Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-11-09
miscellaneous 8saains.
WEED WORTH MILLIONS.
Remarkable Development Of Wonder
full New Industry.

full New Industry.
The manufacture Of rubber from the
guayule shrub in Mexico. says cor
respondent Of the st. Louis GLOBE
Democrat, has developed into an enor-
nous industry during the last three OF
four years. The production Of rubber
from this source now aggregates aoou'
1000 tons a year, which Is about Il
per cent of the worlds entire rubber
production. The price Of crude quay
uIe rubber is now 55 cents gold pei
pound, or $1,100 per ton. The produc'
therefore brings to Mexico an annual
revenue of approximately $77O0,OOO solo
per annum.
Some idea Of the wonderful growth
and size of the new industry may pe
had when 1t Is stated that approx
mately s3O,000,OOO gold are now invest
ed in guayule lands and factories III
this country. One American concern
alone has a factory at Torreon winch
represents an investment OF $5,ooo'ooo
Il IA said. This same concern, the Con-
tinental Rubber company, OF whlcn
John d. Rockefeller, Jr., is at the head
owns one tract Of guayule land EN-
bracing 100000 acres in the state ol
Zacatecas, for which it paid $4,OOO,ooo
It also has other extensive holdings IN
cludinz a factory at Grunidora-
The Madero interests, headed by Ell
nesto Madero Of Parras, state or Goa
huila. have an enormous amount o'
euayule rubber holdings. including 9
factory at Parras, one at Venegas' one
at Las Delicias, one at Cuatro Cienegas
and two leased at Torreon. The Ma
dero interests own many million acres
of land upon which the guayule shrur
a growing. One Of their tracts OF LAND
in the Parras district embraces 5,ooo'-
900 acres.
Adolfo Marks and associates own two
large rubber factories at Saltillo Fac
tories are also located at Cedral, state
Of San Luis Potosi; at Viesca, state OF
Coahuila, and Gomez Palacio, state ol
Durango.
The story Of the guayule rubber in
dustry is more romantic than that Oh
the early development Of the petroleum
business in the United states. The
desert shrub, which was formerly
spurned and despised by ranchmen'
has brought almost fabulous wealth 70
men almost in a day. 1t is character
istic Of this shrub that 1t will not gro"
except upon the very poorest OF land
land that is even unfit for cattle graz
ing. So worthless was this land con-
sidered to be a few years ago that II
could have been purchased in tracts OF
1.o00. 900 acres and upwards for 20 TO
so cents an acre. Take the great Cen-
ras hacienda or ranch, in tine state OF
Zacatecas, as an illustration. A few
years ago, just before the practicable
ity of the guayule industry had been
established, a group OF Saltillo men,
headed by Praexedis de Ia Pena, VINO
was recently installed as governor OF
the state Of Coahuila, purchased that
tract, embracing 100000 acres, for
5000 600. It Is stated that their prime
object in buying the property was TO
develop valuable mineral deposits
which are located thereon. The quay
ule shrub was not considered In max
ing the transaction. Then came the
definite knowledge that high grade
of rubber could be manufactured from
this shrub. All land upon which 1t was
grown came into great demand. 1t was
found that the Cedras ranch was In
the heart Of the guayule shrub terrific
~. Mr.. Pena and associates sold the
property for $4,000,000 after holding II
for less than year. 1t Is claimed oy
experts who have made a careful in
spection Of the guayule growth upon
that ranch that a supply Of 100000 to
10000 tons are available. The shrub
is now selling for $110 a ton. On an
estimate Of 100000 tons Of available
supply the owners Of the ranch have
in sight $11,OOO,O00, or a profit Of ST.
900, 900 on their investment.
In addition to the guayule lands that
are owned outright by the different
rubber manufacturers in Mexico, many
of them have entered into contracts
with land owners for the guayule
shrub upon their respective properties.
Some of these contracts, which were
made in the early stages OF the Indus
try, fix the price as low as $50 per ton
The demand for the manufactured pro-
duct has grown to such an extent that
prices for the raw material have been
correspondingly increased.
The land owner who held off from
making a binding contract for the sale
Of the shrub when prices were low Is
now making a fortune. The growth
Of the shrub varies so greatly that 1t
Is impossible to form any accurate es-
innate Of the average yield per acre.
In some places ii may run two tons to
the acre, while in others a quarter OF
ton or less may be all that Is obtain
able.
The guayule growing territory Is
limited. 1t Is only found in the semi
arid region Of northern Mexico and ex-
tending for a short distance into the
more altitudinous part Of Texas. 1t
covers a strip Of country about 500
miles long and 200 miles wide. Even
within this territory it is found wide.
Even within this territory it Is found
only in spots, limestone ridges being
especially conducive to its growth.
1t is estimated that the available
supply Of guayule shrub in Mexico at
this time is less than 100000 tons. The
great problem which confronted the
men who first entered this industry
was whether the shrub would repro
duce itself within a reasonable time
sufficient to make it a continuous COM
mercial proposition. If it was to be a
temporary industry it would not justi-
fy the outlay of enormous sums OF
money in the erection of factories and
the purchase of lands. Experiments
were begun to determine the best
method of propagating the shrub. 1t
was found a new growth quickly sprang
I'D from the seeds which were scatter