Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-11-10
BRICANDS AND BONANZAS.
Tale of Prospecting Tour an North
ern MecicO

Tale of a Prospecting Tour an North
/ ern Merico.
On August 10 we started from Tue
son, Arizona, for Hermosilo, the cap
;tal of Lonora. Our lot was cast with
miners in prospecting garb and Mexi-
cans returning from California and
Arizona With the mercury at 1040
in the shade we bowled away toward
the border. The stage ride was like
all stage rides, tedious and dusty,
though it was enlivened by several
novel experiences. The first of these
was camping out at night when no
wayside inn could be reached We
passed through Tubac, very ancient
Spanish town, and through Calibasas,
which is new town on a sterile plain,
and rests all its hopes of future pros
perity or success in boring for water.
Should this fail the place will be as
valuable for residences as quarter Sec
tion of the Sahara. At early dawn on
| the 18th we drove into Los Bignitas,
where we were regaled by a French
gentleman with bloodcurding accounts
of the deeds of Reyes. the revolution
ist. The narrator had lost mule,
fine new saddle and $50 in coin.
He declared that we would be stripped
to the skin, and tried to dissuade us
from venturing further on the road
We had taken on a number of Spanish
passengers at various towns on the
nf hn h
of Magdalena, alarmed by the stories
about the brigand, left the stage and
struck across the mountains on mule
back
As we neared Magdalena the con-
trast between Sonora and Arizona be-
came more striking. We had been
travelling over parched desert, the
very picture of desolation; now we
were rattling along through fertil fields
of grain and by the side of vast roll
ing plains of vendure The town con-
tains about $500 inhabitants and is
situated upon an open road AS we
entered it the church bells began to
toll the signal that the stage was COM
ing. The little plaza was full Of peo-
pie, all with very mournful counten-
ances and all talking about the great
event-the bloodless capture of the
town by Brigido Reyes.
1t seems that the brigand dashed up
to the town with small following of
weIl-armed ragamufiins and took it
without the firing of a single shot.
The authorities had fed His first act
was to levy a forced loan of $4,000,
which was to be paid within twenty
four hours by the merchants. Mean
while each languished in jail until he
had made up his portion of the sum.
The Padre was assessed $1,000, but,
more foftunate than the other victims,
he enlisted the aid of all the women,
and soon gathered the amount. Don
Joseph Pierson, the principal merchant
claimed to be an American citizen, but
Reyes was unable to take the same
view of his nationality, and mulcted
him in $1,000. The Don fingered in
limbo at the time OF our arrival. 1t
was high noon when we drove up in
front of the hotel A crowd of ill-look-
ing men scanned uselessly, but Cen
La Grange, who had given Chiriqui,
the Mexican driver, fee of $25, or
dered him to be ready for departure
promptly at 2 o'clock We then went
into the hotel, but scarcely had we
seated ourselves when Chiriqui rushed
in and said in Spanish, "The Com
mandment has ordered me not to leave
town until be shall give me orders"
The Commandment, it was found. was
Don Brigido Reyes, who was in the
neighboring barracks. The General
and | went over there at once. At
the entrance two ragged, barefooted
guardsmen presented arms, muttered
something in Spanish, but allowed us
to pass. An officer ushereu US into
the presence of small, swarthy man,
with full dark beard tinged with gray.
who was very suave and polite. He
gave us his hand, and we found it was
none other than the ferocious revolu-
zionist.
POTENT TITLE.
When we were seated General La
Grange said to me, "Say to Colonel
Reyes Che is colonel in the Regular
Army of Mexico) that we are Ameri-
cans on our way to Hermosillo, and
that our visit has political significance
whatever that time is valuable to US,
and that we wish to know why he has
given orders to detain the stage"
To translate this into Spanish | be-
gan by saying, dice ell General" (the
General says,) but scarcely had | ut
tered the words when Reyes jumped
to his feet and interrupted me with,
"Did you say General ~ "Yes, sir,
an American General. Reyes at once
opened wide his arms and advancing
said, General, you are my brother of
ficer; embrace me-" Seeing that we
had carried the day, | whispered to
my companion, ado it, General, if
you have to embrace the Revolution"
After the SpanishAmerican embrace,
given with great empressment by
Reyes, wine and cigars were brought
out and a pleasant chat followed.
Reyes on our departure said: "Gen-
eral, you and your party may go when
and where you like. l will give you
pass so that you may safely travel
ali over the State, and | will also give
you letter to my chief and friend
Pesquiera. When you are ready to
start allow me to escort you on horse
back a short distance out of town."
During our conversation L asked
Reeves what was the cause of the
movement begun by him against the
| Government He said "Diaz and