1391 rt55 ,74 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924010168924 ENTMMCE TO KAMON CORM PADK Any Ytpttstnlali've of the Southern Pacific Traffic Department noted below will he pleasedy on application^ to furnish further information about HervwsiUo, Me:xico, including railway rates and service : E. O. McCoRincK, Vice-Preaident : San Francisco, Cal. Chas. S. Fee, Passenger Traffic Manager San Francisco, Cai. JAS. HoRSBURc.H, Jr., General Passenger Agent San Francisco, Cal. T. A. Graham, Ass't. General Passenger Agent, 600 South Spring St Los Angeles, Cal. R. S. Stubbs, Assistant General Passenger Agent , , Tucson, Ariz. Wm. McMurray, General Passenger Agent. Oregon Lines Portland, Ore. R. B. Miller, Trattic Manager, Oregon & Washington R. R Portland, Ore. W. D. Skinner, General Pass. &: Fr't. Ag't., Oregon & Washinglun K. R Seattle, ■^'ash. D. E. Blirley, General Passenger Agent, Lines East of Sparks. ..-. .Salt Lake City, Llah Thus. J. Anderson, General Passenger Agent, G. H. & S. A. Ry Houston, Texas J. H. R. Parsons, Gen. Pass. Agt., M. L. & T. R. R. & S. S. Co New Orleans, La. R. S. Stubbs, General Pass. & Fr't. Ag't., Arizona Eastern R. R Tucson, Ariz. H, Lav'TON, Gen. Pass. & Fr't. Ag't., Sonora Ry. and Sou. Pac. of Me.\ico Guaymas, Mex. A. J. DarrHER, General Agent :..i2i Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Ga. W. B. Johnson, Agent Piper Building, Baltimore, Md. J, H, Glynn, New England Agent 170 Washington Street, Boston, Mass. F. D. Wilson, D. P. & F. Agent, O. S. L. R. R 2 N. Main St., Butte, Mont. W. G. Neimyer, General Agent ..120 Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, 111. W. H. Connor, General Agent 53 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio General Agent 305 Williamson Building, Cleveland, Ohio W. K. McAllister, General Agent 313 Railway Exchange Building, Denver, Col. J. W. TuRTi.F,, Traveling Passenger Agent .310 W. 5th Street. De.=i Moines, Iowa J. C. Ferc.uson, General Agent 11 Fort Street, Detroit, Mich. \V. C. McCoRMiCR', General Agent, G. IL i\: S. A. Ry El Paso, Tesas H. G. Kaill, General Agent yoi Walnut Street, Kansas City, Mo. C. W. Mount, D. P. A , O. R. & N. On Lewiston, Idaho W. E. BarNF:S, Grnera! Agent Ave. 5 de M;iyO 6B, Me.\ico City, Mex. H. F. Carti:r, nistrict Passenger Agent 21 S. Third Street, Minneapolis, Minn. L. H. NuTTiNi^, (ien. East'n Pass. Agt 1 &: 366 & 1 15S Broadway, New York, X, Y. J. C. Percival, Agent Percivals Dock, O'lympia, Washington R, J. Smiih, Agent 632 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, I'a. G. G. Herkinc, ( '.eneral Agent 539 Smithtield St , Pittpburg, Pa. E. E. Ellis, General Agent, Oregon & Wasliinglon R. R 608 First Ave., Seattle, \Vash, D. R. CtRav, District Fr't. and Pass. Ag't 156 Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah W. R. Ski^y, Trav. Pass. Ag't., O. R. & N. Co :.426 Riverside Ave., Spokane, Wash, J. G. Lowe, (General Agent 903 Olive Street, St. Louis, Mo. F. T. Bkqoks, New York State Agent 212 \V. W'ashington Street, Syracuse, X. Y. Robert Lee, (ien'l. Ag't., (Oregon & Washin^;lun R. R. .Eleventh & Pacific Ave., Tacoma, A\'ash. A. J. PosTON, (.}en. Ag't., Wash. Sunset Ruule_ _ . .905 F Street. Washington, D. C, Rudolph Falck, General European Passenger Agent, Amerikahaus, 25, 27 Ferdinand Strasse, Hamliurg, Germany; 49 T.Cfidf-nhall Street, London, E. C, England; 22 C^otkspur Street, London, England; 25 Water Street, Liverpool. England; 118 Wynhaven S. S., Rotterdam, Netherlands; II Rue des Peigncs, Antwerp. Belgium; 39 Rue St. Augustin, Paris, France. Or Sunset Magazine Homeseekers^ Bureau of Information Portland, ( trc^^nn San I'rancisco, California Los Angeles, California ■mil ¥F YOU WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH 1 with ihe growth and development of the Pacific Coast Country, read the Magazine of the Pacitir and of all the Far West. It contains each month, beautifully illustrated descriptive articles and snappy stofies all breathing the at- mosphere of the Golde_n West. Your newsdealer carries it at 15c per copy, or you can receive it every month for the ne.'it ^'ear bv sending $i.5o,sand if you do it now, you will also recei\'e two colored pictures of famous California Missions. SUNSET MAGAZINE 313 Batterv Street San Francisco, California 1 ' ; ™"~'=?.