The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-19
TEXAS TO GET ALIEN FARMERS Italian Farmers to Settle
 There. WILL HAVE NO BLACK HAND Promoter Denies Existence of Such
 Organization. Baron GAltomonte Explains Plans For Betterment of His Country men-win Come Directly
 From Europe.

Houston, Texas, Sept ls-To prinB to Texas between 5000 and 5000 families of Italian and Sicilian far mers will be the mission of Baron A. B. d'Altomonte. born and bred in Mes sina, but now of New York City. who is stopping here ct the Rice Hotel.
 D'Aitomonte is an attorney and has been in New York City for several years, and 1t was on account of his wide acquaintance with the Italian labor question that he was selected by an Eastern colonization company to carry out this particular project. In speaking of Texas and its resources he said:
 Texas Is a garden of the gods. but I want to say that 1t has not fallen into the hands of agricultural angels. I will say with brutal frankness that the people of Texas do not know how to farm. Not only do I say 1t of Texas, but say it for the major DOT tion of the United States. I am aston ished at the State. The soil Is the most wonderful that I have ever seen I have seen farms that ought, with in- tense farming methods, to produce from s2,0O0 to $6,00o per year produc- ing but about a third of that amount.
 "This is the greatest State I ever saw, and 1t was not until I came here that would believe what had heard. I have been in Africa and have seen those portions dominated by the white people, and have seen what I thought was the greatest soil in the world. but 1t is more than eQualed in Texas.
 All From Italy.
 "The Italians that will be uaed on this proposition will have never seen haFara Thav uyflI ha aalacf cd by myself, personally-L who have. admittedly, had the widest of experi- ence with the Italian question of any man in the United States today. They will not be immigrants of the usual class but will be settlers and will be agriculturists.
 "The people brought here will not be the illiterate class. They will be farmers who have never known what g real opportunity to farm was. They will be sold from twenty to fifty acres of land according to their means and will not devote their energies to rais- ing corn and cotton but will plant the subtropical fruits, will irrigate and will raise those things that are com mon in Italian countries. oranges, figs. ana all ffutts.AsT Taxas can now compete with California with an ad- vantage of 50 per cent. She has the best soil and with irrigation she is equal. They don't irrigate here as they do fin Italy. They don't farm as intensely as they do in Italy. An Italian Is a farmer. When he plants a tree, it bears. He makes all out of 1t that a tree will make for any one.
 Wtn Have No Slack Hnnd.
 There will be none of the Black Hand element in this body of Italians shipped. to this country. We don't recognise the Black Hand element here. It does not exist any more with us than White Caps or Night Riders do with Americans. The Black Hand Is the product of the New York news paper world. We have only one thing of dread in Italy. the Mafia. but that Is an institution of robbers that every effort has been made to exterminate. e. It is no real or tangible body. The Black Hand business was invented for newspaper purposes. But am pledged to have none of this material in the body that comes to America. But just a word here. The Italian code of honor and the Sicilian code make it just as imperative that a man kill another when he insults him. strikes him. calls him a liar. as the American code of honor seems to call for lynching in case of criminal as- sault, or prompts your citizen to shoot man that wrongs his sister or in- l suits his wife or sweetheart
 Houston And Brownsville.
 Il will most likely have two colonies here. if my people in the East follow up their present plans. One of these will be located near Houston, and the other near Brownsville. Houston has the shipping facilities of Texas all bound up and thoroughly in her grasp. ThRFa m fnr loz .1 Texas, with her resources and her chances. will. if properly handled, be able to control the markets of the world within ten years. There is no limit to the things that can be raised here. But Texas will never succeed agriculturally until she has mastered the art of intensive farming.
 Tt is quite likely that I will hear from my partners within the course of few days. and may have more to give out on the subject. We have all our arrangements made, however. and are ready to go to work"
 Baron d'Altomonte has for years been connected with the New York city police department. having been in this country for about fourteen years. and was the man who laid out the Petrosino project In Italywhen the latter, then the head of the Italian bureau or New York City police Je- partment, was killed. He had handled the Black Hand business in New York City for years, and Is considered one of the best posted men on Italian af- fairs in the United States. He was educated at the University of Pisa, in his country. and holds both the bachelor of laws degree and that of the agriculturist. He carries creden- tials from ex-Secretary Loeb, now col lector of the port of New York, and bears evidence of several years of diplomatic service He married a Ken lucky girl, Miss Locke. of Lexington.