Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-09

veIoned and the manufacturing towns have
been springing up all around, the consump-
tion has Increased from 40 to 90 per cent
and must grow larger every year. Presl-
dent Dlaz has been trying to divert labor
and capital from the mines into the corn
fields. He has even suggested pouitS
on corn and congress has passed an al
most prohibitory duty upon corn lmpofteu
from the United States. But that has only
served to increase the price. 1t mas not
resulted in enlarging the acreage ti 10 s4 TO
Import several hundred thousand dollars
worth of corn every year from Texas, MIS-
souri, and Kansas.
Land Held in Great Estates.
There are millions Of acres OF arabic
land in northern Mexico upon which our
farmers might make fortunes If they
would come down here and plant corn.
Nor would they be subjected to the fisk
that always attends rubber. sugar. cofree'
and other tropical crops to which they are
not familiar. 1t is difficult, however, TO
secure land. Most Of the country is held
In enormous estates. Some OF the Dig ma
ciendas have five, six and even ten thou-
sand acres In single fields of corn no
ticed that our train ran for several miles
through one field, with corn as far as the
eve could see on both sides Of the track.
plies of shelled corn as high as haystacks
awaiting shipment can be found around
several OF the stations.
The biggest ranch in this part of the
country Is the Catalina on the Interna-
tional railroad fifty miles from Torreon. 1t
belongs to Pablo Martinez del Rio, law
yer and capitalist of the City of Mexico,
general counsel for the Mexican Central
railroad and a member of the board OF
directors of that corporation. He owns
solid tract Of land almost SQUARE, running
seventy miles in one direction and ninety
miles in another, part mountain and part
plain. It lies between the Mexican Nation
al and the Mexican Central railroads, east
of Torreon and west of Saltillo. Much OF
the land Is waste and worthless, except
for pasture and nearly all OF 1t requires
Irrigation Mr.. del Rio has recently built
a dam and reservoir at a cost of 5000
with which he can irrigate about 5000 acres
and will plant it to cotton. He has about
10000 acres In corn. beans and other crops,
but most Of his property is in livestock.
He has a herd of 1250G0 goats. 23,0O0 cat
tie and 10, 600 horses on his ranges.
Another big ranch, called La Bahia, on
the International railroad fifty or sixty
miles south Of Eagle Pass. belongs to the
famous General Trevino, who married a
daughter OF General Ord of the United
States army. La Bahia ranch comprises l.
10000 acres and is mostly given UP to
cattle. General Trevino lives In Monterey,
and has one of the handsomest residences
In that place. He still keeps UP military
retinue as a retired officer Of the army,
with sentinels, orderlies and aid-de-camp.
but personally, is as simple and unostenta-
tious as child
How Peace Came to the Rio Grande.
Shortly after the civil war there was
great deal OF friction on the Rio Grande
and continuous collisions between our reg
ular army and the Mexican forces. General
Ord was in command at San Antonio; Gen
eral Trevino at Monterey, and they used
to send beliggerent messages to each other
every day or two. Several times the two
countries were on the verge of war be-
cause of their hostility, but finally General
Grant suggested that they get together
and make some kind of an agreement that
would prevent further friction. and Gen
eral Treyino was invited up to San An
tonic to talk things over He accepted
the invitation fell In love with General
Ord's daughter and married her There
has been peace on the Rio Grande ever
since Madame Trevino is still living and
is the first lady in Monterey. She has TWO
children. both Of whom were educated In
the United States. Her daughter is mar
ried to German at Monterey and her
son, unfortunately, Is In very poor health
| and is compelled to spend most Of his
| time at a sanitarium.
There are ranches In Mexico, however,
even larger than those OF Mr. del Rio and
General Trevino. Governor Terrazas OF
Chihuahua Is the largest land owner In
big his farm is nobody would believe me.
| It is larger than some of the states In our
| Union. He has more than 100000 acres
in a single tract.
Retarding Developments.
All these big land owners. however, are
keeping Mexico back and preventing the
development of the country. They ought
| to be- compelled to cultivate this land or
| sell 1t to people who will do SO. but they
| are not compelled to pay any taxes upon
unproductive property and cultivate just
enough to bring them the revenue they
need This Is a very serious problem. For
! twenty years the government has been
discussing 1t. but has not felt strong enough
| to antagonize the rich land owners by I'M
| posing a tax. Mr.. Limantour, the minis
| ter OF finance has proposed it repeatedly.
but it is understood that President Diaz
has stood in the way. He does not think
| the hour has come. great majority OF
| the large land owners. and particularly
these who live in Paris and Spain, belong
| to the conservative element and have been
| opposed to him, while others, like Terra
zas, Trevino and del Rio have been his
| loyal supporters, and he does think 1t ex-
| pedient to alternate them. But President
Diax- realizes quite AZ fully as any one
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