The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-16
TeRRoRs FROM ARIZONA.
A Strangely Composite Company of Fight
ers Bound for Cuba.
(From the New Orleans Pioayune. J

(From the New Orleans Picayune.)
"The Real Terrors of Arizona"
Teddy Amt in It,, was the tenor of
placard ornamenting the side of one of
three tourists sleeping coaches which were
attached to the Louisville and Nashville
train which left the city at Ills O'Clock
yesterday forenoon, bound eastward.
The "Terrors" were in charge of Mr. @.
A. johnson, acting agent for the Quarter
masters Department. of the United States
Army. They were ninety four in number,
and If appearances go for anything they
could Click double their weight in wild
cats or spaniards, for tougher lot of
men never met together than these self
styled Terrors." Their appearance was,
however, great deal worse than their
deeds, for with all their roughness and
apparent savagery there was current of
actions. That they would fight there
could not be the least doubt, for each and
every one Of them had record for some
daring or brave act and they were all
typical frontiersmen, SUCH as were the
pioneers Of civilization in America from
the days of the landing of the pilgrims
on the shores of the old Bay State down
to the present time. These men, who had
left their homes in the mountains of
Arizona to serve their country as expert
packers. have most of. them been without
the confines OF civilization for SO many
years that they had forgotten nearly all
about 1t. and living, as they were, in the
lands of the murderous Apaches, whose
treachery and blood thirstipess is so we'll
known, they practically carried their
lives in their hands almost all the time
They are Injured to hardship and danger
and all of them can well be classed as
expert with either the rifle, the pistol or
(almost equally danger ous) the lasso, for
each and every one of them was master
at the cowboys art of 'roping," as was
amply demonstrated during even the
few moments they spent in this city.
They were Of all shades of complexion.
from the hlue.eyed, fair haired blonde to
the dark skinned halfbreed. There were
white men, most of them ranging in age
from As or 60 years, but all tall, straight.
stalwart, active men, whose bronzed
compilations and 1.-THE, supple steps
betrayed life of activity in the free open
air. Then there we're young men, none of
them, however, under % years, and these
were stout, strong, and athletic in build.
and to all appearancesigiants in strength.
There were Mexicans among them, of
slighter build, but wiry and agile as the
panther. There were Apaches and other
Indians, sitting sullen and morose in
their seats, apparently indifferent to the
strange scenes by which they were SIR
rounded, stoioal and disinclined to in
dulge in what they. no doubt considered
the boys play" of their white comrades.
There were mulattoes. tall, slender
specimens Of manhood, with determined
faces and physically giants There were
halfbreeds, and these altogether went to
make up one of the most heterogeneous
crowds OF men that ever was seen in this
city. Nearly all of them wore the Mexican
sombrero, with the gaudy SILVER trim
mings. and leatherbands. while cartridge
belts strapped around their waists were
all that went to make up anything like
uniform among these rough men.
Although without discipline, yst there
was one controlling spirit among wild
men. Some of them had been cow
punohers, others had been traders among
the savage tribes of Arizona and Mexico.
Some were miners, others ranchers,
prospectors, mountaineers, but all OF
ham thoroughly understood the art of
packing goods upon their "burros' or
mules used as freight oranports entirely
in the mountainous districts whence they
came. 1t was this very qualification,
which all possessed, that caused the
Government to enlist their services In
Cuba much Of the inland traffic, especial
ly In the mountains, is done by means of
mules which carry all the freight into
the interior. In an attack upon the island
OF Cuba by the land forces Of the United
States, the services of these men will be
indispensable, and it was for this purpose
that their services were engaged. Then,
again. every one of these men is born
lighter, and nothing would meet their
ideas OF fun more than scrimmage with
the Spaniards. One of the men, speak
Ing to comrade, said yesterday, when
the subject of fighting was broached:
You bet, the boys are all scrappers.
Those Spaniards are easy. They amt like
A paches, and guess we can get away
W 18th about ten times our numbers. Why,
them greasers would be scared to death to
have dozen Apaches jump up out of the
ground, as has happened to us time and
again."
Another said that he would bet that he
would come home with at least six
Spanish scalps in his belt. With all this
the men We're in jolly good humor, and
- IOuSH, u0CUuUA way
them selves while the train stopped at the
head OF Canal street for few moments
to take on the regular passengers. Nearly
every one of the men had lariat or lasso
and with those they were amusing them
selves catching dogs or occasionally
roping" one another. Onos one of them
threw the coil of his rope around "a news
boy, who screamed at the top of his voice |
at the unceremonious proceedings. |
Others caught up the youngsters who
hung about the train and pretended to be |
ABOUT to take them along with them. |
The more the boys would struggle and |
scream the greater would be the enjoy
ment of the terrors. AS dog oatchers the
terrors were eminent successes, and many
was the unhappy canine that was roped |