The morning times., 1897-01-03
WIRES TO TRAP INDIANS.
Arizona Renegades to- Be Fought
With Telegraph Line.

Capt w. A. Giassford, chief signal Of
ficer Of the Department OF the Colorado,
has returned from the tofder country be
tween Arizona and Mexico, where he has
been engaged in building a military tele-
graphline, which Is part of Gen. Wheaton's
plan to solve the problem OF how TO stop
the periodical Indian raids, Military tele-
graph lines in time of peace have been
constructed heretofore only whefe gar
risons and established posts have been be-
yond the reach OF the Commercial tele
graph
In Arizona there are isolated valleys,
trending north and south between low
ranges of mountains, where a small ba nd
of Indians ma roam for hundreds OF miles
before their presence can De made know
to the military authorities, while before
pursuit can be undertaken they are many
miles away, ,andtravelingthroug country
where they can easily disguise their trail
With a view to aiding in the transmission
Of information relative to Indian depre-
dationS, Gen. Wheaton conceived the plan
OF constructing military telegraph lines
into those secluded and isolated valleys
Tie opportunity for the construction Of
experimental lines came with the abandon
mcnt of Fort Stanton, in Eastern New
Mexico, last year. A military telegraph
line ninety miles in length connected that
| post with the railway line, and the iron
poles, wire and other material were taken
| down and stored, awaiting a call for use
| else where.
| With portion of this material a telc
| graph line was constructed from near Fort
| Grant across the Gallero Mountains into
| the San Pedro Valley. These mountains
| and the foothills of the San Pedro Valley
| slope nave been favorite highway for
Indians travelling between the reserva-
| tionS of the Rocky Mountain Apaches and
| Mexico Soon after this line was built
| it's efficiency was tested. A band of rene
| gade Indians appeared, pill aging the
ranches. and robbing and killing the white
! people An alarm was telegraphed to Fort
| Grant, word was quickly passed t. the com
| mands near the border and a hotc W was
| made The Indians found their retreat
cut off by the prompt appearance of troops
along the border, but they finally made
their escape through the rough Chiric
ahua Mountains where it was practically
impossible to follow them. 1t was then
determined to use the remainder of the
|
ing another information line below the
| rugged mountains, anditwas this work that
took Capt Glassford into the field las
| month.
The Chiricahua Mountains trend nortf
and south along the eastern line of South
eastern Arizona, and the range extends
| across the boundary into Sonora. These
mountains are the most rugged to be found
in that portion Of the country. Soldier
soon become completely exhausted in try
ing to penetrate their fastnesses. Tit
Indians, however, seem to know them like
an open book, and slip over the rocks ant
through narrow defiles with their mecca
sins, leaving no trail that even Indial
scouts can follow with any degree Of Ger
tanty. 1t is important for the successful
movement of the troops in that countr.
that renegade or retreating bands of In
dams he Intercepted before they reacl
their retreats in these mountains.
The beautiful valley Of San Bernardint
lies just west Of this range OF mountains
An immense ranch, known by the SAM
name, occupies the entire valley, being
portion Of an old Mexican land grant. Il
is owned by famous pioneer of Arizon,
named Slaughter-rather a suggestiv,
name, when t is known that the owner o
the San Bernardino ranch has the reputa
ton Of having killed some seventeen me
in his time. But Mr., Slaughter is not
bloodtllirsty man;s OF slight figure ,an
determination and q strong will that ma k