The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-02-12
TERRAZA FANILY NOW
REDUCED TO POVERTY


LivelihO0d---OWned
Big Estate.
Juarez, Feb. 7.-Seven American
railroad men are held prisoners, the
great Cumbre railroad tunnel through
the continental divide is in ruins, and
the Mexican Northwestern passenger
train which left here Wednesday morn
ing is a charred wreck at the mouth
Of the tunnel, as result of depreda-
tions of members of the Mexico-Cas.
tillo gang of bandits.
Madrid, Feb. 7.-Huerta cabled the
Spanish-American union here, reply
ing to it's request that he bring about
an armistice in Mexico in order to ef-
feet a compromise with the revolu-
tionists, by the statement that he is
increasing the federal army with the
object of pushing forward his cam
paign against the rebels.
FL Paso, Feb. Ills immense in
come tied up by three years of revo-
luton, Alberto Terrazas of the family
whose name in Mexico Is a synonym
for great wealth, Is compelled to seek
means of livelihood.
This information, as astounding in
Mexico and also along the Rio Grande
border as similar news affecting a
Rockefeller or a Vanderbilt would be
in the United States, became .:nown
when Alberto departed for Pasadena.
CAL, accompanied by his family, but
without his usual big retinue of ser
wants. Near Pasadena, he will buy a
modest farm where he can make a liv-
ing.
Terrazas sees no prospect of peace,
until tranquility is restored, the in
come of the family fortune, estimated
at from $35,0oo,00o to $4o,ooo,oo0 in
American gold will be tied up. Even
in the event of peace it may be lost for
the rebels have declared It confscated.
II do not mind going to work; it
may be a good thing" he said to
friends before his departure and then
smiled at his own remark, for his
prodigality with money has been a
story, the chapters Of which nave been
written in two continents. in London
and Paris, in Mexico, California. New
York and in Chihuahua, the family
seat from which the estate is always
administered.
Terrazas has learned much Of farm
ing and breeding of horses and cattle
on his own ranches, and his friends
are confident that he will more than
hold his own in wrestling an income
from the soil. Some predict he will
found a second great fortune in Cali
fornia.
The Terrazas fortune was founded
by Don Luis Tehhazas, now an octo-
genarian refugee in this city. It start
ed with heavy land grants from Presi-
dent Jarez and Pres. Porfirio Diaz, and
these holdings have been augmented
constantly in the last fifty years. until
now, as train schedules are in Mexico
it makes passenger train speed
making the usual stops, to travel the
boundaries of the Terrazas domain in
a day. It stretches 375 miles south
from Juarez to Jiminez, then west to
Casas Grandes. On it are whole
towns, hamlets, mines, factories and
fertile farms. All this property Of
Senior Terrazas and his brother Juan,
now in Mexico City, and Luis Jr., who
was held as hostage at Chihuahua by
the rebels, has been declared confiscat-
ed by the rebels.
Beginning at the revolt Of Madero,
the soldiers of northern Mexico, on
either side Of succeeding revolutions,
practically lived on Terrazas' fortune.
Immense sums were contributed by the
family to it's favorite cause, or were
extorted by the enemy.
A recent instance was the $1,000
coo ransom demanded for the release
of Luns, Jr. He declined to contribute
to the rebels until taken out of a
dungeon at Chihuahua, beaten with
the fat Of q sword and moose placed
around his neck and slowly tightened.
In this predicament he contributed all
the money he could command, $500, 900
in American gold. He was then per.
mitted to join his relatives at the
family seat, where he was guarded as
hostage until the remainder Of the
ransom was paid.
Nels Peterson, a farm laborer. work
- - o.