The Cairo bulletin., 1910-05-31
THE BIGGEST FARM.
Mexican Estate Of 5000, 600 Acres and
How it is Managed.


leo, which measures from north TO
south ITO miles, and from east to west
200 miles. or 100000 acres in
all. On its prairies and mountains
roam l,0o0,o00 head Of cattle, 100000
sheep and 100000 horses The farm
house" is probably the most magni-
fiocnt in the world, for It cost almost
$1,000 600 to build and is more richly
furnished than many 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 500 guests II necessary.
Scattered over the vast ranch are
hundred outlying stations. each one Of
which has charge of certain portion
of the estate. The horsemen, cow
punehers, line-riders, shepherds and
hunters number 1000, and the Terrazas
ranch is the only one in the world
which maintains its own slarghtering
and packing plant. Each year 10000
head Of cattle are slaughtered. dressed
and packed, and 100000 sheep Don
Luis personally superintends the diff
| ferent industries on his ranch, cover
back during a twelfthmonth. Don
! Luis was at one time governor OF Chi
| hnahua, but public life did not suit
him; ii was too quiet, and he pre-
fetred to spend his life riding over the
plains and looking after his own en-
| terprises. He Is three times as rich
as any other man in Mexico, and has
the name of being liberal and gen
erous toward his workpeople.
Don Luis is a very handsome man,
married to beautiful wife. He Is the
father of IL children--seven sons and
five daughters. The sons are all as
sociated 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 several
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
ficulty in the way, The import duty
On foreign cattle was so heavy that 1t
was impossible to bring over the ami
mails in quantities sufficient for his
Il purpose, so Don Luis appealed to the
Mexican government, pointing out the
: absurdity of restricting importation oil
good stock into the country, and sue
ceeded 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
Europe.
/ Five years ago Terrazas installed
on his ranch four big reservoirs, cost
i ing 100000, 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
windmills, cost another $500, 900
Every kind of grain Is grown, and
Don Luis is constantly experimenting
in the raising of different foods foi
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 paririe being laic
waste by its destroying advance
Throughout the torrid months there
is man stationed on the lookout" al
. every station each hour Of the "a, ant
N 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 fight the danger will
their lives If necessary.
The frightened cattle are driver
sideways from the line Of the oncom
ing fire, and then the enemy is at
tackled from the rear. 1t Is no goot
attempting to stop a prairie fire iron
the front, for its progress Is too rapi,
and too annihilating. Heavy chain
are dragged along the ground, which
help to weaken and dissipate the fire
Across the prairie long burrows 81
feet apart are quickly made, and thes'
also help to stem the progress of tn
fire. All night the fight is kept W
and not until the last spark !
ruenched are the men able to TAX
food and rest. In these efforts to sub
due the flames Don Luis and his son
are usually to be seen working Xix
demons and urging their men t
greater efforts. Fighting prairi
, fire has all the elements OF danger
and for excitement has few equals
For this reason Don Luis takes
fierce delight In combating the flames
and declares that 1t is one Of tn
destinations OF prairie life.