The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-07-10
TIE INDUSTRIOUS YAQuls.
Hostile Now to Whites. but Once They
Were Good Section Hands.

Hostile Now to Whites. but Once They
Were Good Section Hands.
In the years Immediately following
the building of the Sonora railroad,
which connects Benson, Ariz., with
Guaynas on the Gulf of California, the
traveller, after crossing the Mexican
border, saw that the section men en-
ployed on the track were small, dark.
active men, clad in blue dungaree
jumpers and trousers and broad
brimmed straw hats. They were bare
footed or shod in sandals, and they
worked steadily and industrially, and
exhibited an alertness and intelligence
in striking contrast to the impassive-
ness of the average Mexican laborer
They were Yaqui Indians, who came
from their town of TORN or other
places along the lower Yaqui river.
''The best workers ever saw" said
the late T. J. Seely, the first superin-
tendent of the road There's only one
trouble with them. Everything may
be going along all right and you've got
good track and plenty of good labor
ers But there comes word to your men
from their chief at home that they're
needed in the Yaqui country to repel
the Mexican troops Or to take part IN
domestic warfare Almost on the in
slant thev all start for their homes,
and you wake up the next morning
to ind that you haven't any laborers.
They are very resourceful and self-re-
liant. I remember once that the sup
ply train failed to come as ordered. so
that our Yaqui laborers were left tenn
porarilv without provisions. Instead
of grumbling or striking, they at once
scattered and wen: to hunting roots to
eat. and there was no complaint by
them or failure to perform duty while
waiting for the delayed supplies.
Up to 1856. in their country along the
lower Yaqui river, within the TERRA
caliente,'' or hot belt, the Yaquis were
always able to beat Mexican troops
who were sent in repeated expeditions
to reduce them. They were not at
that time marauding Indians, but
lived independently in their own coun-
try, repelling all intruders and not mo-
testing the whites except those who
tried to enter their domains. They
made their own gunpovder, and were
patriotic and invincible fighters.
Banded together against the outside
world, within their own borders they
had factions, and sometimes conspir-
acies and assassinations-
The legitimate heir to the chieftain-
cy of all the Yaquis was living in
Guaymas when there came deputa-
ton to inform him that the throne was
vacantand that the popular voice called
him to TORN to rule over the Yaquis.
He declined the honor and waived his
royal rights, preferring tc remain IN
Guaymas in safety to taking the throne
with an almost certainty that sooner
or later he would be asSassinated in
trying to maintain himself in his peril
GUS elevation. Cajeme. 1.-The Jaguar,"
who so long ruled the Yaquis and led
them against the Mexican troops, be-
came king by assassinating his pre-
decessor.
Since the Mexicans in their victor;-
Gus campaigns of nine years ago drove
those who would not submit from the
lower river with its fertile fields into
the mountains. the fugitive Iaquis
have become fercer and more pceda-
tory and wage an aggressive war upon
all whites. They still roam at large
in the mountain fastnesseS. unsubdued
oo1 foryn lido bla N V Srn