Wichita eagle., 1889-05-25
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SCHWATKA IN MEXICO.
An Interesting and Exciting Wild
Hog Hunt.
4 Dangerous Animal, II the Lieutenant
and His Party Could Only Have Found
TIA Sample Mexican Thnnder-Storm-
A Few Points ON Mexican Woods.
AMERICAS EXPEDITION,


Copyrighted, 1889
AMERICAS EXPEDITION, !
SONORA, Mex, April 16 1885,
This article will be devoted mainly to an
account of hunting the 5abdi pronounced
Hah-vah-lee in the Mexican version of the
Spanish language) or the peccary of Son
ora, Lower California and Chihuahua. 1t is
the wild hog of these parts of Northern
Mexico, and while one of them is in no wise
equal to the wild boar of other countries of
which we read so often in books of hunting
and adventure, still, as the wild hogs here
60 IN droves and are equal if not superior in
courage, they more than make up in num-
bers all they lose by being considered in
divldually. But to return to the limiting of
this very strange species of game in which
j have just INDUCED, and, although feel
sore enough to crawl into jdcdl and sleep
Tor the next six weeks, will try and give
my version of the affair, although / have
not the remotest doubt but that if the
fdbdts had given their side Of the chase it
would have been far more interesting, GER
talnly more comical, to my readers.
When In Guaymas, on the eastern coast
of the Gulf of California, l heard from
rather reliable sources that these self-same
peccaries, or Mexican wild hogs, were quite
plentiful along the line Of the Sonora rail-
way, and as never object to explore or
hunt in a Pullman car, 1 determined to see
If could not get up small native party
and attack these pugnacious pigs in their
own haunts. My rcpetoire de chase had in
cluded polar bear, chipmpnks, moose, jack
rabbits, grizzlies, snipes, elk, tarantulas,
walrus, meadow larks, panther, snow
birds, reindeer, vultures, etc, etc, etc,
etc, ETC., but as yet the scalp of no peccary
tangled from my belt, SO with wild war
whoop aud q railroad ticket l started on the
chase. We pulled out of Guaymas on the
morning Of a fine day, the party consisting
Of myself, artist, photographer, locomotive
No. AZ, Wells, Fargo & Co.'S express, and
car 427 (frst-class). I had my fine, new
model Winchester, 40-S2, while the others
were armed accordingly. Our destination
was Torres station, about fifteen to twenty
miles up the road, where wild hogs or pee
carries could be expected, and where horses
COetter speaking, the bucking brorcho, of
Southwestern fame) could be procured
with guides, ropers-in, etc, etc.
This southern part of the Sonora railway
would be interesting In the extreme to a
person who has never seen our great and
growing southwest. It's vegetation is the
most curious, although the surrounding
oCCACEg 10 picturesque ny IISSll,
but fine scenery is to be viewed in q
thousand places in our own country. Not
so with such wonderful pIant-growth as
we saw that morning on our way to the
slaughter grounds of the peccaries, to be.
Here was tho universal mesquite that look
like dwarfed epple-tree with more dwarf
than apples about 1t, and that give the
brightest fire of any wood that was ever
burned. Our locomotive tender is full of it,
and we can make sixty miles an hour if we
want, as far as fuel is concerned Inside it
is a beautiful bright cherry red, and many
Is the year that have wondered if this
plentiful tough and twisted timber of the
Gar southwest could not be utilized some
way as fancy wood, for certainly more
beautiful color was never seen. Occasion
ally thought 1 saw my old friend, the sage
brush that used to run across so often in
the West, when was chasing Indians just
far enough behind them to be sure would
pever catch them, the Indians, not the
sage brush. Then there was the iron-wood
(palo dc hicrro) that looks like a very fine
spruce variety Of the mesquite. Its hard