The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-01-09
A NEW TERRITORY.
Mexico Proposes to Carve One Out
of Rich Yucatan.
Was Obtained FoothoId in the
Stronghold of the Natives and
Will Open Up the Country to
immigration.

Quintana Roo is the odd name of a
new territory which the. federal gov
ernment of Mexico proposes to carve
out of the long unconquered portion
of Southeastern Yucatan, says Thorn
as 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 vary walls of Merida, the cap
ital of the country. Last year the
Mexicans established landing upon
the coast just above British Hon
duras, in the Chetumal bay, and took
possession of the abandoned town
of Bacarla, the inhabitants of which
had been massacred by the Indians
on one fatal night some so years ago.
With Bacarla as a base, the troops
worked north in combination with a
column from the opposite direction
and succeeded in taking the mythical
city of Chan Santa Cruz, the Indian
stronghold. The city proved to be
an old mission town of the Francis
cans which had been abandoned by
them years before the Mayas rose in
rebellion, and which had been forgot
ten in the legendary history of the
natives. With the taking of this
stronghold the power of the rebels
was broken; since that time the fed
eral government has been studying
various plans to open up the coun-
try to immigration and foreign in.
vestments.
1t is now proposed to give it ter
ritorial government, separating it
from the state of Yucatan. Presi-
dent Diaz, according to the provi-
sion established by law, has fixed
the price of land at two dollars pei
hectare, and a large colonization
company has already obtained con-
cession of 723,0OO hectares, which it
intends 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 compar'
ing the peninsula of Yucatan with
England, which it nearly equals in
area. Although the bounds of the
proposed territory are as yet unde.
fined further than the coast line Dor.
dering the Caribbean sea and the
River Hondo, which separates 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 tn
immigrant and venturesome capital
ist. This country is covered with
great forests of logwood, mahogany
gum chicle and cedar trees, and in
the interior, beyond the forests, are
great savannas, or plains, covered
with luxuriant grass, suitable fol
cattle raising. The soil of this coun.
try is so rich that the Indian who
inhabited it never required the use
of a plow, 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 sea,
son, and then, setting fire to them.
the ground was ready for the corn
which he planted with a sharpened
stake, simply making a hole in the
soil, dropping the corn in, and Gov
ering it up with his foot.
All that this rich territory now re.
quires for it's development is pop.
ulation, and that the Mexican gov.
ernment 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 children of the Yaqu
braves who are carrying on a wal
against the federal government o,
Sonora. Once in the territory, they
are kept under surveillance, accord
ing to the degree of their crimes.
or made to work out a sentence ac
cordingly. Plans have been submit
ted to the government for dredging
out a canal at Bacarla Chico into
Chetumal bay, to enable vessels
drawing Is feet to enter from the
sea, thus avoiding the necessity oi
ters around Albergris Key. The es
tablishment of port in this vicinity
is already looked upon by the mer.
chants of Belize as great injury tc
their fast disappearing trade. But
what will be the greatest achieve
ment of the Mexican is the estab
lishment of port and the building
of future city on Ascension bay
further up the coast. While Pro
greso, the only port of Yucatan, is
merely an open roadstead on the
north coast, Ascension bay is a tran.
quill sheet of water, furnishing safe
harbor for a fleet of vessels if need
be. 1t is anticipated that a port il
this bay is destined to become a