The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-06
RICH MEXICAN IMPOVERISHED BY LONG WARS Scion of Family of Vast Estates Compelled to Seek Meagre
 Livelihood. NOTED SPENDTHRIFT
 TO WORK LITTLE FARM Bereft of Riches He MingIes With Hundreds of Poor
 Refugees.
Especial to The Farmer.)


 Fl Paso Feb 6.-Arberto TeFrazas, scion of one of the mosr exclusive and richest of Mexican families, has been reduced to the necessity Of seeking a frugal living on a. little farm in Pas adena, Cal. as a result of the disor- dered conditions of nis native coun-, try
 Terrazas is accustomed to travelling with a retinue of servants. Today there was little to distinguish him and his family from the hundreds of other refuge families from the disturbed re- public. Frankly he confessed that he and that until peace is restored the income from the family fortune which is estimated from $35,000, 900 to s40.- 900, GOO will be cut off.
 The Terrazas fortune was founded by Don Luis Terrazas, now an octo- genarian refugee in this city, in land grants from President Juarez and Por- frio Diaz. These holdings have been augmented constantly until now, as train schedules are in Mexico, it would take a, passenger train three days to travel the boundaries of this domain. It stretches from Juarez S75 miles south to Jirninez and west to. Casas Grandes. On it. are towns, hamlets, mines, factories and fertile farms All this was the property of the senior Terrazas and his three sons, Juan, now in the City Of Mexico; Luis Jr.. held in Chihuahua as a hostage by the rebeIs; A1berto-untiI the rebels de clared the whole estate conf1scated.
 Beginning with the rebellion of Francisco Madero more than three years ago, the soldiers of Northern Mexico on either side of that and the succeeding rebelhons have practically lived on the Terrazas fortunes. Ira-
 
 family to favorite causes or were ex- torted by the enemy. ss .&sass 4 recent instance was sf1e $a, ,0e0s00o ransom demanded for the release of Luis, Jr. He was incarcarated in the municipal palace in Cnfhuahua but de c1ined to contribute until he was takeE | out, beaten with the flat of a, sword and a moose placed around his neck i and urgently frightened. In this pre- dicament he contributed $59O, 900, al 1 the ready money at his disposal. Ht l was then permitted to join his family l and is still there. The additional ran | som now demanded is $z50,000, but fl I is believed that Gen. Villa. prefers te hold him as 8 hostage to deter. othel members of the family from financing l a new rebellion in the North to haras. l the rebel rear on it's march to Tor reon.
 In the early days Of the armed dis 4 E family who came to the United State travelled in almost regal state, and & I hotels entire floors were reserved fo, l them. How much money the eide I Terrazas has on this side of the borde Is not known, but his intinates sa, Fit is comparatively little. He, like hi sons, always had an anchor to wind I ward in the way of investments in tn l United States, but heavy expenses hav eaten them almost to the bone. Al berto, it is said, would not accept ai' from his fathers reduced store. Whel he and his wife and children boardel the train the only servant in the part 1 was an old nurse.
 Terrazas has 8 pecnhant for breed ing fine cattle and DIooded horsen This ability will stand him in goo. stead, now that he must seek his owl livelihood
 Noted as a spendthrift, he travele' the world over in most luxurious style
 He scattered his wealth 1avishly in tn capitals Of Europe, and with an arm
 of retainers lived in feudal style o1
 his vast estates.