-' ,J,, In the Region of Hermosillo Mexico Bourdon Wilson ■ - / / Issued by Sunset Magazine Homeseekers' Bureau San Francisco, California Page Two © RING to your mind the black prairie soil of Illinois, the wheat lands of the Dakotas, the orange groves of Florida, the rich Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, and the black cane- fields of Louisiana. Then think of a million and a half acres as rich as any of these, in a land where wintry winds never blow and frost rarely ever is seen, where malaria and kindred ills are un- known and disease germs cannot exist; a million and a half acres upon every acre of which the corn of Illinois, the wheat of the Dakotas, the oranges of Florida, the cotton of the Yazoo, and the sugar-cane of Louisiana, all will grow and attain to a perfection of growth and pro- duction unsurpassed ; an empire where the apple and the pineapple may be grown side by side, the grape and the grapefruit, the banana and the pear, the lime and the apricot, the guava and the nectarine, the fig and the peach ; in brief, where every food-plant for man or beast, every grain and fruit and berry and vegetable of the temperate zone, as well as many of those of the tropics, will grow and bring forth their bounty with unfailing regularity. And this in a land where a man of whatso- ever race or color he may be, can work out of doors every day in the year without danger of either frost-bite or sunstroke. This is the Region of Hermosillo in the fertile state of Sonora, Mexico. Page Tlirte Plaza and Cathedral at Herraosillo Rubber and Barlaiia Trees, Hermosillo Vir^r Four rajjc i'our II i<; 11 M o s I I, L.o , i»i !<; X I t: o . LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION As the crow flies this land of delights lies two hundred miles south of Tucson, Arizona, and above it waves the tri-colored flag of Mexico, for it is in the Mexican State of Sonora. To get here, you may take any route you please to either El Paso, Texas, or Los Angeles, Cali- fornia, whence the Southern Pacific Railroad in trains of modern Pull- mans and day coaches will bring you into its very heart. Bordermg in the west on the blue waters of the Gulf of California, in a broad plain, level as a floor, it slopes upward imperceptibly fifty miles or more to the east, where finger-like chains of mountains run down mto it from north and south, dividmg it mto the valleys of the Bacuachi, the San Miguel, the Sonora, the Poza, and the Palma, in which it rises to an elevation above sea-level of 1 ,000 feet where the mountains wall it in on its eastern edge. These water-courses all traverse its entire length from east to west, supplying water for irriga- tion and other purposes. Still in a state of wildness for much the greater part, its emerald green nevertheless is dotted here and there by the gleaming white buildings of an hacienda (farm), surrounded by broad fields and growing crops; and in its center stands the capital city of the state, Hermosillo. ITS CLIMATE Winter, meaning the colder season, comes during the months of December and January, when the thermometer now and then sinks to the freezing point and a light frost or two comes in the more elevated part east of Hermosillo; but in its meaning of the season, when plant growth is suspended, it comes in April, May and June, for during these months ram rarely ever falls and the streams all but run dry, wherefore the face of the earth turns brown. February, March and a part of April, form the delightful spring season, during which the thermometer ranges between 65" and 75' . Summer, meaning the warmer season, begins in April and continues till October, when the weather cools very perceptibly into fall. While summer here is longer than in the northern half of the United States, it is not so oppressive, for the days are much shorter and the nights longer, giving the earth time m which to cool off once m every twenty-four hours ; moreover, in the bone-dry air that prevails during all but July, August and September, which months constitute what is termed the rainy season, the perceptible heat is at least fifteen degrees less than in the humid Eastern States. In other words, with the thermometer standing at 90* both here and in, say, Ohio or Mississippi, one feels fifteen degrees cooler here than there. The average annual rainfall is about that of many highly productive sections in Southern California. For the ten years from 1 90fJ lo 1909, this average ran from 6 inches to 24.12, the average for the ten years being I 1 .43. Besides that, as nearly all of it comes during July, Page Five Page Six I-I B R M O S I I. I. O , MEXICO. August and September, when earth and air are at their hottest, much the greater part of it is immediately absorbed by the eager plant growth, which at once springs up to cover the earth with its greenery, instead of escaping agam into the air by means of evaporation, as in other irrigated parts of the