The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-27
HAD TO SNEAK into
country THROUGH
BOLIVIAN SOLDIERS
Said 3oIivianS Had Forts Alonu
the Paraguayan Border
in 1918
THERE Is OIL IN PARAGUAY
Promoter Glad He Turned Down
Ceneralship; Likes U. S.
Too Well
THERE Is OIL IN PARAGUAY

New York, Dec 27-The scrap over
the boundary lines between Paraguay
and Bolivia reminds Tex Richard
that If he hat not decided TO pro-
mote battles Of the century at
Madison Square Garden. he might be
& fighter himself. on big scale. down?
in the troubled southern territory
For Richard knows this Chaco
country. the scene of all the trouble.
we'll In 1912 he went down TO Para
quay and bought up some 100000
acres Of grazing land running from
the Picomayo river to the Paraguay
river. for French, English and Bel
gian syndicate.
Bought Big Ranch
At that time he bought $4,000
ncrcs for himself. which he still holds
and egards as ono OF his most PROM
Using investments.
And VIC might just as we'll have
started war then as now Richard
recalled I'm fact. was asked to
lead ali army. but I declined.
I'm 1918. | went down there. with
my wife. to live OF the land we had
just purchased. Coming to the Pilco-
mayo river I ran into four new Be-
liyian forts. The Bolivians would
not let Inc bring by outfits in. But
finally found place to cross. be-
tween the forts. and went OH to
Asuncion. tho capital Of Paraguay,
and took over the deeds OF the land.
Il mentioned the forts to the gov
crnment officials there, and they be-
came greatly excited; they knew
nothing OF them.
Wanted Him to Sign
Right off the bat they wanted to
give me all army. and have ME 60
drive out the Bolivians. That's not
my kind of fighting, however. and I
declined the generals uniform and
the soldiers. told them few forts
were nothing in my life. The forts
arc still there
Richard thinks it would be greatly
to the disadvantage of both countries
to 60 to war over the boundaries,
since this is an old dispute and would
doubtless be long -draWn-out. bitter
struggle.
THE Paraguay cattle country is as
fine a region as th1re is in the world
today, he says. The land IS cheap,
you can buy 500. property for dol
lar an acre, and the taxes are
The value of the land
little during the world
ther, the war retarded the
1t, but there is no doubt
ty there will be very val
day.
Wealth In Oil
oil in Paraguay, no one
wv much, but there is no
but that oil is really at the
IF the boundary disputes
Ere Oil has large interests
fsArmour and Company has a
\, Lteat plant in San Salvador, on
- Mye of the disputed land. and
central Products company. an
American concern. has several
IN acres Of land and $4,000 head
,attle in the disputed area.
Bolivia is not a farming country
chief industry is in metals. There
re valuable tin mines there"
Rickard lived onhis South American
ranch for eight years after he pur-
chased it, but he does not intend tc
go back to live there. He is holding
it as an investment.
Employed Wild Indians
The country is beautiful, and the
Paraguayans are fine race of peo-
ple." he says. L employed Indians
to build fences and doing the work
on the ranch. They were wild tel.
lows, who wear feathers on theil
heads and have three day wal
dances. and lived much as the Amer
lean Indian. did when Columbus
came over. But we had no Difficult
ties with them. left in 1918 anc
have never been back since.
Yep, it's a great country. but I've
never regretted passing up my gen.
eralship. The little old U. S. A. suits
me pretty well-particularly right
now