East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-10-23

II. L. Bickers has returned from Ja-
lisco, Mexico. wheer he has been for
several months, having purchased land
under the colonization scheme about
which so much was said some months |
ago. He is glad to be in Pendleton |
once more. and says that it is his in
tention to remain here for the rest of
his life there being no better little city |
in the west. However, he declares
that the trip into Old Mexico is worth |
the while and tells many interesting |
things about life in that southern
land. Most OF the people there are
natives, while the remainder of the
population is made up of Chinese,
Gringoes or white laborers, and gran
dees. In the latter class are placed
the Mexican gentlemen and all white
foreigners other than laborers. To
those of this class he says that great
courtesy is shown both by the natives
and the rich land owners However,
the railroad laborers, or Gringoes as
they are designated by the Mexicans,
| fighters" and are ranked by the ma
tives as being inferior to the Chinese.
| So far the Jalisco enterprise has not
, been very successful. The railroad,
upon which great hopes were based,
has not been built yet and the place
is several hundred miles from "A rail-
road. There has been practically no
building at Jalisco during the past
summer, though many people have
been there to see what the place look
ed like. The native settlement has
been there for ages, the country bear
ing evidences of having been settled
several centuries ago. All of the
houses are of adobe.
As to the character of the Jalisco
colonization scheme, Mr.. Bickers says
that the main thing was intended as a
Legitimate swindle." However, owing
to the trelchery of an agent of the
company who was left in charge of Sc
. curing the title to the lands, the COM
pany itself was subjected to that treat
ment and was forced to divide its
profits with its agent. But in spite of
that it is generally said that the conf
after all. However, the men in the
company narrowly escaped prison be-
: cause of the fact that when they were
selling their land throughout the
United States they did not have a title
to it, but instead merely an option.
= Nevertheless, the matter was finally
a adjusted and the land passed into the
: hands of the company, which is now
4 turning ii over to the purchasers
= Deeds are now being sent to those
s who bought tracts or town lots there
/ but it will be some time before they
are all issued.
For the resources OF Mexico Mr.
Bickers has great praise, and he say!
n that there are splendid openings fol
men who have sufficient capital. How
ever, man should have $4,000 ol
+. $4,000 so as to be able to develop /;
concession after he secures ii. For 4,
man without means there is but littl,
show in Mexico.
Ninety-eight degrees was the high
est temperature registered at Jalisc,
during last summer according to Mr.
Bickers. However, he says that tn
heat is much more oppressive thai
that temperature here, because of tn
y extreme low altitude and the mois
-, ture in the atmosphere and the stencl
u which arises from vegetable decay.
- Although he holds an option o.
T. some land near Jalisco, Mr.. Bicker
II has made no plans for returning t
o. that country, and says he would nc
u care to live there.