world where it comes at a season when it is too cold for seeds to germinate. In other words, one inch of rain here is worth as much to the farmer as two, if not three, in Colorado and Cali- fornia. To complete the picture, it must be added that, during the ten years already given, rain did not fall on more than four days in suc- cession at any time, which is to say that the long wet spells sometimes so disastrous to the farmer in the eastern United States are unknown here. The ground seldom ever gets so wet that plowing cannot be resumed within twenty-four hours after the rain stops falling, owing to the sandy porous nature of the land ; and, as has been seen, the rains cease altogether before even the quickest growing crop reaches maturity, which assures dry weather for harvesting. As to healthfulness, it is easy to understand why a country which is practically without rain for nine months of the year, and which, therefore, escapes the contamination of decaying vegetation, should be free from the ills consequent thereto ; and it is equally easy of compre- hension that one need have no fear of disease germs in a country where the sun shines at least a part of practically every day in the year, and where one may literally live out of doors all the time. THE SOIL In ancient times this was a part of the Gulf of California, which has been filled in during the slow progress of the centuries by wash from the mountains, disintegrated rock, sand and decayed forest growth, which year by year mingled with the vegetation of the lowlands, forming a loose sandy soil of unsurpassed richness, and bottomless, so far as plant life is concerned. Every year, with the coming of the summer overflow of the streams, from one quarter to an inch of silt, rich and black, is added wherever the water settles, and wherever water is put on the land for irrigation, thus annually renewing the soil. IRRIGATION METHODS There are in vogue here three methods of irrigating the land. First, turning on of the water from a ditch; second, the bolsa or check system; and third, the utilization of the flood waters of the several streams. The first and second of these are too familiar to require description here, but the third is peculiar. A few miles below Hermosillo, where the mountains stop and what is styled the Delta begins, the earth becomes so flat that the streams no longer have beds, but instead spread their waters out thinly over a vast area of country. And here, by means of low embankments thrown up across the flow, the water is diverted to the land to be irrigated. This is, however, only wet weather irrigation, and therefore will be referred to again under the heading of dry farming. Page Seven ■ v;..i.!^,'<-; ■; . / ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H fe#^^:"- ■ ■ ^^^H ^^^^^^1 I'au.. Ei\'ht, H t; It m o s n. i> o , m w x i c o . While enough ram falls here and in the surrounding mountains to irrigate fully the entire section under discussion, by far the greater part of it now is allowed to go to waste. But, as there are many fine sites for reservoirs, this will be remedied as the demand for land grows till all is utilized. And besides water from this source, much will be obtained from surface wells, as it is found at a very shallow depth, from one and a half to six feet, over certain large areas; especially is this true of parts of the Poza, the Sonora, and the Bacuache valleys, and the great plain bordered by the Gulf of California. Moreover, this IS a vast artesian basin m which flowing wells already have been struck at a depth of 450 feet and over; the railroad's well at Pasquiera, which is 460 feet in depth, flows 3,600 gallons per hour. FARMING Cotton IS, perhaps, the greatest money producer of all the many staple crops which may be grown here, and this in spite of the presence of the picudo, or boll weevil. Planted in April, to bring the fruit to maturity immediately after the rainy season, and irrigated throughout the period of its growth, it will bring, on the greater part of the land under consideration, from one and a half to two bales to the acre — bales of the standard weight of 500 pounds each. This for the ordinary short staple varieties ; while soil and climatic conditions here closely parellel those of Egypt no experiments have yet been made with Egyptian cotton. Experience has taught, however, that cotton planted in April and irrigated, is subjected to attack by the boll weevil, and therefore may not be grown in this manner for more than four or five years in succession, when its planting must be discontinued for an equal length of time, to let the weevil