Graham guardian., 1900-11-23
EXPEDITION LETTER.
Regular correspondents to The GuAnDIAN,

about Colonia Garcia is one great
pine forest, the harbor of many
bear, deer and wolves. Though a
hunters paradise, it soon becomes
tiresome to the traveller, who would
surely be lost in this sea of timber
il, he should leave the trail. The
main travel through here is from
Casas Grandes to the Guaynopa
mountains, gold region that is be-
ing much advertised. AS conse-
quence quite few fortune hunters
come through here, in spite of the
Yaquis, who from time to time
cause a periodical scare. Prest.
Cliff having decided not to visit
that tribe Of Indians but to take
the shortest route to the Rio Mayo,
The ,B.... x. a, Expedition went over
a SADIE ttFaelS,iato theS@Yalle de San
13nenaventura, ? 4 large valley
hwhere gvater and spasture abound.
Here some -of' tho hsrgest stocls'
ranches in the state are situated.
Luis Tellazas, the Mexican cattle
king, owns an immensef tract
of land here. Mrs. Hearst, of Cal
Iifornia, is neighbor to him, with
| 100000 acres, whereupon& so, 600
cattle range. The fine stock, the
good range, the trim ianch~ build
ings beh'ay American ideas and
management and the. fine impress
sion, that they'made is We passed,
for two days, one after another,
was much emphasized by the cour-
tesy of the Americans employed
there. 1t contrasted very strongly
with what we were going to see &
few days later. Here we had n
country that was comparatively
modern; when, two days later, we
reached Santo Tomas, we found
Old Mexico, sleepy, indolent, stag
pant, rhe land of poverty and man.
ana.
They had had a revolution at
the latter place some ten years ago,
on which occasion much property
was destroyed. Half of the town
was demolished, tho church was
in ruins and, but for the weeds,
everything was as unchanged as a
historian might wish it. Though
Sunday when we passed through,
/ (Which day is for a rural town the
busiest Of the week,) nothing was
going on in Santo Tomas. A few
1 rapchcrs, a shabby. ungainly out
\ fit who had come down for their
wcokly ration of ,mescal, stood
and looked at usin wonder. They
impress you not, very favorably
when you see them in places like
these and you rather feel inclined
to invert the old adage and say;
ga mile is better than miss"
The aspect of the country, how
ever, is conciliating. 1t is one OF
rolling hills with the Guerrers
river flowing through it. Far and
wide, the green 'expanse is dotted
with corn patches, corrals and the
llittle flat rooted houses of the ma
tives. And here is where the con-
trast comes in of which | spoke be.
fore. The very air is laden with
lit. A stillness,and absence of ac-
ttivity prevails that strikes your
ear distinctly. Another people, q
race of pigmies, some of civiliza.
tons disinheiited, liye here. This
fertile soil, this climate, these nat
ural resources would inspire any
other than such to free themselves
from conditions as arc prevalent
here. If in the United States, no
Eduestion but what this region
would be noted for its agriculture,
stock raising, lumber and mining
Industry. Here it lies, partly
waste, partly but wretchedly cult
tivated, furnishing the few neces.
saries of life of a primitive popu-
lace. There is no sign of a mod
ern enterprise in evidence any
where; nor an indication, in any
form, of modern progress. The
novelist, the artist, the historian,
find abundance of material, pic
turesque people, an lillian sky, a
Iglowing, congenial sun, and arcad-
ian conditions generally, but the
government, in trying to arouse
these people out of their .lethargy,
to make out of them useful and
thrifty citizens, has an herculian
task before it.
Most of the country districts in
Mexico present the same condition.
SO far only the cities and more i'm
portant towns .are yielding to mod
ern influences.
! While travelling among these
peopley you are curious, of course,
TO know how they live. That
much is apparent, that absence of
society places neither obligations
nor restrictions upon them. Wealth
does not show its splendours here,
nor is poverty anxious to hide.
The.evenest of conditions seems to
prevail. They dwell, dress, eat,
fwork alike. Neither past nor fu.
Eture have much hold oi'them. To
allay the most pressing needs of
theInoment seems to be the bur
den Of their lives. Naturally. TO