The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-24
ut Is 100000 Acres in Extent and
Contains 100000 Animals.
lTit Bits

The biggest farm-if farm" il can
be called-is that owned by Don Luis
! Terrazas. in the state of chihuahua
Mexico, which measures from north to
South 100 miles and from east to west
200 miles, or 5000, 900 acres i'm all on
its prairies and mountains roam 600
600 head of cattle. 100000 sheen and
100000 horses. The farmhouse" is
probably the most magnificent in the
world, for il cost e400. 900 to build and
is more richly furnished than many
royal palace On the homestead alone
are employed 100 male servants. The
gardens are superby laid out. the sta
oles more magnificent than those of
the German emperor, and there is ac-
commodation for 500 guests if neces-
sary.
scattered over this vast ranch are 100
outlying stations. each one of which
| has charge of a certain portion of the
estate. The hOrsemen, cowpunchers.
line riders shepherds and hunters
number 1000. and the Terazzas ranch
/ is the only one in the world which
maintains its own Strengthening and
packing plant Each year $4,000 head
of cattle are slaughtered, dressed and
packed, and 100000 sheep. Don Luis
personally superintends the different
( Industries on his ranch, covering many
thousands of miles on horseback dur
ing a twelvemonth. Don Luis was at
one time governor of Chihuahua, but
public life did not suit him: il was too
quiet. and he preferred TO spend his
live 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 towards his work
people.
Don Luis is a very handsome man.
married to a beautiful wife He is the
father of twelve children-seven sons
and five 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 quietly at the home
stead. All the children were educated
IN the United States, are highly ac-
cOmplished, have Travelled through
Europe, and speak several languages.
Don Luis founded his cattle ranch
about fourteen years ago, and four
years later he sought to import the
finest cattle from Scotland and Eng
land. But there was a considerable
difficulty in the way. The import duty
on foreign cattle was so heavy that il
was impossible to bring over the ami
mails in quantities sufficient for his
purpose, so Don Luis appealed to the
Mexican government pointed out the
absurdity of restricting the importa-
ton of good stock into the country and
succeeded in getting the import tax re-
pealed. 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 Eu-
rope.
Five years ago TeTraZas installed on
his ranch four big reservoirs. costing
100000, besides which there are 900
wells scattered over the big farm some
of them going down to a depth of 500
feet. These wells the water from
which is raised by means of windmills,
cost another E10O 600. Every kind of
grain is grown, and Don Luis is con
stantly experimenting in the raising of
different foods for supplying 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 tOrrid months there is a man sta.
toned on the lookout at every sta
ton each hour of the tWenty-four. and
directly he sees indications which tel
him that a fire has started he rings
the massive alarm bell, and in an in
credibly short time men come riding
in, ready to figh( the danger with their
lives if necessary.
The frightened cattle are driven side
ways from the line of the Oncoming
fire, and then the enemy is attacked
from the rear. 1t is no good attempt
ing TO stop a prairie fire from the
front. for its progress is too rapid and
too annihilating. Heavy chains are
dragged along the ground, which help
to weaken and dissipate the fire
Across the prairie long burrows fifty
feet apart are quickly made, and these !
also help to stem the progress of the
fire. All night the fight is kept up, and
not until the last spark is quenched
are the men able to take food and rest.
In these efforts to subdue the flames
Don Luis and his sons are usually to
be seen working like demons and urg-
ing their men to greater efforts. Fight
ing a prairie fire has all the elements
of danger. and for excitement il has
few equals. For this reason Don Luis
take a fierce delight in combating the
flames. and declares that ii is one of
the destinations of a prairie life.