Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-25
NEW MEXICAN REGI0Nl
Large Territory to Be Carved
Out of Yucatan.
NEARLY EQUALS ENGLANDIN AREA

| h..
ley, Jr., Is Rich In Resources-The
Land Is Covered with Great FOr-i
ests of Valuable Woods and Finei
Grass For Cattle Raising.
Quintana Roo is the odd name of al
new territory which the federal Cow
| eminent of Mexico proposes to carve!
out of the long unconquered portion of
southeastern Yucatan, says Thomas r.
Dawley. Jr. in the Outlook. For many
years the Independent Mayas of this
region not only have bid defiance to-
the Mexican arms, but at one time they
carried the war to the very walls of
Merida, the capital of the country
Last year the MeXicans established a.
landing upon the coast just above Brit
iSh Honduras, in the Chetumal bay,
and took possession of the Abandoned
town of Bacarla, the inhabitants Of
which had been massacred by the In
dams ON one fatal night some fifty years.
ago. With Bacarla as base, the
troops worked north in combination
with q column from the opposite direc-
ton and succeeded in taking the myth
icaI city of Chan Santa Cruz. the Indian.
stronghold. The city proved to be an!
old mission town of the FranciScanS
which had been abandoned by them
years before the Mayas rose in rebel
lion and which had been forgotten i'm
the legendary history CT the natives
With the taking OF this stronghold the.
power of the rebels was broken; since
that time the federal government has
been studying various plans to open up
the country to immigration and for
eign investments.
1t is now proposed to give it a terri
tOrial government separating it from
the state of Yucatan. President Diaz,
according to the provision established
by law, has fixed the price of land at
81 per hectare, and Il large coloniZation
company has already obtained con-
cession of 1880 hectares which it in
tends to exploit Immediately for the
rich cabinet woods, dyewoods and gum
chicle
Some idea of the size of this new
territory may be formed by comparing
the peninsula of Yucatan with Eng
land, which it nearly equals in area.
Although the bounds of the proposed
territory are as yet underlined farther
than the coast line bordering the Carib-
bean sea and the river HOndo, which
it from British Honduras, it
will probably take in one third of
the peninsula, or 10000 square miles
of territory, all of which is to be
opened up to the immigrant and ven
turesome capitalist. This country is
covered with great forests of logwood,
gum chicle and cedar trees,
and in the interior beyond the forests
are great savannas or plains. covered
with luXuriant grass, suitable for cattle
raising.
The soil of this country is so rich that
the Indian who inhabited it never re-
quired the use of a pillow, not even a
hoe, to raise his much needed corn,
which is his chief food. He simply,
cut down the trees, let them dry
through the season, and then, setting
tire to them, the ground was ready for
the corn, which he planted with
sharpened stake, simply making a hole
in the soil, dropping the corn in and
covering it up with his foot.
All that this rich territory now re-
Quires for its development is q popuIa-
ton, and that the Mexican government
is seeking to the best of its ability
Criminals and many of the undesirable
residents of Mexico are being sent
there, as are also the wives and chill
1ren of the Yaqui braves, who are
carrying on war against the federal
government of Sonora. Once in the
territory they are kept under surveiI-
lance, according to the degree of their
crimes, or made to work out a SEN
tence accordingly.
Plans have been submitted to the
government for dredging canal at
Bacarla Chico into Chetumal bay to
enable vessels drawing fifteen feet to
enter from the sea, thus avoiding the
necessity of going farther down into
British waters around Albergris key.
The establishment of a port in this
vicinity is already looked upon by the
merchants of Belize as a great injury,
% their fast disappearing trade But
What will be the greatest achievement
# the Mexican is the establishment of
| port and the building of a future
,ity on Ascension bay. farther up the
cast While Progreso, the only port
Il YIcatan, is merely an open road
tead on the north coast, Ascension
'ay is tranquil sheet of water, fur
fishing safe harbor for a fleet of YES
els If need be. 1t is estimated that a
'ort in this bay is destined to become
great city rs tropical cities go.
In