die out. To plant at the beginning of the rainy season, and then refrain from irrigating the crop, would be, perhaps, the more profitable practice in the long run, although the yield in lint might not exceed one bale to the acre, for it has been demonstrated that the weevil requires moisture if it is to accomplish much harm. The land being cleaned off early in the year, and all the refuse burned, the weevil's eggs will hatch during the warm March and April days, the season of brownness, during which the insect can find nothing upon which to subsist or in which to lay its eggs ; and it will be killed by the extremely dry weather following in May and June. As all cotton planters know, to plant at a season when the nights are hot and rains are certain, assures the most rapid growth of which the plant is capable, wherefore the picking of cotton planted in July may be expected to begin almost as early as that planted in April. This shortening of the growing season means a lessened expense for cultivation, as there is no crab-grass to fight here, only cockle-burs and "careless" weeds, and in some places morning glories. Moreover, with the bolls opening after the rains have ceased, and with no winds to whip the cotton out on the ground, it may be allowed to remain on the stalks much longer than elsewhere; indeed, there have been instances where the entire crop Page Nine Page Ten Pa.L'P ' H E H M O S I L 1j O , SI E X 1 C O . was gathered at one picking and without material loss. Everything con- sidered, cotton may be produced here for one-half the cost of its pro- duction in the most favored parts of the United States. And, as there is a high import duty on cotton brought into Mexico, and the con- sumption at the present time is twice as great as the production, the prices here range in the neighborhood of two cents higher than in the United States. Wheat comes next in the list of money-makers. This crop usually follows one of corn or beans in the same year, wherefore it is planted from October to February. Its yield is from twenty to seventy bushels to the acre, and all that now is grown here finds a ready home market at from $2.00 to $2.25 the hundred pounds. Garbanza is a close competitor with wheat and cotton as a profit- able field crop. It is a plant of the pea kind, and is highly valued in both Mexico and Spain as a staple article of food. Its culture is the same as that of beans, and its average yield per acre is about 1 ,900 pounds, which will bring at present prices from $50.00 to $60.00. As with wheat, garbanza may be grown as a second crop. Corn produces from forty to eighty bushels to the acre, though as high as one hundred and twenty have been grown with careful cultiva- tion on some of the richest spots. Planted in July its growth is so rapid that it requires very little cultivation, and it sells readily at from $1.00 to $1.10 the hundred pounds, shelled. Beans, or frijoles, as their excellence has caused them to become known around the world, are planted in August, and again as a winter crop. Their yield is from twenty-five to fifty bushels to the acre, and they sell readily at about $3.50 the hundred pounds. Barley is planted m the fall and winter, and the yield is from forty to eighty bushels to the acre. Oats are not much in favor, though the yield is high. On the lands irrigated by flood water, the oat is regarded as a pest, as it easily shells out here, permitting the water to carry it everywhere and mix it with other crops. Cow peas are not grown here to any great extent, although their growth and yield are magnificent. Tobacco is known to grow well in the eastern part of this section, where much is profitably produced for home consumption. Sugar-cane flourishes here. From a piece of land three hundred feet square 150,000 pounds of cane were cut last year. Concrete figures of its yield in sugar are not obtainable, for the cane here is regarded as a confection, wherefore much of the crop now grown is sold in the stalk, in the local markets and in the large mining camps of Sonoma and Southern Arizona. Sweet potatoes yield enormously, specimens of the red varieties weighing twenty-three pounds having been grown. Page Eleven I'uKr IWt H E R M O S I T. L O , MEXICO. Irish potatoes do not do so well as in some parts of the United States, and therefore are grown only in the kitchen and truck gardens, Milo maize and Egyptian corn are exactly suited to the soil and climate, and therefore grow and yield well. Sorghum, peanuts and broomcorn, all may be grown with profit. And the same will un- doubtedly be found true of flax and buckwheat. The production