Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-08-26
SAVANNAH TENNESSEE, THURSDAY 2e
about twenty-five thousand people

6DOub LWcHty-hNc snouoohu PoOPiO
who live in the district between the
Yaaui and Mayo rivers. Their territory
is divided into eight townships, of
which Belem, Tiron, Palanm and Re-
beira are the leading ones Each town
is governed by a patriarch, elected for
life, and these patriarchs in turn elect
generalissimo, or chief, likewise for
life. The present generalissimo was
elected twelve years ago. His real
name is Jose Maria Leyve, but he is
called Caieme, as was his father be-
fore him. Cajeme signifies man who
does not drink, and was proper
name for the father, but not for the
present chief of the Yaquis, who is a
very hard drinker.
The chief of the Yaquis enjoys abso-
lutte power over the property and even
the life of the members of the tribe,
and his will is checked by no law. He
is entitled to one-fourth of all the crops
raised on Yaqui territory, and can
take all the land and even personal
property he may want, besides. The
present chief makes full use of
his power. He is about 46 years
old, is married and has one daughter
In cattle and real estate he is now
worth about twenty-five thousand dol
lars, but his resources are practically
only limited by the power of the
Yaqui people to fulfill his desires.
The Yaquis who live in the river
valleys are the most civilized and as a
rule quite industrious farmers. They
are rather good looking, dress fairly
well, and take great pride in having
their women dress in American fashion.
They are peaceably inclined. The
mountain people, however, spurn all
civilization. They go nearly naked
and think of nothing but fighting.
The feeling of independence is very
strong among the Yaquis, who, be-
sides, jealousy guard the purity of their
race There is little mixing with
other Indians, and even with white
people in times of peace, but nobody
who has not pure Yaqui blood in his
veins is ever admitted to full fellow
ship. No "Yari,' that is, foreigner
or person other than pure Yaqui par
entage, can fight in the Yaqui army or
hold any position of trust, and in all
quarrels about property or other matters
the ''Yari'' has no standing before the
Yaqui authorities. This absolute Sc
clusion of the Yaquis and their tena-
cious resistance against all civilization
have been the principal causes OF the
trouble they have given to Mexico even
since the Spanish conquest.
The fighting strength Of the Yaquis
is somewhat in excess of three thou.
sand men. In the open field Yaqu
troops can not stand up against trained
soldiers even if they outnumbereo
them two to one, but in guerilla war
fare they are next to unconquerable
Only about fifteen hundred firearms
are in the entire Yaqui army. These
arms have been obtained by Yaqu
farmers for Chief Caieme in Guayma
and other market towns, where the.
sell their grain and other produce, TO
some time past, and as a consequence
Cajeme has plenty of ammunition
Most of the Yaquis are armed with bov
and arrow and tomahawk, most terri
BILE weapons in their skilled hands
They fight like devils incarnate, AM
know how to take the slightest chanc
for ambush and treachery. The
, neither give nor ask quarter, and ar
cruel in the extreme. At night the,
never fight, running away when al
, tackled between sunset and sunrise
Their mode of warfare makes it har
for the Mexican troops to battle wit
them, yet there is every prospect tina
. the troops now operating against ther
, will succeed in suppressing them. Th
Yaquis are nominally Catholics, bu
, their rites are largely taken fror
heathendom, and their fanaticism
boundless. Among themselves the
, observe fair moral status and enforc
: strictly laws against robbery, swine
. ling, etc, but the "Yaris' have i
!, their eyes no rights which Yaquis al
: bound to respect City Of Mertco 1st
RepubIicS