The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-12-13
MORMONS BUSY IN MEXICO
ARE MAKING THE DESERT Bios
SOM LIKE THE ROSE.
Utah Colonists Who Have Planted
Eight FIourishing Settlements in
bad Lands" of Chihuahua.

Eight Flourishing Settlements in
bad Lands" of Chihuahua.
In the midst of the desert and
bad lands of the state of Chihua
hua, northern Mexico, and $50 to
200 miles from Juarez, famous in
the Maderist war, there are eight
i fiourishing towns of Mormon colo
nists who, in the passing of few
years, have converted the desert
around them into land flowing
with milk and honey"
|. When the anti-polygamy agitation
in this country looked like resulting
in the curtailment of Mormon freed
ON some of the more yirile followers
of Brigham Young cast around for
another promised land and at last
found it in the undesirable deserts
of northern Mexico. The migrations
of their fathers were at once an ex-
ample and an encouragement, which
sent them forth on their long and
dangerous journey across Utah and
Arizona and the 200 miles of Mexi-
can bad land" They travelled in car
avans carrying all of their worldly
goods and were fortunate enough to
escape being plundered by the out
lawed Apaches and renegade white
men who infested the badly policed
borderiand of Mexico at the time.
From President Diaz they secured
liberal concessions and privileges.
He we'll knew the difficulties that
confronted them in a barren unwa-
tered country, which nobody else de
sired, and he cared little for polyg-
amy or any Of the other customs of
the new settlers. Farmers, not re-
igiOn, nor social customs. were
what he wanted in northern Mexico.
Splendid agriculturists as they are
the world has never. seen swifter,
more active, more. glad-hearted col
onists than these singular Saints
Turning Desert Into Garden.
The newcomers are exempted from
all taxes for ten years and allowed
to bring their personal property and
implements into Mexico duty free.
The first necessity was an abundant
supply Of water, and they energeti-
cally fastened to divert the waters
of the CasaS Grandes into miles and
miles OF irrigation canals and to sink
wells. Today water flows through
small bitches along the streets and
lanes OF the towns, and can be easily
drawn on for the needs of the gar
dens, orchards and truck farms,
while every farm house has it's
American windmill. Indeed, every
thing that must be obtained from
outside is of American origin, from
the overalls on the drivers to the
horses, mules and wagons under
their care. In harvest time these
wagons are laden to OVERLOOKING with
grain, fodder and alfalfa that have
been grown entirely from American
seeds. Oats, wheat and barley are
raised in great quantities. and succu-.
lent clover to nOurish the magnifi-
cent dairy cows, which form no small
share of the wealth of the colonists.
How this wealth is being accumulat-
ed may be seen by glance at the
statistics of 1908, which showed the
value of the agricultural products Of
the colonies to be for that year $780,
600.
There is a president who lives in
the fine, handsome town of Colonia
Juarez, and directs with no uncer-
tain hand the affairs, both spiritual
and temporal, of the various colo
MES. He possesses great power ov6r
his followers; all questions or con-
troversies are settled by him without
The population is increasing, ow-
ing to rising birth rate and fresh |
from Utah. The colo |
nists are prosperous because they
are thrifty, temperate and work |
hard. They deserve to be for they |
have made the desert bloom like the |
rose.