Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-07-09

who are fortunate enough to be well
coined to the Los Floritas ranch.
There are over 500 miles Of telephone
wire on the ranch, making connection
with telegraph line that places the
ranch house in communication with all
parts of the world. An ice fcatory
| that is seldom shut down supplies cold
drinks to the 500 cowboys that are en-
! ployed in looking after the cattle and
horses
Ice is furnished gratuitiously to all
| the inhabitants CT the little village Of
Guerraro, not far away. There are
fifteen sub-overseers dwelling on diff
ferent parts of the ranch, and they are
connected by telephone with the main
office This and the celebrated Ken
nedy Ranch in Texas are the only two
ranches in either of the sister repub-
lies that haye established electric
! light plants. It may be said that there
is no such thing as darkness on the
/ Il
up pin at midnight on the great lawn
or in the corrals miles away from the
big ranch house 1t is certain that the
old Don wishes from the bottom of his
| heart that the Rio Grande ran on the
south side of Los Floritas, or that he
possessed the power to move his fine
| =, int
United States, and if he lives little
longer he is sure to add a good many
millions to the wealth Of Texas and a
strong Republican vote, for he is not
an admirer of the theories of the Ne
braskan orator.
For the last ten years Don Juan has
spent large sums of money in improv-
ing his stock. A few weeks ago he
sent 2,700 head Of white-faced two
year-old steers across tse Rio Grande to
his Zapata ranch. That was regarded
by all stockmen as the finest herd that
ever was seen in this country. On
another part of his great ranch he has
been breeding black-polled Angus cat
tie, and he now has herd of about
600 Of these famous cattle, all of
which he expects to have north of the
Rio Grande this summer and fall.
About 10000 calves and II 900 head of
colts and young mules have been brand
ed on Los Floritas this spring.
OWNS A GOLD NINE.
Besides his vast landed possession
and his countless herds of cattle, mules
and horses, the old gentleman owns
gold mine in Chihuahua which has
yielded him many millions. He con-
siders this chihuahua bonanza the
| greatest and most valuable piece Of
property in the world. He never tires
of talking to his son and daughter
about this famous gold mine, and never
a day passes that he does not warn his
son never to part with the "Incas
Bride" the name Of the mine.
'If l were younger" he often says,
II would take enough gold out of that
mine to buy the world With all
their great wealth they are rather
| strange people, or, at least, they would
be considered that way by the modern
title-hunting millionaire set of our
country.
In one of the periodical commissions
in Mexico which forced Don Smidio
into exile he married Texas girl, and
it appears that even all the comforts
and Injuries that attend the possession
of illimitable wealth have never been
| able entirely to crush her love for the
land Of her birth and the people whom
she loved so we'll long ago. Texans
have always received a warm welcome
at the home of the Smidios in Mexico.
They have a son and a daughter, both
OF manageable age, but they have
never made an effort to bring them in
contact with rich people. The young
man has recently become engaged to
the daughter of poor cattle owner in
Texas, and the whole family warmly
approves of the match, though they are
we'll aware of the fact that the young
girl never in all her life wore anything
costlier than calico dress. 1t is ru-
mored that Sonora Inez, good looking
girl, is rather well pleased with the at
tentions of young American vaquero
who has recently been promoted from
the hurricane deck of mustang to a
seat in the Office of "le grande haci-
endo." 1--WE have money enough"
says the old gentleman, land it is my
desire for my children to make matches
based upon love and Affection