The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-27

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leo. which measures from north tol
south $50 mIlesgand from east5to west
200 miles. Or 100000 acres in
all. On IFS praifies and mountains
roam 100000 head Of cattle. 100000
sheep and 100000 horses The farm
house Is probably the most magnI-
fccnt in the world. for It cost almost
$1,600,00O to build and Is more richly
furnished than many a royal palace.
On the homestead alone are employed.
100 male servants, The gardens are
superbly laid out. the stables more
magnificent than those Of the German
emperor, and there is accommodation
for soc guests IL necessary.
Scattered over the vast ranch are a
hundred outlying stations, seach one of
which has charge OF a certain portion
of the estate. The horsemen, cow
punchers. llne-riders, shepherds and
hunters number 1000, and the Terrazas
ranch is the only one In the world
which maintains Its owl slaughtering
and packing plant. Each year 10000
head Of cattle are slaughtered. dressed
and packed, and 100000 sheep. Don
Luis personally superintends tho diff
ferent industries on bis ranch. cover
ing many thousands OF miles on horse
back during a twelfthmonth. Don
Luis was at one time governor OF Chi
huahua, but public life did not suit
him; II was too quiet, and he pre-
fesred to spend his life riding over the
plains and looking after his own en-
terrrises. He is three times as rich
as any other man in Mexico, aud has
the name of being liberal and gem
erous toward his workpeople.
Don Luis is a very handsome man,
married TO a beautiful wife. He is the
father OF y ehildren-seven sons and
five daughters. The sons are all as.
ISOLATED with Don Luis in looking
after the ranch, while the daughters
said to be the most beautiful 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 seyerai
languages. Don Luis founded his cat
tie ranch about IA years ago, and four
years later he sought to import the
finest cattle from Scotland and Eng.
land. But there was considerable diff
iculty in the way. The import duty
en- foreign cattle wa so heavy that 1t
was impossible to bring over the ami
mails in quantities sufficient for. his
purpose, so Don Luis appealed to the
Mexican government, pointing out. the
a%bsurdity of restricting Importation OF
good stock into the country, and sue
ceeded in getting the import tax re-
pealed. Since that time Terrazag has
Increased his stock by the importation
of something like 5000 bulls of the
best breeds from the famous studs OF
Europe.
Five years ago Torrazas installed
on his ranch four big reservoirs, cost
ing $5OO,OOO, besides there are 300
wells scattered 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
wtndmills, cost another 100000
Every kind of grain is grown, and
Don Luis is. constantly experimenting
in the raising of different foods" for
supplying the wants of his immense
herds during the rainless seasons. An
enemy which has to be sternly fought
on this great ranch is fire. and
scarcely a summer passes without
great tracks of parlrie being laid
waste by its destroying advance.
Throughout the torrld months there
is a man stationed on the lookout" at
every station each hour of the "a, and
directly he sees Indications which tell
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 fight the danger with
SAGlA 4ANGp u hGGGopdIEs n-Ul
The frightened cattle are driven
sideways from the line of the oncom-
ing fire. and then the enemy Is at
tackled from the rear. 1t is no good
attempting to stop a prairie fire from
the front, for its progress is too rapid
and too annihilatlng. Heavy chains
are dragged along the ground. which
help to weaken and tdissipate the fire.
Across the prairie long burrows so
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
1uenched are the men able to take
food and rest. In these efforts to sub
due the flames Don Luis and his sons
are usually to be g working like
demons and urging their men to
greater efforts. Fighting a prairie
fire has all the clements of danger,
and for excitement has few equals.
For this reason Don Luis takes a
fierce delight in combating the flames,
and declares that it is one of the
destinations of prairie life.
In cleaning the separator be sure
and see that the parts are dried rap
idly so they will not rust; still the