The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-30
WORLDS BIGGEST STOCK RANCH
An Eight iIIion-Acre Range, With
Herds in Proportion.

John H. Rafferty, in Chicago Tribune.)
The biggest cattle ranch in the world
is that of Don Luis Terrazas in the
state of Chihuahua Mexico Its great
est extent from north to south is $50
miles and from east to west 200. 1t con-
tains about 5000, 600 acres and upon its
prairies. mesas. mountains and baran-
cas- roam 100000 cattle, 100000 sheep
and 100. 900 horses.
The Terrazzas' homestead is undoubt-
eddy the finest farmhouse" in the
world, for il cost s.. O00, 900 in Mexican
money. and next to Chapultepec, is the
most richly furnished and finished cas-
tie in the republic. The marble with
which ii il lavishly embellished was
brought from italy and 100 European
workmen and artists labOred for the
fulfillmenU of the rich owners idea of
a home
A hundred servants, gardeners, farm
ers and vaqueros are chartered at
Quinta Carolina, which is the name of
this sumptuous farm home, and scat
tered about the vast estate of Terra Zas
are more than LOCO hOrsemen COW
punchers, line riders, shepherds and
hunters. The outlying stations or
ranch houses are 100 in number. and
each is a center of activity for the sur
rounding divisions Of the ranch.
The Terrazas ranch is the only one
in the world that maintains its own
SiduS nlcIlllS anu packing plant, ana
its esta bEShment at Chihuahua, at the
edge of the big farm, is the only en-
terprise of the kind i'm Mexico. Every
year 600 cattle with the Terrazas'
brand upon their hides are slaughtered,
dressed and packed in this plant, and
ia some years as many as 80 900 sheep
have been handled i'm the same manner
Don Luis the master of the great
rancho, is not satisfied with the vast
wealth rapidly accruing from his herds,
focks and fields. He has an ambition
to teach his countrymen something of
the modernized methods of farming.
Until the Serrazas' packing plant was
established the MeXicans We're in the
habit of killing their beef one day and
eating ii the next. He has taught them
how to kill and properly dress their live
meat He has added a can factory and
introduced as many plans of cleanli-
ness, economy and speed as he could
from the famous slaughter and packing
establishments of Chicago. But his
ranch in Chihuahua is mere adden-
dunn of the ranch. which is subject to
the greatest solicitude and the source
of most of his wealth.
Ten years ago Don Luis Terrazas
took the first steps toward increasing
the number and raising the standard
of hrs herds by importing the best blood
of Scotland, England and the United
OF the republic. he succeeded in having
repealed the import tax on standard
registered cattle. and since that time
he has enhanced the quality OF his cat
tie by inducing over 1000 bulls of the
best breeds from the famous studs of
Europe and America.
Extraordinary as is the extent of his
acreage of the Chihuahua ranch, there
IS not enough of the native pasturge
for his myriads of cattle. In past years.
during seasons of drought, thousands Of
them have famished for water or
starved to death upon the ashen wastes.
where the tropic sun had shriveled and
burned the thin carpet Of para grass
upon which the range creature must
subsist- Then Terrazas began to ac-
quire leagues upon leagues of land in
the cantons of frturbide. Braves, CAL
coma and Guerreo. detached ranches up-
on which he was able to distribute hun
dreds of thousands Of animals. Ii is
estimated now thaat his holdings in all
Of Mexico aggregate $1,000, 9s0 acres.
and that his wealth in livestock. land,
factories. banks and equipment is more
than s.. 000. 900 of American money
Don Luis Terraces is easily the rich
est man In Mexico. He served one
term as governor of chihuahua. but
public life is not to his taste. He Is
never so happy as when riding in tife
saddle over his beloved rarrh ~ az