Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-25


sity of climate and its splendid richness
Of soil, offers pleasing prospect for the
man with means and an ability to buy In
diligently. to the man with little means
and disposition to accept as truth
everything a land agent tells him, it Is
place to be Stunned. For one must have
money to begin with, and he must know
exactly what he is doing else he Will
start in the direction Of failure.
The fraudulent American land COM
panies operating there are doing more to
inJure the reputation of Mexico as a land
OF opportunity for the pioneering farmer
than any other fundamentally. Not only
are they doing much to injure the repu-
tation of Mexican farming lands, but
they are taking down thousands OF
Americans and unloading all but worth
less land at prices that are comparative
ly high, and leaving the would-be in
vestors financially stranded. One hears
OF the misfOrtunes of creuulous American
farmers at almost every turn. Many had
comfortable homes in the states, put
filled with the desire to leave a richer
patrimony to their children, sold all and
went to Mexico, where they hoped to
get greater acreage and by self-denlal
accumulate a larger fortune.
Of course there are honest land COM
in Mexico, and thousands Of farmers
have gone under their guidance and are
prospecting in the land of perennial sun
shine. but even the Mexican raiilo1d Of
ficials condemn the policies of many Of
the companies and declare that they will
be glad II the public of the United States
is warned to proceed cautiously when
making investments
The methods by which people are in
duced to buy from these fraudulent COM
panies are many and
methods Used varied. To begin with,
- n.e, the lands which they
w have to sell are usually
almost worthless. On the Isthmus Of
Tehuantepec thousands of acres have
been bought by these companies at the
rate Of about 60 cents an acre. This land
usually is sold at prices ranging from
ten to twenty dollars per acre. People
are taken by the trainload, and there
are always people on board who are
Just returning from their. vacations and
who are making enormous profits from
well considered investments in Mexico"
The said investments consist of fine
line of stories as to what the lands they
are going to visit are capable Of produc-
ing. and what wealth lies ahead of those
who buy. When the territory of opera
In automobiles. driven to some fine ha-
cienda, and taken over it, being told that
the company's lands join it. They are
shown plats and often a number of
ringers" are on the job ready to, buy
every good proposition In sight. Seeing
such enthusiasm. it often happens that
some one proposes that the party shake
dice to see who gets first pick.
1t is frequently represented that
tract of land is suited for a certain kind
NJ rrvt1~ oil 3c 4,,H~ ~rf1 ~
grow it there. In one instance a large
quantity of land was sold as suitable for
growing rubber trees, when there was no
chance for success In such a venture. An
other land company represented that it
had thousands OF acres of sugar land,
and that the sugar mills in the vicinity
would buy all the cane. Some time after
ward the city editor Of Mexican news
paper received a letter from the sugar
mill owner asking that some steps be
his mill was crowded to Its capacity
with his own crop, and that he had never
authorized the land company to suggest
such an arrangement.
Sometimes the plans of the exploiting
land companies go awry and they them
selves lose money. A year or two ago a
company was engaged in exploiting a
plantation about midway Of the Isthmus
MILL but was not able to realize ready
cash in time to save the property, and it
was afterward sold to one of the men
who had been duped. He still was able to
command enough money to take charge
of the property, and did so. Now he is
giving farmers their rent free for as
much land as they desire. OH condition
that they plant three-fourths of it in
sugar cane and sell him the product at
a. stipulated price.
*
Many of the people who have been
duped by the land companies return home
sadder and wiser An
Hard Lot OF old G. "A. r.. veteran in
A. n vested his back pension
tne OupeS' money. together with
ha& money q had In fraa