The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-10
TELEGR APH
WIRES INTO
YAQUI LAND
Completion Of a System That
Will Aid the Mexican
Troops.
REMOVES A HANDICAP
Hereafter Every Move Made by the
Indians Will Be Known at
Once at Headquarters.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

AUSTIN, Tex, Aug. "a dispatch
from Durango, Mexico, says that Man
uel Lopez Serano, constructor in the
service of the Federal Telegraph Com
pany, has just reached that city from
the Yaqui Indian country, where he has
been employed for the past ten months
extending the Government telegraph
lines to remote mountain and river val
ley towns and villages. He left COcOri,
a thriving little town in the rich Yaqui
River Valley, shortly after the recent
outbreak of the YaqUis occurred and
he had an escort of a troop of Mexican
cavalry to the mouth of the river,
where he caught a boat for Mazatlan,
from which place he came to Durango
and took the train this evening for the
City of Mexico
Serano said the Government was in
much better shape to make Z successful
campaign against the rebeilious tribe
now than in any of the previous wars.
Immediately after the signing of the
treaty of peace over two years ago the
War Department directed the Federal
Telegraph Company to connect every
town and village in the old Yaqul
country with the general telegraph Sys-
tenn. i his mas DStn uOIlt anu llItIt 10
now hardly a point in the turbulent
territory that is not in direct tele-
graphic communication with the War
Department. Every move that rowing
bands of YaQuiS make is instantly
known to the military authorities and
the movement of troops is directed &C
Cordingly. 1t is expected some of these
wires will be cut and the lines de-
stroyed by the Indians. but some of the
ND 7 he
campaign properly directed from the
City Of Mexico.
In former wars with the YaquiS there
was no Geographic communication with
the unknown region and the troops had
TO use their own judgment as to the
conduct of the campaign, with the re-
suit that they would often be drawn
into ambush or made to travel hun
dreds of miles on a fruitless chase after
the willy braves. Continuing, Senior
SeranO said:
Il am convinced that the War De-
partment is thoroughly informed as to
the relative position of every warning
Indian band in the Yaqui Valley and
that the troops now being massed along
the lower course of the river will strike
at the vital points when the word is
given to move. The present rising
causes the Mexican military authori-
for over a year. The first information
of the contemplated outbreak was given
10 General Torres by the old Yaqui
chief, Tebiate, several months ago, and
Immediately thereafter the work of
masSing troops in the State of Sonora
began and has been going on ever since,
until there are now over 5000 available
men.
The war will be over in a few
months. There will be no tempOrizing
with the Indians this time. 1t is going
to be campaign of determination and
the YaQuis will have to succumb to a
greatly superior force. 1 have been all
through their sO-called mountain
stronghOds during the past few months
and there is hardly place that cannot
be reached by Mexican troops and
mountain artillery. If the Yaquis keep
divided into one or two forces they will
be easily defeated: If they break into
smaller bands they may cause the Gov
eminent troops much annoyance, but
their ultimate determination or com
plete subsection is certain TO occur"
Senior Serano said the Indians had
committed many murders and de-
stroyed a large amount of valuable
property belonging to peaceable MeXi-
cans before they left the valley. They
had had one engagement with a small
force of Mexican troops near the vii
Iage of Onava, resulting in the defeat
Of the Yaquis, their loss in killed be-
ing nine men. One Mexican soldier was
killed and two wounded in the fights.