The morning call., 1893-08-28
A GIGANTIC SCHEME.
An English Company to De-
vefOp Lower California.
Concessions of Eighteen Million
Acres of Land Received From the
Hexican Government.

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 27.-From various late
movements on the part of an English land
company operating in Lower California,
ana from information gained from Lon-
don and Mexico, il is apparent that opera
tons Will soon begin on a large scale look
ing to the colonization of the northern
half of the peninsula. 1t is we'll known
that the Lower California Development
Company. Limited, is merely branch of
the Mexican Land and Colonization Com
pany, Limited, the latter corporation own
ing concession given bv the Mexican
Government. The concession, ceding all
public lands in the northern district of the
peninsula, comprising 100000 acres, re-
quiTed the company to construct a railroad
from San Quintin to Yuma within speci
fed time. 1t is now learned that the COM
pany, through an agency at the City of
Mexico, has secured a change whereby
Irrigation works are to be accepted in lieu
of the railroad as more rapidly ASST sting z
colonization. Irrigation systems sufficient
in extent to cover the immense valley
and mesa at San QnIEtin and other
lands held by the company, are
to be constructed. work to begin,
ii is understood. within q short time. En-
gineers long ago made preliminary sur
veys for water development at San Quin-
tin, San Ramon. Queen Mesa and several
more large tracts, and abundance of W ater
was found, there being better opportuni-
ties for developing water in the moun-
taius there than even in San Diego County.
On the heels of information regarding the
building of fiouring-mill at San Quin,in,
the replacing of the steamer Manuel Dub
Ian on The line from this port and other
enterprises begun in the name of the de-
velOpment company. comes news that the
services of General Manager Holdsworth
and Superintendent Mann of that company
will be dispensed with after Septem Der Is,
without successors, indicating that the
Mexican Land and Colonization Company
will again take charge of affairs on the
peninsula, with headquarters at En-
senada.
Another important work required of the
company by the Government is the con-
stTuction and maintenance of an iron
wharf at Eusenada, the wooden wharf
now built having become dangerous and
very expensive to keep In repair Another
indication that the colonization company
will do away with the development CON-
pany is the fact that Mrs. r. D. Butterfied
has secured the agency for the sale of all
lands in the concession, including those at
san Quintin now held in the name of the
development company. Mrs. Butte terfisld,
vino has been in London some months in
conference with the directors of the col
onization company, is now on the way to
this city. 1t is believed her first efforts
will be directed TO coloniZing the San
Quintin country. She is a woman of great
energy and executive ability, and may
have had a hand in the changes made
The story of the English colonization COM
panies, though slow, that ground when
once gained is seldom relinquished and
settlement is usually permanent, aud the
fact that the colonization company has
already Invested hundreds of thousands OF
dollars in Lower California and could not
withdraw without complete loss. is an
argument that further advancementisto is to be
made. The company is composed of some
of the richest men in England, and is
financially fully able to COPE with the
gigantic project il has on hand