The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-07-09
POSSIBILITIES OF MEXICO.

POSSIBILITIES OF MEXICO
j. w. collars Gives His Impressions
After an Extended Trip Through
the Tropics.
Mr.. j. w. collars who for many years
| was general travelling representative OF
the Deering Harvester company, In an IN
terview, says:
| Having recently had my attention
called to Mexican investments, deter
mined to visit that country In order to
| make a thorough personal Investigation IN
regard to their desirability, and to learn
| something at first hand of the various
| enterprises of the country. 8
| I'm company with Mr.. S. j. Schnoren-
berg, of this city, and another friend, I
| went south from the City of Mexico
through Cuernayaca to visit the
of that region. We visited quite num-
Der of them and every opportunity was
given us to obtain detailed information
regarding their. methods, expenses OF
operation, ETC., as well as the amount OF
| theirhproduct. The country in that vicin-
| ity has an elevation Of three or four thou
sand feet. The soil is gravelly and even
seasons, requires irrigation. We found
the average yield to be forty-fve tons of
cane to the acre, worth at the plantation,
when manufactured into sugar, 1855. This
represents a net profit of $495. There is
| room here for much improvement in
methods of handling and treating the
cane. Ox-carts are used instead OF tram
ways, and many of the mills are old
fashioned. - -
Later we visited number of planta-
| lions near Jalapa, where we found much
the same conditions, in many cases the
machinery being so crude that large
amount Of the cane juice is wasted. In
spite of poor. machinery and poor hand
ling, we did not find sugar plantation
that was not paying from 40 to rs per
cent per annum net profit 49,.
After visiting these regions where 1r-
rigation is required, we proceeded from
Vera Cruz to the state Of Tabasce, direct-
ly south of the gulf, where the climate
differs in. that there is an annual rainfall
of about $50 inches and practically no dry
season. This country is far below the
frost limit and is protected from severe
| wind storms by reason Of the Sierra
Madre mountains, which cross the 18TH
mus, attaining height exceeding 10000
| feet. In this region is situated San Mig
! uel plantation, owned by the sTabasco
Plantation company Of this city, in which,
| ingly we took steamer at the port of
Frontera and proceeded up the Grijalva
| and Macuspana rivers to- the plantation.
THAT part Of Tabasco near the Gulf Of
| Mexico is quite low and more or less
swampy, but as you proceed up the river.
| the banks gradually become higher and
at San Miguel the elevation Is from rs to
100 feet above the gulf The banks OF
these rivers are covered with a very dense
| tropical forest and are exceedingly attrac-
| tive in appearance. AS great many
! local people are stockholders in the Ia
basco company, a few facts in regard to
| this plantation may be of interest. The
soil in this locality; is the richest have
| ever seen. It is No. i sugar cane land
and will produce at:least fifty tons to- the
acre. There are about 100 acres of cane
| on the place six months old, that stood
eight or mine feet high and presented a
| beautiful appearance. .. 49,
Besides the cane we found great
| number of chocolate and coffee trees: in
| been led to believe we're on the planta-
ton. Other crops, such as corn. rice and
| beans, were in excellent condition, end
| bring high prices, corn being worth at
that time $500 bushel Cocoanutsi ta-
nanas and wild oranges and lemon trees
produce an abundance of those fruits. The
| bananas were the finest flavor T have
ever tasted. ...' -.
lone thing with which I was: very much
| pleased: was the luxuriant Para grass,
which makes the finest feed in the world
| for fattening cattle. At present there are
about 400 acres of this grass on the plan
tation. In going through this, the grass
stood as high rs my shoulder. The cat
| tie now at San Miguel are as fat as but
ter balls, and ready for the market to-
day. understand the company is now
buying a large herd Of cattle for these
pastures. The demand for beef. is sc
great that cattle pay from 100 to 200 pei
cent profit a year. 49,
1.-THE rubber trees growing on Sar
Miguel are most luxuriant and thrifty IL
appearance. We counted about 400 trees
seven years of age, and there are thou
sands of young trees which have sprung
up from the seed. Nowhere in Mexico
did we see such beautiful rubber trees
and from the fact that they grow: :wil6
throughout a large portion of the: state
| of Tabasco, I have no doubt, from mi
own observation and inquiry, that the
future for rubber In this. region is very
bright. l. is being cultivated successfully
| in various localities, and. Of course. there
is no doubt whatever as to the immense
profits to be derived from it's cultivation
''This plantation is certainly located II
i the best section Of Mexico, and as 1t pos
sesses fine water transportation to the
guilt and thence to all foreign ports,
have made up my mind that the business
is, with good manager ent, bound to prove
| a wonderful success -: -
1.-THE general management of Sal
Miguel is in the hands of Mr.. George 3
| Davis, who Is assisted by two or three
men who have for years been associated
with him in plantation work In tropica
Mexico. was very favorably impressed
with Mr.. Davis, and met many people
who have been long acquainted with him
and was informed that he had the repu
tation of being one. Of the very. best man
ayers in Mexico. The best testimonial o
his work is that the Tabasco Plantation
Company has just declared an annual div
idend of 10 per cent upon the entir'
amount Of the capital invested, and We
this plantation has only about 1000 acre
under cultivation out of total OF 7,G0C
It is now actively engaged in cleartn
more land and carrying on, the develop
ment work. 1t proposes to put in larg
modern sugar mill, and to increase tn
acreage of cane to over 1000 acres. =,
: my expectations with regard to tn
possibilities of large profits from tropica
plantations in Mexico were more tina
realized One of my friends who wen
to Mexico in rather skeptical mooc
was thoroughly convinced ard is now Yer
enthusiastic over the prospects"
|
CHAMBERLAIN IS OUT AGAIN. Z
Inndon. July 9-Joseph Chamberlain, tn
colonial secretary, who was injured In a car
rage accident Monday, left Charing eros
hospital this morning, accompanied by Mrs
Chamberdai and returned to his home i
Princes Gardens. "A bulletin issued regard
ing his condition. says he is progressing salts
factorily, but that perfect quiet Is essential.