The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-08-07
TO LEAD 200 FARMERS
TO BOLIVIAN WILDS
ALFALFA BILL" MURRAY. is
PLANNING PERMANENT COL
ONY IN SOUTH AMERICA.

in South America on a permanent
basis"
Thus spoke William H. Murray, OF
Tishomingo. Okla, affectionately
known at home and. more familiarly
than by any other name elsewhere as
Alfalfa Bill"
For this man, who, at II, a run
away lad didn't know the United
States had president rose to be the
president himself of his states consti-
tutiona convention, speaker OF its
first legislature, its representative in
congress and now aspires to pioneer
in an era of American imperialism.
Has Huge Grant.
alfalfa Bill" returned from Bolivia
late in June with grant OF 10000
acres of agricultural land from the
government and the. assurance that, If
his plans materialize, he may have
hundreds of thousands of acres more
for the asking. On this first tract
in reality there are two-he proposes
to plant 200 married American farm
ers with their families.
When the dry season sets in south
of the equator in the spring OF 1924
Murray will guide the vanguard Of
his colony into the new promised land,
A few miles north of the northwest
ern Argentine frontier, not far above
the Tropic of Capricorn and near the
small city of Gaia, lies Murray's
home tract" $4,000 acres. North and
east, over toward Santa Cruz, stretch
es his grazing land, 147, 900 acres OF it,
About 200 Acres Apiece.
alfalfa Bill" and his colonists will
live on the smaller tract, with 200 to
800 acres allotted to each family; on
the grazing lands will roam the herds
that are calculated to bring prosperity
to the pioneers. Except for 40 or SO
Inca Indian families, all is uninhabit-
ed now
Nearly four years of somewhat des-
ultory negotiations, punctuated by pc
RODS of indecision on Murray's part,
with caution counseled by officials at
Washington, led to the final signature
of the Bolivian grant which, in tact,
is a 99-year lease with the privilege
of renewal for a like term, and &C
companied by exemptions and prlvl-
1eges that are almost incomprehensl-
bic to the North American subjected
the postwar period.
Starts as Lawyer.
To get the story OF this twentieth
century adventurer, one must go to
Tishomingo. This was the capital OF
the Chickasaw Indian nation 80 years
ago when William Murray, a lawyer
vet without clients, came and stayed
to become the towns celebrity, the
Sage of Tishomingo."
"Tish' is a county seat town OF
1000 souls in the midst OF some OF
southern Oklahoma's finest cotton
lands yet surrounded by rocky hills
and bisected Big Blue-of all the
world a mountain stream. On its east
ern outskirts in easy sight of the
Murray Agricultural school, his hob
BY best among six of its kind sup
ported by the state, the Sage is living
the life of a country gentleman.
Gives Up Rich Land.
In anticipation that this colonial
ton scheme would eventually prove
successful Murray moved to town
some years ago, from the LOO acres
of fertile bottom lands owned by him
self, his five children and their mother
who was Miss Alice Hearrell, niece
of the late Gov. D. H. Johnson, OF
the Chickasaw tribe.
Now, his rich farms sold, he sits on
the homemade porch of fve-room
implanted cottage and lays the paper
foundation of new state in far-ott
Bolivia.
When alfalfa Bills" colony goes
to South America, forewarned by their
leader, they won't have to suffer the
initiation the Bolivian tenderfoot usu-
ally must undergo. There, or in any
other section of the continent, the
newcomers own impression OF the
country is fearned-and then nourish-
ed until it is converted into an obses-
sion.
Expects Depression.
"What was the logic OF your inspir-
alton to COLOMBO Bolivar" one asked
Murray
81 knew a period of depression was
coming but not a change in living
costs. Taxation must remain high,
with the wholesaler, the manufacturer,
the retailer passing the tax along.
Fifteen. perhaps 20, years of hard
Shedding for the farmer are ahead.
Future American prosperity DE-
ponds on foreign trade. Effective de
velopment OF such commerce depends
on distribution of our goods through
American agencies and American PEG
pie in other lands"
Got Inspiration in 1919.
Murray had his inspiration back in
1919, two years after his retirement
from congress at the end of his sec
ond term. From the old liberal ad-
ministration which had been in power
20 years he obtained concession Of
641 600 acres 600 miles northwest Of
the present grant and in section
title to which is in dispute with Para
quay.
Returning to this country Murray
in 90 days wrote contracts with 200
farmers all Of them solvent