Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-15
(BY A. w. LEE.)


Mexico City, Feb. 26.
Hon. 3. P. McCreery, charge d'affairs
OF the American embassy here, in
forms me that over $5,000,000 Of
American capital has already been in
vested in Mexican mines, haciendas
and other enterprises. Since the
adoption of the gold standard last May
the influx of American money into this
country has been very great, Mexi
can finances are now on a solid and
stable basis, and foreign capital is nc
longer afraid to undertake enterprises
of even a stupendous character in this
country.
In passing, it is a pleasure to note
that Mr.. McCreery, whose native state
is Michigan, is one of the United
States able and popular diplomatic
representatives in Latin America
where he has been stationed for many
years. He is an accomplished Span.
ish scholar and it falls to him to trans
late the Presidents messages, procla
nations and the more important off.
cial documents into Spanish and vice
versa. 1t is my privilege to acknowl.
edge courtesies at the hands of Mr.
McCreery and also from Hon. Chas
G. Eberhart, of Kansas, who is vice
and deputy consul general of the
United States in the City of Mexico
Though. Ambassador Thompson has
not yet arrived, and no appointment
has yet been made to fill the vacancy
in the consul generalship caused by
the recent accidental and exceedingly
sad death of Consul General Parsons
American interests have been and are
being looked after in a careful and eff
f1cient manner.
Big Investment Of Davenport Capital
Three million dollars of Mexican sill
yer (one-half as much In American
gold) mostly Of Davenport, Iowa, CAPT
tai, has already been invested in the
Mexican state Of Campeche, in large
tract of land embracing a total OF
1,250,000 acres. This great tract
nearly all of which consists Of timber
land, borders on the Gulf of Mexico
within it's boundaries. 1t touches on
the national boundary line between
Mexico and Guatemala. This tract is
owned by two allied corporations
the Laguna company, organized under
the laws Of the state of Maine, and the
Mexican Gulf Land & Lumber compa
ny, a distinctive Mexican organization
The general offices of these companies
are at Davenport, Iowa, and the pres.
ent officers are:
G. Watson French, president
Nathaniel French, vice president.
e. II. Ryan, treasurer.
j. J. Merrill, secretary.
President French and Treasurer
Ryan are now in Mexico on a trip of
inspection of the property owned ~
the Companies. The tract is react tn 4
by two days sail from Vera Crs6 .
the pBasael 4aaJhGsa..aei Cafsvsss4-sEinc'
tract itself contains splendibans. IN.
thus giving the best of sh.ctr1c raj
cflities both to European an,st IN tn
can ports. The forests on thu. .ract
consist altogether of hard woods, such
as mahogany, Spanish cedar, logwood
and chicle zapote. This is the most
durable wood to be found in the re-
public and is used extensively for
wharf lumber and railroad ties. The
Laguna mahogany taken out by the
former owners of this tract command
ed the highest price paid for mahog-
any In American and European mar.
kets. Logwood, of which there is a
large amount in the tract, sells at $50
per ton, equivalent to 500 per cord !.
There is no soft wood whatever on
this tract and but little swamp land.
When the wood is cut off and the land
cleared off it is of great value for ag-
ricultural purposes, thus differing
from northern pine lands. The COM
pany has already in operation band
sawmill of the best pattern and has
constructed thirty-four kilometers of
railroad which is fully equipped with
cars and engines. The property Is al
so equipped with work oxen and mules
the company owning now fifteen hun.
dred head of cattle and several hun
dred head of hogs and the contract
has just been made for large mum.
Der of acclimated Hereford cattle and
registered Poland China hogs with
which to grade up the native stock
The company have built many homes
for their resident employees and there
are two towns. Ysedro and Cheueje, on
the tract. Considerable land has been
cleared for agricultural purposes and
several thousand acres are already in
pasture. Two crops of corn are pro-
duced each year and sugar cane, ba
nanas, yams and other tropical pro.
ducts grow abundantly. The company
has established an experimental farm
In order to determine in scientific
manner the possibilities Of the soil.