The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-24
TIE YAQUI indian war
Impressions Gained by a Sojourner
in Their Country.
He Says They Arc Right and Will
Never Give Up Their Soil to the
Mexican Government Until Their
Race Is Completely Differentiated
Love for Their Native Valley.


DR.. Frank ]. Tou=saint. of Milwaukee, ha:
returned home. Much of his time during
his absence was spent in the Yaqui River
country, and while there he embraced the
opportunity of looking into the grievances
of the Indians whereabouts who are now II
! revolt against the Mexican Government
He had quite number of these Indians II
his employ ami speaks Of them as sturdy
hardy lot of fellows, and good workers
AS field hands they are the best to be nae
in the Republic. AS miners they are eGua
| to any he has ever seen. Their long ex-
perience in the mountains has made them
! keen observers, and 1T is safe to say that
| many OF the good abandoned old mines
are well known to the iaqus.
After short stay in New Mexico and
brief stop over in Arizona said the
| doctor to a reporter the other day, u
crossed the border at Nogales, and after
| an all-Iight ride arrived in the clean
well-kept city of Hermosello. the capital
| OF the State of Sonora. 1t Is, In my opln-
ion one of the most picturesque and ad-
vanced cities in the whole Republic. 1t Is
| surrounded by mountains and orange
| groves, and has macadamized streets,
cement sidewalks. beautiful parks, modern
! homes, large factory buildings, street rail-
| ways, and electric lights, grand old
! churches, ring for bull fights. and many
other objects to attract and interest
| strangers.
The next day / staged it forty-five
! miles to Ures where / received my pack
and saddle animals and started for the
! Yaqui River. In the morning of the third
! day We passed the spot where few
months ago General Torres captured a
| large band of Yaqui Indians and after
picking out all the old men, children and
| women. whom he sent into another part
of the Republic, he ordered the $40 young
| fighting bucks shot and buried.
| From here to the south and east leads
the bloodvtrail made by the Mexican
troops as they slowly drove the Yaqui
Indians into the small narrow strip of
land where they were hemmed in on the
west and south by the waters of the Gulf
| OF California, on the east by the faqui
! River, patrolled by the Mexican gunboat
Democratic, and on the north by the I'M
broken line of well mounted and armed
/ troops. One evening as the gunboat came
close to the shore 1t was fired On by the
Yaquis and twelve officers and men were
killed. after which the Indians .'etired
in good order That night they crept
through the line OF troops and scattered
into the mountains in bands of from five
to twenty men, killing everything that
came in sight.
For a short time little was heard from
the brave men who were fighting for their
homes and liberty. More is at stake.
They are fighting for the beautiful and
fertile Yaqui River valley. the rich fields
in which roamed the Yaqui herds of cattle.
goats, and horses; the towns and cities
on the river banks in which their fathers
and forefathers had lived. They are a
/ fairly intelligent people, but they cannot
understand why they should be driven
out of their homes-because the whole
valley had been given to one man for
services rendered the Government during
the war with Macmillan.
las long as they live they will never
give up that valley of unmeasured rich
soil, which gave them corn, beans, tobac-
CO, oranges, bananas, figs, dates, melons,
petias, chemoros, and many other fruits.
They love the valley for its roses and
brilliant wild flowers, the river alive with
fish and the beautiful sky-scraping noun
tains, which furnished deer, bear, wild
hog quail, turkey, and other game for
food and untold quantities Of gold and
silver for barter and ornaments, copper
for their church bells and iron for imple-
ments of war. 1
In support of their claims they have
waged active war OFF and on for fou teen
Government thousands of conyic: sold.e
and has cost the Yaqui ali he had to give
The Yaqu has given his home and MS lie.
1t was war of determination. The Yaqui
knew II. Again he Is being driven into that
fatal little slope where the river joins the
sea, to be shot down at sight any time he
comes within range Of that fatal Mausar
rifle. 1t is an unequal conflict, but the Va
quis are making brave fight. Only tn ee
attacked n well-guarded supply train on its
way to General Torres camp, killing three
and wounding several others who were left
with the wagons while the supply escort
was out running down the Indians The
latter we're outnumbered, perhaps sixteen
to one.
lone of the local celebrities of the
Yauui Valley at the present critical stage
in the Indians destiny is beautiful young
woman who styles herself a saint sort
of Yauui Joan of Arc. She is called Santa
Maria Teresa. She is with the Yauuls
and is said to be directing their move
men:s The devotion of these poor I'M
fortunate Indians is something almost be-
yond realization. ! have seen hundreds OF
them kneeling in the dusty roads with
their heads bowed to the ground asking
for her blessing as she passed them. An
other time l saw them at fiesta drop
everything to crowd around her to touch
her gown as she was on her way to the
church. Some Indians travel hundreds of
miles to see her and to be treated for some
real or imaginary disease. and all are
loud in their praises about her powers of
curing.
In a few weeks the rainy season will
begin, which will last three months and
fill all the swales. creeks. and streams
with water and the country with good
feed for the horses. The troops can travel
faster and go in directions from which the
present stage of water shuts them out.
l believe it will go hard with the Yalui
warriors this year, and that in a very
short time the last of them will be wiped
off the earth.
Already the advance guards of civiliZa-
ton are streaming into the Yaqui country.
Prospectors. miners and farmers are GO
ing in every day. Mining and agricultural
machinery is being taken into the coun-
try as fast as long wagon trains, ten mules
to each wagon, can haul IL over the rough
country. AS return freight the wagon
trains bring the gold and silver ore. Gull
tivated cotton produces ten months in a
year and is of finest quality. Wild cot
ton grows on trees, which yield Que crop
a year. Strawberries can be had from
January to January, and are fine and large
Wheat is planted like corn. A hole is
made with a sharp stick, kernel is
dropped into it and the hole closed by
stepping on it. One grain produces from
twelve TO thirty-five stalks Each stalk
has from fifteen to thirty kernels of
wheat. Chicago Chronicle
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