San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-11
ELLIS, THE COLONIzER.
BE Is IN SAN ANTONIO FROM
MEXICO.
de Has Very Little to Say at Pres.
ent-A Brief Review of the
Mexican Colonization
Scheme.

IL the man who champloned the
cause for the expectation Of Ne
groes from the United States to
Mexico for colonizing purposes.
The ellis colonizing scheme" as
it is most Familiarity termed, has
created such a sensation in the
United States and Mexico that at
one time it looked as II it would in.
volve trouble between these two
countries.
Ellis project, no doubt, was cal
culated for the best interests of
both the United States and Mexico,
and was expected to do great deal
of good, but, it seems, that its fate
was doomed for the worse. Ellis
has not worked on this colonization
scheme for one year, or two years,
but for the past ten years; and in
the year of 1888 he went to
Mexico for the purpose of con-
sulting the Mexican government
relative to exporting Negroes
from the United States to settle in
Mexico and make their future
home in that country. He knew
that the country's resources were
OF the best, and the best and only
way to realize their value would be
to bring colonists there to cultivate
the land and utilize it.
He procured the necessary con.
cession from the Mexican govern
ment to import 10000 Negro colon.
lists, for he knew that the Negro is
unequaled in agricultural pursuits,
and that with lot of industrious
families of this race they could be
given comfortable homes and
placed In thriving condition.
After Ellis had succeeded in OBJ.
tanning President Diaz's signature
to the contract, which was for 90
600 Negro colonists, his next effort
was to secure capital to put his en-.
terprise in motion. With the hus-
thing abilities he is known to pos.
sess, he finally succeeded in get.
ting capital interested in the,
scheme. A company was organ!
ICED, known as the Tiahualilo
company with a Capital Of
$2O,OO0,0VO, and contract was
entered into between Ellis and
theu ~ fhuslilo Company for the i'm
dcusa lon OF the Negro into Mexico.
b. the members OF this com.
NJ ARE Spaniards of unquestion-
able putation. Don Juan Lame
do, one4pf the directors OF the bank
of London, in the City Of Mexico, is
the president of the company, and
others connected with the Tlahua-
lilo company sre officials of the
highest standing in the Mexican
capital. They have the largest
plantation on earth, embracing an
area of seventy-two square miles,
all under cultivation, and there are
now over ten thousand people on
the premises. This company has
a canal which is bisected and inter
sected for a distance of seventy-two
miles, and traverses 525 miles OF
territory. Under this condition OF
things, Ellis next move was to se-
cure the Negroes. He went to Ala
bama and Georgia, where he could
find the genuine old plantation
"nigger," or his immediate Off
spring, and lay before them the
new land. He did not misrepre-
sent the country to them, and told
them just what was expected OF
them, so it is claimed, in order to
prevent any cause for disappoint.
ment on their arrival at the new
land. They agreed to come, and
last February the first trainload
pulled through San Antonio en-
route to Mexico. The train consist.
ed OF about nine emigrant coaches,
containing about 400 colored men
women and children. 1t stopped
here about twenty minutes, and
during that time the young folks
pleasantly passed the time with
the old-time plantation jubilee
while the old folks enjoyed the
merry tunes, all Of which gave
vent to their happy feelings in thu
hope of reaching a new home
Very likely some Of the Negroes
imagined that they were going to ;
land next door to heaven, and the!
"don'G hab to work no NO." bu
much to their disappointment, the.
did not quite get there.
However, which may be true
there are two sides to a story. l
is said that Ellis has filed ever.
promise he has made with the col
onists, but that a number OF then
became dissatisfied and deserte,
the place. Mr.. Ellis has been in tn
city the past few days and was me
yesterday by reporter of tn
LIGHT. He was asked for som
news from Mexico, and he replied
al am as yet not prepared to sa
anything. 1 am making out a re