The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-13
Scenes in and Around GuaymaS
Mexico.
THE GRUESOME GODS ACRE.
The Raseally Doings of Count Rauset, and
How the Fiend Net His Quietus-
The Consul Willard.

Sonora railroad; and almost within a
stones throw is the bay, covered with busy
shipping. Apparently
NO ATTEMPTS AT DECORATION
have been made at any time upon this
strange Goods Acre" Though close upon
the highway, it has never been enclosed by
railing or wall, and not trace of tree or
shrub or growing thing is visible-nothing
out an arid waste of sand and stones, like
all the uncultivated land hereabouts, within
which a blade of grass never grew nor
wild flower found root, only few poison
ous thistles and thorny cactus spires.
Rambling about this desolate place
meanwhile keeping a sharp lookout for
snakes and other dangerous reptiles-one
marvels that the Mexicans, who are so full
OF sentiment and poetry in otherrespects,
should so utterly neglect their dead. To
be sure, there is a newer and better GENE
terry back among the hills; but this one is
not of ancient date, and many of Guaymas'
present prosperous citizens have relatives
lying here.
Making our way with difficulty through
sand and loose stones among thOrny bushes
that scratched our hands and rent our gar
ments-as if they, more pitiful than the
living, were striving to
PROTECT THE DEGRADED DEAD
from the eyes of the stranger-we saw
many broken vaults, within which human
bones and fragments of collins were plainly
visible. Some of the moldering caskets
still showed wreaths of faded flowers on
top, proving that the clay within, now for
gotten and deserted, was blessed with
human love and tenderness not SO very
m r
adobe, either square, like dry goods boxes,
or with rounded roofs which gave them the
look of Dutch bake ovens.
Many of the filibusterS from various
parts of the world, but mostly from Eng
land and the United States), who from time
10 time have visited this region with muir
derOus intent and been punished with
death as they deserved, are buried in this
gruesOme place. Among them is that
noted F'renchman, Count Rauset.
MS Is A QUEER MONUMENT,
near the middle Of the yard, being merely a
huge pile of rough stones cemented to
gether in the form of blunt pyramid or
that Of a rather fiat and low Cleopatra's
needle. On one side of it is carved bronze
plate bearing his name and age and coat-of-
arms, sent over by his brother who was an
admiral in the French army
/ think it was in the year of 1854, or there
abouts, that Count Rauset was captured
and shot by the citizens of Guaymas
Forty or more Of his men, who fell in the
last desperate encounter, were buried in a
deep trench little further down the beach;
but few years ago, the bones were trans
1erred 10 the smart new cemetery, back
among the cerros.
The full particulars of the counts ex-
plOits among the hitherto peaceful Sonor-
ans will not bear printing, and will proba-
bly, never be known to the world: but
many of them still furnish tales to be
whispered around fresides, and bug-a-boos
30 brighten refractory children. One of
them-his last eXploit-will serve as hint
20 his previous career. On the 18th of July
liu 1854, I believe), he gave
A GRAND BANQUET IN GuAYMAs
TO which were hidden all the attractive
young women of the vicinage. As he then
occupied the city by force of arms, his in
VitatiOn was equivalent to command, and
none dared to decline it, But it leaked out,
through the premature disclosure of a
drunken captain, that the wine had been
heartily drugged, and that after the feast
the count and his chosen officers intended
70 dishOnOr the ladies, one and all.
While the Hateful banquet was at its
height, news came to him that the out
ragged citizens, whose wives, daughters, |
sisters and sweethearts were at his mercy, |
bad arisen to arms; but so sure was the |
latent count of his ultimate success that at |
first he paid no attention to it. beyond |
issuing orders to his soldiers to ''shoot |
down every ID rebelr' Before night |
fell however, the F'renchman was a pris-
Dner, whose life soon after paid the forfeit |
Of his crimes.
Nowadays, on the 18th of every July, a |
grand celebration is held in Guaymas
ended by a ball concentrating the |
Erenchman's downfall. History, so far as |
can find, Is not clear on the point of
THE COUNTS ORIGINAL PURPOSE
n Sonora beyond the fact that he was a
'filibustern of the first water, who came
to colonize the country, but in
ended ultimately to possess it. Some tell
IS that after the final battle, which contin-
ned three days and terminated in favor of
he Mexicans, solely through the desperate
ralor of the citizens of Guaymas in defense
# the honor of their wOmen-the count and
III his surviving followers were offered a
mall sum of money apiece and their
liberty, on consideration that they would
Iuletly leave the country and bind them
elves never to return. a few accepted
he alternative, but their leader preferred
eath rather than the ignominy of return
ng TO France empty-handed after all his
y
le was led up the side of one of these bar
en- hills and placed with his face toward
he rising sun-and toward a squad of
dexican soldiers, each with a shining
MUsKET BARREL POINTED TO HIS HEART.
! fash-a brief cloud of smoke-a volley
everberated among the lonely cerros, and
mother misguided soul had gone to its &C
cunt.
Away beyond these hills, nine miles dis
ant from the present city, lies the old
iuaymas, or all that remains of it, with the
uins of its ancient mission, church and
chOol. About four hundred families still
eside there in the midst of well watered
ardens. One wonders why the new Quay
las should ever have been preferred by
nybOdy as a place of abode, being so hot
nd barren. For many years, the latter
-as merely place of debarkation, and all
be people made their homes behind the
ills. But finally "sweet water'' was dis
overed here, the wells were erected and,
S business increased, the town gradually
anne over and settled by the sea. There
now talk of bringing water from the old
own by means of an acqueduct, ten miles
ing. in which laudable enterprise Mr..
NTH, of the United States, is concerned
doubtless a member of the numerous
lmily with whose cognomen we are all
lmiliar.
Not far from
THE PICTURES QUE WELLS OF GUAYMAs,
re- are shown the gap in the hills through
mich MaXimilian's army came, at the time =
{ the French Intervention, in 1864; and
leir subsequent camping ground opposite
he American fort In the walls of many
{ the houses shells are still embedded, and
5her traces Of those troubled days may
i'll be seen.
Late in February of the present year, :
lere was a considerable earthquake shock
1T in Guaymas, which ,TaCl-,F many
alls. ratified the windows and doors, and
fY.ioltapod tho raOYla nr1t did A