Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-07-27
THE YAQUIS' GOLDFIELD
How 1t Was Found by Two
:. American Prospectors.
CAREFULLY GUARDED BY INDIANS.
Story of Charles Erickson and Harry
From Mexico with SIS. 1s.OOO-Experi-
ences With the Yaquis-Wi1 Re-
turn With an Armed Expedition.

ences With the Yaquis-win Re-
turn With an Armed Expedition.
Reports from central and western
Mexico clearly indicate that the center
of copper and gold mining interests in
the southwest is soon to be transferred
southwark from Arizona and New Mex
leo. Almost daily come statements,
some from very reliable sources, of
great ore finds in the states of Sonora
and Chihuahua, Mexico. The latest
story to which credence may be given
is that Of Charles Erickson and Harry
Tharoldson, two New York state men,
who have been prospecting in the Mex
lean mountains, for the past two or
three years. They passed through
Phenix, A. T., the other day, en- route
to San Francisco, and exhibited a large
quantity of gold from placer fields at
some point along the southern side of
the Sierra Madre range in the lower
portion of Chihuahua or the northern
part of the state of Durango. They are
very reticent about their find, but to a
New York Sun correspondent intimated
that there was plenty more gold where
theirs came from, but that 1t was care
fully guarded by Yaqui Indians, who
are yet holding out against the Mexi-
can army sent to subdue them.
Erickson estimates that he and his
partner have about $4,000 in dust and
tells of peculiar circumstances under
which it was secured. About the mid
die of May the two prospectors found
traces of gold in a small stream, the
exact location of which they keep
secret. They followed the stream up
into the hills and were washing out the
dust In good quantities when they were
attacked by small party of Yaquis.
Both miners were well armed, and for
Indians. They were well intrenched in
the front and protected in the rear by
huge rock formation, which prevent
ed an attack from that direction. Sin
gularly, the Indians made no determin-
ed effort to drive out or kill the two
miners, but were content to fire an
occasional shot and spend the time in
conference. At the end of the second
day an Indian, who was evidently the
leader of the band, came out into the
open, laid down his gun, raised his arms
upward and walked toward the whites.
Erickson, who is the older of the two,
saw that a truce was intended and
went out to meet the Indian, also lay
ing down his gun. They conferred in
broken Spanish for short time and
the American convinced the Indian
that he was not native, but stranger
seeking gold. The latter assertion was
received with very evident displeasure,
and the meeting ended abruptly by the
Indian declaring that the two whites
could go away unmolested provided
they went at once and agreed never to
return in search of the gold in the
mountains.
The party of Indians rode away and
the following morning the two miners
started northward toward the Arizona
line. Glancing back as they rode away,
they saw a half dozen heads peeping
over the rocks and knew that the In
dian threat had been in earnest. Stop
ping at ranch little farther on, they
learned that one tribe of Yaquls has
long been in possession of a source of
giously guarded its secret and never al
lowed prospectors to tarry long in the
vicinity of the gold region For
months, however, they have been en-
gagged In desultory warfare with the
Mexicans and neglected, to some eX-
tent, their goldfelds.
Erickson and Tharoldson state that
the Mexican troops are now practically
In control and that General Torres
army, which has divided into two
parts, has cut the remaining Indians
Into small bands and that most of
these are returning to their homes.
They believe that the stream from
which they washed their gold will lead
up to big quartz finds and they intend
to return early in the fall with a well
armed expedition. They say that in
most of the mountain streams in the
southern part of Chihuahua small
quantities of gold can be washed out,
but in not such quantities as in the
stream which they found.
In all parts of upper Mexico the
Indians have been troublesome for
nearly a year, and most prospectors
have avoided the country, through fear
Of the Indians. Nevertheless many
good finds have been made. Various
plans are being made for railroads
into the now almost inaccessible min
ing country, and within year several
lines will be built. The Sante Fe al
ready has feeders down well into that
country and 1t Is stated on good au-
thority is planning to build many more
branches. The Southern Pacific, too,
Is looking over the ground and will
put big force of engineers at work
this fall. Mining men all through Ari-
zona are becoming deeply Interested
In the outlook in Mexico.
Istbmian Canal Exposition.
A movement recently started at New