for this length of
time nearly all articles OF necessity and
home consumption come to him free OF the
heavy import duty which for others makes
living so expensive in Mexico. BY the late
colonization law he is also exempt from
land taxes, and taxes on personal property,
being subject only to certain stamp duties
on accounts, documents and writings, and
to the duties interstate and municipal,
which exist in all the states and towns of
IIexico on tobacco, spirituous liquors and
a few articles of luxury.
On the other hand, there is the lack of
railroad communication to be considered,
the great distance from all the acknOWl-
edged centers of civilization, and the fact
that he is living under foreign govern
ment, Which-thOugh running smoothly at
present in Diaz' hands-has not in the past
proved itself the most stable under the
sun. President Diaz is not immortal, nor
is it likely, however much he may wish it,
that he can spend all his life in the eX-
ecutive chair. According to the high
handed methods of these uncertain people
during the last half-century, might and
opportunity make right; and it is not i'm
possible that a subsequent administration
may undo all that has been done by this,
TAKE AWAY EVERY INCH OF SOIL
that has been ceded to Americans, and
make it advisable for those sons of liberty
to skip home across the border faster than
they came. Besides all that, not least
among the present drawbacks to immi-
grafton from the United States, is the fact
that the English are possessing themselves
and absolutely controlling the gigantic
scheme of colonization that was begun as a
purely American enterprise.
Then there are the ever-present doubts
which certain claims based on old Spanish
grants have cast upon the reliability of
titles to lands purchased hereabOutS. So
far, those widowed grants have not iuval-
idated a single purchase OF the international
company, but some of them make a great
deal of annoyance. Those troubles, how
ever. are not limited to Lower California,
for in other parts of the world brOOdS of
claimants have been spawned from vast
tracts of real estate Everybody remem-
bers how the indefatigable Myra Clark
Gaines harassed New Orleans Within an
inch of its life: how the peace of Chicago
was assailed by claimant who enjoyed
the heritage of an Indian grant: and how
great properties in New York were at
tackled by the heirs of d Dutch settler, An
nel1e Jams. As to these Spanish grants
they have every one been forfeited long
long ago The crown did not give away its
poss sessions in such generous measure with
out attaching conditions calculated to
bring in some returns. 1t stipulated that
mines should be worked, colonies estab-
1ished, and yearly tribute from the in
crease of the land be paid into the public
treasury. For a time the conditions were
perhaps complied with, but eventually the
settlers became Indifferent, progress
stopped mines were abandoned and the
country lapsed INTO ruin. Meanwhile the
far-away mother-couutry was too much
worried by troubles at home to pay close
attention to hcr infant colonies in the new
world, and then through the Mexican rev
olution she lost them entirely. The Mex
lean Republic never renewed those ancient
grants. and the people of the peninsula lost
all interest in it-until Yankee enterprise
made it of value Then, with much anC
many threats, they
SET Up MYTHICAL CLAIMS
which few have been so foolhardy as Il
bring into the courts.
While land in Lower California is moi
particularly cheap as compared to much il
the United States, it has not yet gone be
yond the reach of men in moderate circum
stances. For example, the best town lots
in San Carlos bring from one hundred IC
one thousand dollars each, according tC
size; and in the beautiful valley of San
Rafael. which has $4,000 acres of rich
black loan, sells for twenty dollars pei
acre: and there are no trees to cut down,
no stumps, like decayed teeth to be eX-
tracted, no malaria, and neither excessive
heat nor cold. The international company
especially encourages the immigration OF
working people. Labor is not so high here
as in some portions of Upper California
but the labOring man is spared many of the
expenses incident to lifein colder climate
The climate is perpetual May-frosts are
unknown except in the highest attitudes
and flowers bloom the whole year through.
In the valleys, which are generally wei
watered by mountain springs, semi trOpica
fruits flourish to perfection. These are
lemons oranges, bananas, figs, olives
grapes, pomegranites, apricots, side by
side with apples, corn, wheat, oats and bar
lev Among possible products, as demon
strated by experiments, are sugar cane
cotton and tobacco Grapes are grown il
the valleys without irrigation, but on The
mesas it is required for all except citrus
fruits. Rasin grapes grow better here
than farther north, and prunes and nectar
ines command good prices. ApricotS flour
ish here as in few places on the globe, anC
always find abundant market, dried OF
canned, both in Europe and America.
Among the ranches that have come under
nv observation, a few will do as samples
There is that of a New Hampshire man
who came to Upper California thirty years
ago and has lived some time near Ensenada
He states that his orange trees, planted
from the seed nine years ago, are bearing
well, as are also his bananas, eight year:
old. He has one olive tree, nine years old
which last year yielded sixteen gallons o.
oil, selling at an average of seventy-tive
cents per gallon. A single grape vin'
yielded 900 pounds of grapes, and hi
lemons, peaches, apricots and tigs all bor'
wonderfully.
Mr.. C. L. Shields, Kentucllian, live
with his family few miles from Ensenada
He has ten acres in wheat, which last yea,
yielded POS bushels. Besides other crops h
sells about seventy-five bushels of Englisl
walnuts every year, and considers tina
those trees
PAY BETTER THAN so MANY cows.