of henequin, or sisal, and other members of the agave family, all valuable for their fiber, is still in the experimental stage. Tomatoes begin to ripen here in February. As the yield is large they may be grown very profitably for shipment to the United States. Canteloupes begin to ripen the last week in April, wherefore they also are to be grown with much profit. Watermelons yield equally well. From 6,000 plants twenty-eight carloads were picked and shipped to Arizona and New Mexico points last season, where they brought their owner $10,000. Alfalfa yields five crops of hay each year, the total annual cut being about an average of six tons to the acre. Baled, it finds a ready home market at from $12.50 to $20.00 the ton. Onions, celery, asparagus, cabbage, and all the other vegetables of the temperate zone, grow finely, though it must be left to future experimentation to decide which of them may be grown with profit for the export markets. The same is to be said of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and dewberries, all of which bring heavy crops of finely flavored fruit with never failing regularity. FRUIT-GROWING While all of the deciduous fruits will grow here, apples, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, apricots, etc., it cannot be stated that they will do as well as in the United States, for this is a little too far south for them, especially apples. Just what they will do has not yet been ascertained; while every hacendado (farmer) has his family orchard containing specimens of some or all of these trees, his efforts at fruit production, like those of the great mass of his brethren m the United States, ended with the putting out of the trees, they being left to fight for themselves except for the irrigation given them from time to time. However, basing upon the fruits thus produced, it may be staled as a fact that all may be grown for home uses, while experimentation and proper care of the trees may develop that some can be grown for the market with profit. Grapes do splendidly here, and future experimentation will reveal that they may be grown with large profit. It is of interest to note that the persimmon which grows wild all over the southern United States, here bears fruit as large as apples, though the flavor is not quite so good. Panu Tliirtrrii I'a.ycf Foiirt<:en HBRMOSII. LO, MEXICO. Dates grow and ripen here as well as anywhere in the world, and in the course of time will become a profitable crop for export. Olives and figs both do well. While it has been ascertained that pineapples, bananas, guavas, and other tropical fruits will grow here, it has not been developed that they may be profitably grown for market. Citrus fruits find here a soil and climate exactly suited to the per- fection of their growth, wherefore Hermosillo oranges are noted far and wide for their sweetness and exquisite flavor. Owing to the import duty placed upon them by the United States, they are much less known there than in Canada, to which country nearly the entire crop IS shipped every year, where they are in great favor, although all are of the old unimproved seed variety. From ihe viewpoint of the California and Florida grower, no care is taken of the groves for the greater part, except to irrigate them, nevertheless their owners find them highly profitable. However, progressive growers have begun putting out groves of Washington navels and other improved kinds, and pruning and spraying and cultivating the trees properly ; and, as the fruit ripens sweet here a month earlier than in either California or Florida, it is safe to predict that Hermosillo oranges will begin to fight their way in large numbers into the United States durmg the next few years, in spite of the tariff wall. Nearly four hundred cars of oranges were shipped from Hermosillo last year. The Sicilian and all other kinds of lemons do as well here as oranges. And the same is to be said of the lime, both the sweet and the sour kinds. DRY FARMING It is doubtful if any other part of the world offers the dry farmer such v/onderful advantages as he finds here. As has already been stated, practically all of the rainfall comes when earth and air are at their warmest, when seeds sprout and spring up into growing plants within three or four days after planting, absorbing in their growth moisture much of which is lost by evaporation in other countries, where the rains come in the cold season. Moreover, much of the land can be thoroughly soaked at least once every summer by the flood waters from the streams. There is no reason why all of the crops known to this section