Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-16
CAUGHT ~ suM-FlAsHes.

At this stage Of the campaign Gen
oral Miles decided to make use Of the
signal service, and to this end request
ed the Chief Signal Ohicer to provide
him with detail of men from the corps
70 report to the commanding General
OF the Department of Arizona for mill
tary signal duty in the field. Signal
stations were located on the highest
peaks along the line of communication.
Each station was equipped with from
TWO to four operators, according to the
amount Of business which passed
through it. In addition to these oper-
ators there were lookout men who
swept the surrounding country and
neighboring peaks with powerful field
glasses. While on duty, operators and
lookout men were guarded by de-
tachment of infantry. the numerical
strength OF which depended upon the
location of the station, having refer
ence to its liability to attack by hoe
| tiles.
Messages were transmitted from peak
| to peak and down in the valleys by
what is known as the photographic
system OF signals. The Photograph, or
sun-writer, consists OF an arrangement
OF mirrors mounted on q tripod, and so
adjusted as to enable the operator to
throw flash Of reflected sunlight on
distant point with mathematical exact
ness. In making signals long and short
sun-Aashes take the places of the dots
and clashes" of the magnetic sounder,
the same call being used for both in
struments. In clear atmosphere sig-
mails made by this instrument can be
easily read by the naked eye at dis
lance of eighty miles. and by an expert
operator at the rate of fifteen words
per minute.
To and fro across the valleys and
lower mountain ranges fitted the mes
sages which told of the recent where
abouts OF the hostiles, and close upon
the heels of those messages came others
ordering the troops in pursuit.
Ipresume it would be difficult task
to try to imagine the surprise that the
Indians felt when they suddenly saw
that they could not move without find
ing that almost Immediately their trail
would be cut by scouting cavalry. They
saw the light of the photographs flash
ing across the valleys, but they did not
at first comprehend its true signifi-
canoe. At last they began to associate
those flashes with the fact that they
were constantly being pressed and har-
assed, and within two weeks from the
date of the establishment of the hello
graph they fed southwark across the
Sonora border, there to remain until
chased back again by Captain Lawton
to the place of surrender.
For nearly two months following the
fight of the hostiles into Mexico not
sound came back from the shadows of
the Sierra Madres, into whose depths
pursued and pursuer had disappeared.
At last, on scorching hot morning
near the close of August, a Mexican
courier galloped into Bisbee-a mining
town near the border-with the intel
ligerce that Geronimo and band were
in the mountains about twelve miles
from Fronteras, Mex. wishing to treat
with the authorities of Sonora.
There was a heliograph station ut
Bisbee, and the information furnished
by the ''Greaser" was flashed promptly
TO Fort Bowie. seventy-five miles away.
Within fvvo houv. frO,,, <bx, firm, .>f ~,
arrival of the Mexican courier at Bis
bee five troops of cavalry were making
forced marches on Fronteras. When
Geronimo had escaped from the net
that the United States troops sought to
weave around him at Fronteras and
was flying eastward, pursued by all the
cavalry in the field. whisper passed
along the line that negotiations had
been opened looking to the surrender
of the hostiies. Consequently all sig
were on the tip-toe of expect
ancy.
One evening about the last of August |
the operators at station in the Swiss |
helm mountains were nodding lazily |
uA0Oi VIC O1Cl6CT VI IlIclf IcuI-uy, when
suddenly from the highest peak in the
Chiricahua range came the flash of a
Telegraph, and the following message
was received:
''Send blackboard to meet me at Scott
ranch. / shall be in Bowie
tonight and shall bring some Indians
with me-"
This is the modest manner in which
General Miles announced the surrender
Of Geronimo. That the employment of
the Telegraph was most important
factor in bringing the campaign to q
speedy and successful issue is generally
conceded.-Strgt. Whitney. IN Louis.
rille CoUTIer-J0Hrn0i.
The Rage for Ribbons.
There is a rage for velvet or MORE
ribbon 1arnitures abroad. They ar,