Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-09
Once Mexico's Veal hi st Man
Now Exile in US Money Gone

CHIHUAHUA CITY, Mex, Apr. 9.-That
the power Of General Luis Terrazas, which
was almost supreme in the state of Chi
huahua for nearly one half q century.
should have been oblitcrated within the
short space of six years, due 10 the turn
of revolutionary events, i something hat
would have been unbelievable had Il been
forecast prior TO the beginning of the wide
spread uprising that has made him and hi
family exiles.
Not only have tens IF thousands III this
part of Mexico been freed from the po-
htical and business hold that General Ter
razas and his family had upon them for
20 long, but the vast stretches Of land that
he owns. Even his ownership of this land
j. in question. All Of the most desirable
portions of il nave been ccnfiScated. BY
the different revolutionary and hindit fac
tions and distributed among themselves.
In the later DAYS Of President Porfirio
Diaz the elder Terrazas was pointed ont ~
one of the richest men in the world. He
was king of all cattle kings. His eStntc
embraced more than 25.000.0 600 acres
which were devoted 10 grazing and aari-
culture. Upon his settled ranches were
something like 3.0U0.000 Of cattle. 5000 Y
900 horses. 1000 0G0 mules and 1000 Geo
sheen. These are approximate figures.
The actual number Of head Or liu tack
may have ranged several hundred fhnus
and above the estimates. a. ii was limos
sible for even the ranch foreman TO know
accurately just how much livestock was
upon the range.
Some idea Of the magnitude of General
Terrazas' transactions may be he'd when il
j. stated that it was not uncommon for him
to sell $4,000 sheep in one lot. General
Tcrrazas owned two-thirdS Of the build
ings in this city. He operated meat pack
inc plants. mines and various other indus
tries that represented enormous invest
ments. lie was a big stakeholder in the
railroads and owned several banks.
Then there fell upon him and his fam
lily the dark days of revolutions. But for
the fact that he managed To escape his
enemies and flee by automobile to III Paso,
he perhaps would have been killed during
the exciting periods following the rise az
the late Francisco /. Madero TO power.
Some Of the sons were not 80 fortunate
in making their escape, and they went
through terrible fortunes M the hands Of
bloodthirsty reyolutionists before finally
getting out of their grasp.
For six years the hordcs Of cattle,
horses. mules and sheep upon the Terrazas
ranches have becn preyed upon bv rowing
bands of so-called revolutionists and ont
laws. Occasionally 1t was possible for
a few thousand head to- be shipped to the
United States BY agents of Terrazas. hut
these formed only a small part Of the total
number that were on the ranches when the
internal troubles Of the country began.
There were employed upon these ranches
20 900 men. OF this number 1000 were
forcc rider. Many Of these employrs JOIN
~ different revolutionary factions and
there i now no system Of looking after the
property of General Tcrrazas. The once
maonificent country home of Terrazas.
which was built AZ 4 cost Approximately
100000 q i now occupied partly n n
stable and living III tha luxuriou-ly furnish
ed rooms are families of poems
Notwithstanding the financial troubles