should not be grown profitably in this manner. So far there has been very little dry farming done here, but an experimental farm has been established, near Hermosillo, which is being watched with no small interest. STOCK-RAISING This is a country of luxuriant growth of nutritious native grasses, which is to say that it is a natural stock country. And when it is added that these grasses cure themselves into quite good hay, upon which animals make their living throughout the year, it is to say that Page Fifteen "On the Y," Where the R Slii|))tinL; Si-LMio ;il ' '. lui xnia;^ I'a.uc Sixti-cii Entury Hennosillo P:ilma Vallcw — Vvum Llif Hill nf Windows 1';i,l;c ,Sc\ riil.ccli Views ui' HauJenda "La Labor," ^enora IMexici. House and Chapel Colonnade Porclil Servants' Quarters uaue I'urern HERMOSILLO, MEXICO. it is a highly profitable one. Thousands of both horses and cattle are owned and ranged here and in the surrounding mountains, to say nothing of the lowly — but in Mexico, profitable — goat. While the horses are almost all of the wiry mustang breed, a determined effort to improve them has recendy started, bringing in numerous thoroughbred stallions of the Percheron, Clydesdale, and other breeds. And while the long horn of the old style Texas steer still dominates the great herds of cattle, the white face of the graded Hereford, the black and white of the Holstein, and the red of the Durham, are seen on every hand, evidence that many thoroughbred bulls of these breeds have been imported during recent years. Hogs are not raised in large numbers, in spite of the fact that it would be highly profitable to do so, as the hog is remarkably free from disease here. In common with his scrub brother, it has been proved that the Angora goat can be raised here with large profit, wherefore their number is being rapidly increased. LAND AND LAND VALUES But little more than two per cent of the arable land in this section now is under cultivation ; which is to say that there is room here for a farming population a thousand times as large as at present. The titles to most of it are good, or at least may be easily perfected, never- theless the incoming American settler should look carefully to this. The value of the land depends very largely on the water rights per- taining to' it, though existing improvements, nearness to markets and transportation facilities and fertility, have their bearing upon it here as elsewhere. The wild lands may be bought for as low as $5.00 an acre, without water for irrigation; and wild land in the Delta section, but which may be flooded by overflow water, for as low as $10.00; whereas lands of the same quality, but with water available from permanent ditches are held at from $50.00 to $150.00. While none of the land here can be classed as wooded in the sense of having merchantable timber upon it, practically all of it has a growth of such trees as the mesquite, ironwood and palo verde, which make lasting posts and excellent firewood. LABOR CONDITIONS The Yaqui Indians have performed much of the labor of this region ever since its first settlement by white men, and this in spite of the fact that the tribe has been almost constantly at war with the government during all of that time. Occupying from time immemorial the Yaqui Valley in the south, there bidding defiance to both state and national authority, from time to time they would issue forth to work or to murder as the whim seized them. But in 1 902 the federal government decided to put an end to this state of affairs, and captured and punished some of the murderers. Then flamed out the war by which this region was devastated for the six years following. At all times it was within the power of the govern- Page Nineteen Page Twenty Floul- ]Mi!i — Hacienda ''EiiroiKi" ment to end this war by the simple method, so familiar to American frontiersmen, of exterminating the Indians, but it chose instead the slower but more humane deportation of the irreconcilables, as they were captured, to far away Yucatan, whence they were not likely to find their way back. That they were not furnished Pullman cars in which to travel, or feather beds upon which to sleep, is a fact ; but neither were the Chiricahua Apaches when the United States, in 1 886, de- ported the irreconcilables of that murderous tribe from Arizona to far away Florida. Both steps were wholly justifiable, for the one made possible the civilization of the white man in Arizona, and the other now has done the same in the region of Hermosillo. With the Yaquis scattered, and their fighting power crushed as completely as the Americans crushed that of the