Evening journal., 1907-03-02

raising them is very small, as water and pas
turage are abundant, and the climate makes
shelter unnecessary.
Fruit-growing is, of course, highly profitable.
The United States is a vast and easily reached
market for tropical fruits The banana crop will
be the first fruit crop to market from this planta-
ton. Two hundred thousand plants are now
growing and will yield next year The profits of
the banana business need no exploitation. Seven
thousand orange-trees have been planted Large
acreages will be devoted to oranges, lemons,
cocoanuts, grapefruit, and the other delicious
fruits Of the tropics.
In the past, sugar-cane has been extensively
cultivated on the estate, and cetrain tracts pre-
sent ideal conditions for its success. Other
tracts possess all the advantages of the South
ern United States for raising cotton and rice and
these could, no doubt. be grown very prohitably.
Extensive work has been accomplished in
the improvements Permanent buildings, many
camps, sawml on the plantation and another
in Mobile, Alabama, merchandising stores, tan
merry, wood-turning plant, two steamships,
railroad and telephone line to provide quick COM
municaton-a these are completed and paid for.
Labor is plentiful; about $50 men and their
families are now living on the estate. AS the
population increases, the Company's stores will
become even more profitable.
Every part of the estate is active in the work
of development. Thoroughly competent men are
in charge, as resident manager and as contrac-
tors, the latter having successfully developed two
other Mexican plantations.
The officers and directors of the Company are
men of the highest standing. The President is
Hon. VIM. H. Armstrong, ex-U. S. Railroad
Commissioner; the Vice-President, COL A. K.
Mcclure, ex-Editor of the Philadelphia Times;
and the Secretary and Treasurer, c. M. Nc
Mahon.
Since the organization of the international
Lumber and Development Company, the devel-
opment of its plantation has been steady and
rapid. There has been no long period of prepar-
ation-of expense without profit, Had it been
necessary to depend on the maturing Of the crops
this might have been the case; but the enormous
natural resources-the large forests of cabinet
and dye woods, the tons of rubber and chicle-
I
in themselves, far more than necessary to bridge
over the period of planting and maturing the
cultivated products For these reasons the Com
pany has enjoyed the distinction of being a dvi-
dend-payer from the start The first year, 10
per cent was paid per cent more than the
regular per cent dividend In 1906 the dvi-
dends reached IL per cent, and 1907 has begun
with an extra per cent paid and the declaration
of the regular semi-annual per cent, payable
| April Ist So far these dividends have been real
lied from the lumber already brought to this
country. and from the profits of the Company s
stores, the sale Of hides, and the earnings of the
sawmill on the plantation. Each year will add
new resources to the fund, and much larger
dividends are estimated on full development of
| the property.
The Company has 10000 shares of stock, and
eS8 900 acres Of land; hence each share repre-
sents IA rs acres, and is the first and only
claim upon it, thus making a share equivalent to
a first mortgage bond. The security of the in
vestment is unquestioned the entire estate and
its improvements being free from debt and deed
ed to a Philadelphia Trust Company for the pro-
lection of stockholders. AN stockholders have
equal voting power, regardless of the number
of shares held.
The easy payments of S. per month per share
make it an advantageous proposition for persons
of moderate means. The insurance feature is
good-in case Of death, all payments are returned
to the heirs, if desired not deducting dividends
previously received.
In 1906, the stockholders elected one of their
number, DIR. Andrew S. Slayer, of Altoona, Pa
to go as their representative to the plantation
and make full report on its development, DIR.
Stayers report should be in the hands OF
every investor. 1t is published as a large
handsome booklet, containing over 40 photo
graphs taken on the estate, and is sent free on
request, with other literature describing the
plantation and the proposition.