San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-06
: j. 5. FARMERS
MAY DEVELOP
BOLIVIA FARMS
"AIfalfa Bill" Murray Has
a Scheme to Colonize
Big Tract.
OIL NEAR HIS LANDS
Standard Oil to Develop
Big Acreage in the State
of Santa Cruz.
OIL NEAR HIS LANDS
BY CLAUDE O. PIKE


Light and the Chicago Daily News
La Paz, Bolivia, June 27.-Bring-
ing Oklahoma farmers and their fami-
rs to colonize 100.000-acre tract of
rich valley land in Eastern Bolivia is
the scheme of "Alfalfa Bill" Murray,
former congressman from Oklah ma.
who recently closed an agreement with
the Bolivian government for a 99-year
lease of the tract. He claims to have
options on thousands of additional
acres on which he plans to begin stock
raising on large scale.
Murray has been Bolivia working
on the project for several months and
has met with the usual delays that
make doing business here almost I'M
bearable for the average American.
The contest between President Save
dra and his enemies in the Bolivian
congress nearly upset Murray's plans
and hopes, for while the congress fav-
ored his plan it sought to hold it back
because of the desire of some members
thus to strike at Saavedra. About
three months ago Murray gave up in
disgust and returned to Oklahoma.
Then politicians here seeing the pros
pect of real American gold slipping
away wired him to come back and that
matters would be fixed up.
Murray found on his return that the
fight between President Saavedra and
his enemies was still on, but he soop
discovered that under Bolivian law the
president had right to make grants
of land for definite periods of time.
With this information Murray got
busy. with the result that his grant
has been signed by the president Civ
ing him a 99-year lease o. $1,000
acres of government land, with the
privilege of renewal.
Oil Fields Close at Hand.
Considerable doubt is expressed here
by Americans familiar with the dis
trict in which Mr.. Murray has ac-
Quired his concession whether colon.
lists from the United States will stay
there and make good. While the tract
lies in a fertile valley it is so far from
civilization, they say, that one cannot
expect Americans to put up with the
hardships and SO lonesome a life as
hoy would lead there. To reach the
p,Set from the western coast 1t is nee
essary to travel several days on little
trains and for several days more on
the backs of mules or oxen.
To reach the tract from Argentina
involves long, hard trip to the end
Of the Argentine railway and thence
by mule back. The projected RAILROAD
TO connect Buenos Aires with La Paz
will open the territory, but the long
rail haul will make the marketing o.
products very expensive.
Murray claims to have options to
purchase ten tracts of 10000 acres
each at approximately 20 cents an
acre. and says he has capital interested
to take up cattle and hog raising on a
large scale. These tracts lie in the
same valley.
Considerable interest is being shown
here in the Murray concessions, not so
much because OF the reported colonial
tion scheme as because of the prox
ity to the extensive oil holdings OF the
Standard Oil Company which mas T.
DOC. 600 acres Of land in that dlstric,'
1t is claimed that this district. which
lies in the state of Santa Cruz. IS one
of the richest il the world. Inc oil
there is reached at very shallow
depths. At one place, it is said, oil
is being taken from n well dug Win
n nick and shovel and is refined near
by. Laos, -
forest in and knowledge of oil lands'