Sioux and Apaches, there is no reason why this region should not now increase in both population and pros- perity by leaps and bounds. While there is a scarcity of labor here at present, owing to the deportation of the Yaquis, this will be remedied, as the demand grows, by bringmg laborers from the states further south, where there is a surplus. As this inevitable influx of labor from the more southerly district's is attracted into the Hermosillo region and begins to supply the now existing demand for men to carry on the work of tilling, sowing and harvesting the rich crops possible in this fertile region, capital must as inevitably find a constantly increasing lure for profitable investment in agricultural, industrial and commercial projects. Pa^^' Twciity-oiir Page Twenly-lHo IMHI ■HBHj HHH ^4' 1 1 ^^MM^^Szjg^y^-"' "'^^^'^.-^'^l^^Mfc^i^ s miBd^0^'^SSS^S3^ Thriving- Sonora Poultry THE PEOPLE HERE AND THE LAWS No American ol- European need be afraid to come to Mexico, for both life and property are as secure m all parts of the Republic as in any part of the United States. While Americans will find the laws in many respects different from their own, and therefore somewhat irksome at first, they are just laws in the mam, and suited to the con- ditions here. No self-respecting man or woman, who also respects the rights and sensibilities of others, need be afraid of not getting along with the Mexicans ; they are warm-hearted, generous, and hospitable to the last degree. Many of them in this region have traveled or been educated in the United States, and therefore understand American ways ; and a considerable percentage of the population here speaks English, which language now is being taught in the public schools. They dress here exactly as Americans dress ; and they read the Ameri- can newspapers, which enables them to discuss American affairs intelli- gently. Their homes are furnished in good taste, and their manners are the manners of well-bred people the world over. In other words, they are a people among whom you can soon make yourself feel perfectly at home. And besides the native population, there now are about five hundred Americans resident in this region, where they are engaged in farming, mining, stock-raising, etc. Nobody here cares what your religion is, or how or when or where you worship ; and in the towns you will find good public schools. RAILROADS AND SEAPORTS The Southern Pacific Company's main line from Los Angeles, California, to the City of Mexico, traverses the heart of this region, giving first-class passenger service to both the United States and South- ern Mexico, and also the best of shipping facilities. A concession has been granted for the construction of a railway from Ures on the Sonora Page Tweiity-tluxe '^^1 i:rl;iil ShM..*s in IL ti n ( isi 1 1 . l';i;,^c 'r\Vfiily-roi.ir Wholesale iJi'y fjooils Hulls MiMlPi-n l;ii.siiii-.ss fillic.', IT.riMosil i':i,LC'' Twcnty-lix I. H E R 31 O S I I. I, O , MEXICO. River, via Hermosillo, to Kino Bay on the Gulf of California, where it is planned to establish a seaport. At present Guaymas is the one seaport town of this region, and here come vessels from all parts of the world. MANUFACTORIES All of the manufacturing industries of this region are located in the city of Hermosillo, under which heading they will be set forth, excepting only the cotton mill in the town of Los Angeles. This mill makes the coarser grades of cotton cloth, its capacity is one hundred bales of cotton per month. THE CITY OF HERMOSILLO Literally translated, Hermosillo means "the little beautiful one,' and it is not a misnomer in this instance, for it is a place both beautiful and picturesque. It is situated on the Sonora River, nor far from the center of the region to which it gives a name. Like other Mexican cities, it centers about a plaza, or public park, the Plaza Zaragoza, on opposite sides of which stand the Cathedral and the State Capitol. The population of the city is about 1 4,000. It has electric lights and power, water works, and bonds have been sold for the purpose of installing a modern sewer system, work upon which will soon begin. Nearly all of the streets are macadamized, with cement sidewalks ; and while most of them are narrow, from the American viewpoint, they are serviceable as well as picturesque. Most of the houses are of the flat-roofed Mexican style, with stern exterior, but many of them made beautiful within by a patio, or courtyard, set with flowers and ornamental trees. Besides the Plaza Zaragoza, the Parque Ramon Corral with its broad acres of orange grove and flowers and ornamental trees, named