The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
A MONSTER COTTON RANCH
IT rs IN MEXICO AND COVERS 17S
SQUARE MILES.
How the Dry BEDS OF Extinct Lakes Were Made
Fertile by IrriFntion-a Plantations Canals.
Railroads. Electric Lights, and Telephones
The Most Improved Agricultural Tools,

Railroads.. Electric Lights, and Telephones
The Most Improved Agricultural Tools,
From the Tro Republics.
What Is probably the largest individual cotton
plantation IN the world is located In the republic
OF Mexico. within the Tlahualilo cuenca or cot.
ton belt that lies between the watershed OF the
Rio Grande and the Bolson de Mapimi. There
are l75 square miles under cultivation. covered
with the snowy blossoms for miles.
The great plain of northern Mexico. in which
rests this immense cottonRrowing district, ON.
braces almost the entire States of chihuahua
and Coahuila. This immense plain Is 400 miles
In width by 800 In length. and although broken
here and there by mountain ranges II maintains
Il general level OF about !. 900 feet above the sea.
The Bolson dc Mapini has much the same for
nation as the basin OF the Great Salt Lake of
Utah, and Is one of watersheds, while the other
is that OF the Rio Grande. The Bolson re.
ceivcs the drainage Of all the eastern slopes OF
the Durango sierras and the western slope ofthe
Coahuila range, but 1t possesses no outlet.
Hence the rivers melt into little lakes. whose
waters are lost By evaporation in the dry season.
Like a broad sword Of silver, the river Nazas
pierccs the Mapiini Bolsoti. This river, which
has a course OF nearly three hundred miles
from its source TO whore II is lost in the shall.
lows and swamps of the dusty desert. is n very
mischievous river, and during the rainy season
~ iitpuNiitls oNNihoN us btnhs. ClNlN Ut
seventy years ago the Nazas discharged
its waters into q series Of extensive
lagoons, occupying what Is now known
as the Laguna district OF Durango and
Coahuila. About that time II phenomenal
rainfall SO overcharged the bed OF the
NaZas az to cause it to open a new course. and
leave the lagoons into which the river had
drifted. and which were known n, the Cavman
Lagoons, thirty miles to one side. In the course
of years these lagoous were converted into "A
meEquite wilderness. almost dead level and
composed OF a deposit of the finest detritus
of unknown depth. This desert waste OF hot
drifting sand. under II sky OF brass. ran north
and south surrounded by a psrallelogrOrn OF
mountains. The area thus comprised was
about 2lO, square niles of purely vygeta.
BILE loan locally known as the Lake Of
Tlahualilo. There was nothing TO break
the vision on the broad desert waste hut the
scrawny, mczquite bushes. about who's" roots
swarmcd the rattlesuol;c and it, strange com.
panion. the prairie dog. possibly III" only living
things that could exist under "a tropical sun and
far from water. such was the cucncu or bowl.
chosen about six years ago for The establish.
ment III the great irrigation enterprise that so
far has made the drscr; TO blossom As the rose.
the greatest irrigation enterprise attempted in
In 1889 project was formulated for carrying
q ditch across the desert to the heed II The Tia
im," a i hHeS h nmh e E"n'er Mr.S Juan 'ty I Ij"m,J area a
Spanish capitalist Of Mexico City. undertook
the enII,GFpri.s; In wtiEh ne ""S aide ~ the
survey showed that the lowest lyy,i OF The
basin to BE- irrigated was about one hundred
feet below the point on the River Na2as which
II was proposed TO dam; that tho main canal
would REQUIRE a development OF thir!y-uIne
basin Was such that about one hundred and sew
cntT.iirc square miles out of the Two, hun.
