The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-09
9IcSES IN RUBBER
FlUND IN MEXICO
Fortunes Being Made from
Once DeSpised Shrub
THE FUTURE is DAZZLING
One Mexican Land Owner Has $780,
ooo,oOoin Sight on a Tract Held
at so Cents an Acre.
cuayuIe Shrub.
THE FUTURE Is DAZZLING


Monterey, Mexico.-The excitement
which followed the discovery of oil in
Texas a few years ago has its parallel in
the craze which exists throughout this
part of northern Mexico over the dlscov-
cry that the guayule shrub contains valu-
able rubber properties
The utilization of the shrub is no longer
| an experiment. More than 600 has
been invested in the erection of guayule
rubber factories in this region in the last
eighteen months and the investment of
several more millions in the industry is in
prospect.
The guayule shrub covers many million
acres of land upon the plateau of northern
Mexico and its habitat extends into SOUTH
west Texas for distance of $50 miles.
The shrub grows to a height of about
four feet.
1t has been heretofore considered a
nuisance to the landowner, as it inter-
fered with cattle grazing. 1t grows upon
land worthless for agricultural purposes
This land had very little value before the
discovery was made that the guayule
shrub was worth something
Much of the land could have been pur-
| chased for 30 cents acre two years ago
Today each acre of the land is producing
at least two tons of guayule, which Is
selling for as high as 500 Mexican ctlrren-
ey or $50 American money ton. The rev.
enue from one acre of the land is there
fore equivalent to 500 American money
Many ranchmen who were land poor are
now rich.
The despsed shrub has become an OBJ
ject of the greatest attention Much care
is taken in cutting the growth so that the
shrub may reproduce itself from the roots
1t is said that it will bear cutting every
two years
Many landowners made contracts with
guayule rubber manufacturers for the sale
of the shrub at from $50 to $50 ton. This
was several months ago, in the early days
of the excitement. Few sales are now
being made for less than $50 Mexican
money ton.
Madero, Great Land Owner.
Francisco Madero of Parras, Mexico is
the owner of 100000 acres of guayue
producing land. He is said to be the larg-
est individual land owner in northern Mex
leo. He estimates that his land will pro-
duce at the first cutting not less than
10000 tons of guayule.
At $50 gold a ton the shrub would bring
him $3.50 900 600. In the opinion of experts
who have gone over much of this land it
will yield at least two tons of the shrub
to the acre. That being true it's value Is
$4O0, 000, 900.
Madero is a rich man outside of his
landed holdings. He Is at the head of a
syndicate which is being organized to
fight the Continental Rubber company.
which is a New York corporation having
a capital stock of $50, 600 000 organized for
the purpose, it is said, of mopopolizing the
guayule rubber industry of Mexico and
! Texas.
| The representatives of this company
| have purchased the right to use the quay
! ule shrub growing upon several millions
| of acres of land in this country. A few
| days ago this company paid Eugenio
Ortiz, owner of a large guayule bearing
ranch in the state of Nueyo Leon, 100000
| for the product from the land for period
of eight years.
The fact that this large sum was paid
In advance shows the eagerness with
which the company is carrying out its
plans. More than four hundred laborers
will be employed in cutting the shrub and
in order to utilize the native material TO
the best advantage the company has al
ready let the contract for the erection OF
rubber manufacturing plant on the
ranch, the proposed cost of which is about
$500 600. Ortiz says that the company Of
fered him 81 100000 for his ranch, but he
refused to accept 1t.
Senior Madero has been In the guayule
rubber business for eighteen months,
being among the very first to establish
a guayule rubber factory. He now owns
and operates two rubber factories on the
Rosario hacienda, near Parras.
These two factories each produce twen-
ty-five tons of rubber a day. 1t cost about
$500 900 to build them.
He proposes to erect a twenty ton rub
Der factory at San Tiburcio, state of Zaca-
tecas, which will cost about 100000. He is
also erecting one ten ton plant at Cuatro
Ciengas and another ten ton plant at
Los Delicias, state of Coahuila, and still
another at San Pedro. These plants when
all completed and in operation will have
daily output of rubber amounting to 100
tons.
Senior Madero is also associated with
several companies which have large fac
tories in operation. 1t is an amalgamatlon
of all these independent interests that Is
to make fight against the Continental
Rubber company.
Ma E.,-I - d.. D,.ALan,,