The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-09-18
SOMETHING LIKE A FARM!
Eight Million Acres in Extent and
Nearly 1000 900 Animals.

The biggest farm-if farm 1t can b
called-is that owned by Don Luis lei
razas. in the state of chihuahua, Mexico
which measures from north to south 10
miles and from east to west 200 miles, o
s, 100000 acres in all. On its prairles an'
mountains roam 100000 head of cattle
900 sheep and 100000 horses. TIN
farmhouse" is probably the most mag
nificent in the world, for it cost s2,OOo,oV
to build and is more richly furnished thar
many royal palace. On the Homestead
alone are employed hundred male ser
wants. The gardens are superbly lald out
the stables more magnlhcen, imam those o
the German emperor, and there is accom-
mediation for 500 guests if necessary.
Scattered over this vast ranch are
hundred outlying stations, each one o.
which has charge of certain portion OF
the estate. The horsemen, COW punchers
line riders, shepherds and hunters number
1000. and the Terrazas ranch Is the only
one in the world which maintains ITS own
Strengthening and packing plant Each yeaI
100000 head of cattle are slaughtered
dressed and packed, and 100000 sheep
Don Luis personally superintends the diff
ferent industries on his ranch, covering
many thousands of miles on horseback
during n twelyemonth Don Luis was at
one time governor of chihuahua, but pub
lie life did not suit him. it was too quiet,
| and he preferred to spend his life riding
over the plains and looking after his own
enterprises. He is three. times as rich as
any other man in Mexico, and has the
name of being liberal and generous to-
ward his work people
Don Luis is a very handsome man, mar
ried to beautiful wife. He is the father
of twelve children-seven sons and ilve
daughters The sons are all associated
with Don Luis in looking after the ranch,
while the daughters said to be the most
beautiful women in Mediterranean quiet
" at the homestead. All the children
were educated in the United States, are
highly accomplished. have Travelled
through Europe and speak several IAN
guages. ~ -
about IA wears ago, and four years later
he sought to import the finest cattle from
Scotland and England. But there was
considerable difficulty in the way. The
import duty on foreign cattle was so
heavy that it was impossible to bring over
the animals in numbers sufficient for his
purpose, so Don Luis appealed to the
Mexican government, pointed out the alb
surdity of restricting the importation OF
gOOQ STOCK lnlO lHc eouioi' "N 'I
ed in getting the import tax repealed;
Since that time Terrazas has increased
his stock by the importation OF something
like 5000 bulls of the best breeds from
the famous studs of Europe.
Five wears ago Terrazas installed in his
ranch four big reservoirs, costing !S5OO,OOo
besides which there are 3OO wells scat
tered over the huge farm, some OF them
going down to a depth of 500 feet. These
wells. the water from which Is raised by
means of windmils, cost another S5OO,-
900. Every kind of grain is grown. and
Don Luis is constantly experimenting IN
the raising of different floods" for, sup
plying the wants of his immense herds
during the rainless season.
An enemy which has to be sternly
fought on this great ranch Is fire, and
scarcely a summer passes without great |
tracts of prairie being laid waste by its |
destroying advance. Throughout the tor
rid months there is man stationed on
tbe lookout" at every station each hour |
If the twenty-four, and directly he sees |
Indications which tell him that a fire has |
started he rings the massive alarm bell,
and in an incredible short time men come
riding in. ready to fight the danger with
their lives, if necessary. =,
The frightened cattle are driven side
wise from the line of the oncoming flre,
and then the enemy is attacked from the
rear. 1t is no good attempting to stop a
nrairie fire from the front, for its prog
ress is too rapid and too annihllatlng.
Heavy chains are dragged along. the
yround. which help to weaken and DIS
s;nate the fire. Across the prairie long
burrows so feet apart are quickly MADE,