in honor of the republic's vice-president, affords a place for rest and recreation. Seen from a distance, the city appears to be trying to hide itself in the beautiful orange groves amid which it is set. Besides being the place of residence of most of the well-to-do people of this region, Hermosillo is a manufacturing city. Here are located three flour mills, one of them with a capacity of four hundred barrels per day ; a large match factory, a cracker factory, a foundry and machine shop, three tanneries, two ice manufactories, a modern well-equipped brewery, a broom factory, two manufactories of preserves and other sweets, a packing-house and cold-storage plant, which supplies meats for all the country about, a macaroni factory, several small shoe factories, and several establishments for the manufacture of all kinds of ready-made clothing, from both Mexican and foreign cloths. It is also a financial center for here are located four banks, all of them strong financial institutions. Furthermore, a concession has been granted for the establishment of a Mortgage-Loan Bank here, the ample capital for which has already been fully subscribed. This bank will lend money to landowners for the purpose of developing their properties. rage Twenty-six Page Twenty-seven Pago Twenty-oight l';i;.:r TwL-iiLy-niiK Luxuriant (Jiuwlii of lj;iLo Pulnis i' ■ "^W m)''>0^^.'^i^^m ^Bammm^r.:Mm wSf ' '' ' i.^**"^ '||I'^*^^ ^' i^J Ki ■' vj«**^' M^i^'%^^^ 1; ..-^i^.^^y '^■l a '"^'f**^*^ ^b' 1 "^^T*^ 4 lLw ■ ,' i^^Sii BHHIR -'h' '^'' x*^' ,P|k ^ 1 - /^ *■ m. ■■<"|!i'- *■ ,»* ;^ p ?:r'|"¥ ^ i""^ ^ -i ■ ' ' r ; , *i:- -■ i# 1 ^S^HH^^HI^^^ p|^^# / r ^ K:' ',f->.,^' #^' , 1 HR; ' _ J ■ ||P j»*l ^ liiiiirianrM iI^^^^^^Kb '^^^■H^BHUiy^ni^lL « ^^^1 Page Thirty 1 , , tAJt",, -«|i.«»S«« -1 ^HMntHKi^^* '" * ^ X. ■Illll^j^ '■* ifl K ^t:- ^ '.,.1^—...,-,.^/^^.^^^., ;y.M ^Ktejjy . ■ , •' fe HmH^ ^p^ Hermosillo is a commercial city, with several large wholesale houses, which supply the trade not only of this region, but of the vast country east and south as well. Its retail stores of all kinds would be a credit to any American city of I 00,000 people. Upon their shelves are to be found every article of manufacture known in the United States, not only those of Mexican make, but, as well, those of Ameri- can, English, French, German, Italian, etc. Of especial interest to the intending settler here are the various houses which deal in farming implements and machinery, of which they now are selling five or six carloads per month. There is a good opening in Hermosillo for a small but up-to-date American daily newspaper, giving the press dispatches. It would have the enthusiastic support of the entire American population, and that of the Mexicans who read English, while all the merchants could readily be brought to see the value of advertising. The five papers now published here are all weeklies, and printed in Spanish. And a first- class cannery here would pay well, as would an American bakery. But above all, a good creamery is needed, for there is none in this region, wherefore high prices are paid for butter imported from Kansas City. As a winter resort, Hermosillo stands preeminent, for the winter climate here can be described only as delicious; it is never hot, and never cold, there are no winds to annoy, and the sun shines brilliantly every day. Moreover, there are good hotels, two of them conducted by Americans as American hotels, where one may obtain all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of hotel life. Those traveling to or from California via the Southern or Sunset routes, if a few days time can be spared, by all means should break their journey at Tucson and take a side-trip to Hermosillo. The run down occupies less than ten hours, and can be made in modern Pullman sleepers, which run through from Los Angeles, California. A very low rate of fare is given to all who take this trip. Come and see for yourselves what a lovely and magnificent country this is. Note. — If not otherwise stated, all of the values given in the fore- going are expressed in American money. Pasre Tliirty-one Page Thirly-two Hermosillo, the New Dixie Land A vast tract of rich cotton land just being opened to settlement and within a few hours of Tucson, Arizona. Here land costs from five to ten dollars and yields two bales of cotton to the acre. The side trip from Tuison to Hermosillo will amply re- piay the seeker for wealth, healtli and sc enic beauty. .S61S IS-6-10-2ll.\ll FLOVR niLL AT UEDMO^ILLO Cornell University Library F 1391.H55W74 In the region of Hermosillo, Mexico / 3 1924 010 168 924 11 w.