The Washington bee., 1908-09-12
WORLDS BIGGEST FARM
A Mexican Don Who Owns an
100000 Acre Ranch.
HOMESTEAD IS A PALACE
Don Luis Terrazas, of Chihauhau.
Employs 1000 Cow Punchers,
Line Riders, Shepherds and Hun
ters-He Owns 100000 Cattle.
100000 Sheep, 100000 Horses.

can be calIed-is that owned by Don
/ Luis TerraZas n the State of Chi
hauhau, Mexico, which measures
from north to south $50 miles and
from east to west 200 miles, or g.
600, 700 acres In all. On its prairies
| ard mountains roam 100000 head
Of cattle, 100000 sheep and 00,OOO
| horses. The farm house" is prob
| ably the most magnificent in the
world for II cost 100000 to build
| and IS more richly furnished than
many a royal palace. On the home
stead alone are employed a hundred
servants. The gardens are superbly
| laid out, the stables more magniti
cent than those of the German En-
perOr and there IS accommodation
| for 500 guests If necessary.
Scattered over this vast ranch are
hundred outlying stations, each one
of which has charge of a certain por-
| tion OF the estate. The horsemen,
! COW pUnchers line riders, shepherds
and hunters number 1000 and the
IOTrazas ranch is the only one in the
" VI ia " ulCn uidlLLGlhS us CIV II
/ slaughtering and packing plant. Each
year 10000 head of cattle are
slaughtered, dressed and packed, and
lOV, OOC sheep. Don Luis personally
superintends the different industries
on his ranch, covering many thous-
ands OF miles on horseback during q
twelvemonth. Don Luis was at one
time Governor of Chihauhau, but
public 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 toward
his workpeople.
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 beau
tiful women in Mexico-remain
quietly at the homestead. All the
children were educated in the United
States, are highly accomplished, 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 cattle was so heavy that 1t
was impossible to bring over the ami
mails in quantities sufficient for his
purpose, so Don Luis appealed to the
MaXican Government, pointed out
the absurdity of restricting the i'm
portation of good stock into the
country and succeeded in getting the
import tax repealed. Since that
time 1errazas has increased mis-
stock by the importation of some
thing like 5000 bulls of the best
breeds from the famous studs of Eu-
rope.
Five years ago Terrazas installed on
his ranch four big reservoirs costing
800, 900. besides which there are
300 wells scattered over the huge
farm, some of them going down to
a depth or 500 feet. These wells,
the water from which is raised by the
use OF WindmilIs, cost another E1OO,-
600. Every kind of grain is grown
and Don Luis is constantly expert
menting in the raising Of different
foods for supplying the wants Of
his immense herds during the rain
less 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.
Through the torrid months there is
a man stationed on the lookout at
every station each hour of the TWEEN
ty-four, and directly he sees Mdtca-
tiOns which tells him that fire has
started he rings the II Esive alarm
bell and and in an incredibly short
time men come riding in ready to
fight the danger with their lives If
necessary.
The frightened cattle are driven
sideways from the oncoming fire and
then the enemy is attacked from the
rear. 1t is no good attempting to
stop a prairie fire from the front,
for its progress is too rapid and too
annih1lating. Heavy chains are
draggeu along the ground which help
to weaken and disipate 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 untiI~the last spark
S quenched are the men able to take
food and rest. !
In these efforts to subdue the
names Jon Luis and his sons are
usually seen working like demons
and urgin< their men to greater ef- |
rOrts. Fighting q prairie fire has
all the elements of danger and for |
avrfToy,7op+ II hoe Fou- o1uaTs For