VsntagcOusly irrigated. Since then. 10y the aid
OF miodcrn engineering and American machinery,
40 squar" miles have, been placed under cIlt!-
yntioi. This required money nni men and II
high degree of engineering capahiiity, Til" plan
OF irrigation was i~ntrustei by Mr.. l.lnmtLO 10
Mr.. Jos" tarj7s. n Spanish engineer. An estate
OF 10000 acres lying Oh the River Mans and
coh'FoiihS The water SUPPLY was pnrrhusei
AMI rip-rhl was thrown across the river al n
point where II Is about 800 feet wide at The
flood. This constituted a dam, and from the
to the entrance III the rlahual!lo basin. thirty.
nine miles. The canal was made - feet
wide al The base, d. feet deep, with a grade
of from l. inches to 3 feet to the mile. except as
TO one particular section. This canal terlni.
mated In n distributing tank TO the entrance Of
the irrisabie area. from whence it bifurcnted.
one arm %rlnspiing the western sidr Of the basin
same average grade. One of thcm was u mics
in length, 30 feet vide At the bottom. and Win
- miles in length. with II width Of 81 feet at
The bottom ami a depth Of . feet.
brni'h' we're then laid ont aud all the land
thus laid open 10 irrigation wa ~ out u blocks
~iri". a., onvCntionn area inca ,,ring "A Spanish
league on each side ANA mea-lIr,u- nearly 1000
acres, tn" total ditching caIl"H for under thc
miles. the rlr-i and second branch canals, re-
spectivcly. of fifteen and thirteen mile; twenty
nlnc miles OF transverse canals. fitty miles
OF parable. titchcs, ard 500 miles nf
di;tributine bitches. 'T4c total excavation
for the main canal, md for AL the other canals
and bitches on he first section about 3.iun.oo0
square miles. From 1000 10 5000 p"ons were
n%mployed on III" work, and II irtrie over a year
twcnty.ry miles Of the distance al The water
rcIlIrsl for the lahorcr-; a, wei, as he animals,
mule back II the he viz IVA Ws.r "'" M /" Of I'm" III 9 VI
AVIATION was done in Mexican "I"uetnl". which
Is nm induratch clay. II soft stone thn' forms
q =, consistent and permanent bank for bitches;
me "trpe'ate pr"Yail7 in al! PORTIONS OF
dug ut coinunratiIc!y small cos. in preference"
TO The iuhinE OF pipins OF water. About twenty:
rapidly in tho direction III" canal Wa taken,
and Inc grade was increased for prcCauti"l! sake
70 eight feet 20 thc mile. About half way down
Central l~sailroAd, and Il briG-c was necessary.
The intake Of the canal ON 'hc river was built "
ten ".n'R IN numb MsIn "' "ash srN |f let vide Snd her rfr
framework Of iron: The distributing tank
likewise j vh" EN-. ."bsinn, inI WIFE WES in'''' hi. "' latter rs
point was reached work was pushed upon
were completed the transverse canals. parallels
and distributing bitches were opened ny be-
tween them. The most approved agricultural
advance from the United States. Upon The
completion Of The bitches, each OF the aitios WINS
traitor. and the general administrators WAS
located on the hacienda OF Ihragoza, some eight
miles down the basin from the distributing
tank, and nearly in the centre being prepared
for cultivation. Extensive buildings were tlso
erected, consisting OF "A steam cotton gin and oil
mill for handling the cotton seed oil. a soap
factory for utilizing the oil product, IA cotton
press, and an electric Ugh, plant.
\ system Of wagon roads following the lines
of the main canals were hrst laid out 10 connect
all OF the villages with the central administra-
ton, and telephone communication was estab-
lished between the several administration aud
the general manager AT ZaragOZa. However.
the eNigcncics OF this fast increasing enterprise
soon ovcrlcHpcd wagon roads rs the latter in
their turn had swept past the humber and mar
rover mule trails. Therefore, the people en-.
gagged in the development OF tn" Tlahualil0
cotton bell found II necessary TO undertake the
construction Of steam railways to connect
tho distant portion, OF III" estate with
XaragoZa. The larger part uf the rail
road material ordered by the TithualilO
Cotton Company from London arrived quite re-
Gently AT Xtragozn, and the company hope 70
have the railroad in working order before The