The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-11
TO CHECKMATE THE YAoUIS
Plan to Protect Gold in Transit From
Mines to Railway-How President
Diaz Stopped Train Wrecking in
Mexico.

Mines to EdilVay-hOw PRESIDENT
Diaz Stopped Train Wrecking in
Mexico.
Any n who mas travelled through
the great canyons and mountains
Of the Yaqui country, down in old
Mexico, with wagons loaded with
gold bound for the railroad station
twenty miles away can sympathize
with Tcrran VI. Hart, OF Cambridge,
i Mass, who owns extensive mining pro-
pertias in Mexico. The Yaqui Indians,
who originally were experts only in
bows and arrows and whiskey, have
| o become So civilized as TO know
the value Of gold TO the white
nan Their ancestors used gold
aul silver cobbIestones for max
ing chimneys 10 their nuts, and
slabs of the precious metal were so
common tina. they used them for door
| steps. When they picketed their pom
les they hobbled them to million dol
| lar nuggets and did other things that
showed their Indifference to wealth in
the raw.
But these modern Yaqui Indians are
up to date and have made much trOu-
BILE for Mr.. Hart. He is tired of pay
ing funeral expenses for the men they
have shot while hustling his gold ship
ments to the railway station.
! During his recent visit to the auto
mobile show in Boston the brilliant
idea came to him of building big,
heavy mountain automobiles covered
with armor plate with plenty of room
for rapid fire guns at each n OF the
machine. fIe consulted a Buffalo firm
of manufacturers. Experts said il
would be easy to make such a ma
chine and it would undoubtedly revolu-
tiOnize frontier fighting and be valua-
BILE in case of war.
So Mr.. Hart has ordered an arsenal
on wheels. It is to be strongly plated
with high grade steel causing Indian
bullets to glance off like peas. If any
body is killed it will be the red saw
ages and their friends skulking along
the trail waiting to share in the plun-
der.
Travellers who have visited Indian
kindergarten schools in the
Willis of the Southwest may recall the
I effective object lessons of fifteen or
twenty wind dried and sun tanned
dead enemies hung UP to inspire the
youngsters to brave deeds during
school recess, when they repair to
the neighboring highways to pick off
fat tourists who may be passing that
way.
Although the Yaqui country has been
called civilized, yet the mountain PC
lice ("Rurales') have failed to keep
the indians from butchering unprOtect-
, ed travellers. Less than a year ago
several Americans were murdered by
the Yaquis while visiting their claims.
Early in the season Mr.. Hart bought
two automobiles and after a thorough
test became convinced that nothing
could equal them for transporting
gold in dust, bullion or powders. Only
one-tenth of the force of men would
be needed to protect the gold caravans,
and bue one-fifth of the time would be
required to make the journey from
the mines to the railroad station. The
problem of getting up a steel clad car
was discussed from all standpoints,
and her the order was given Coz q
| model war car to be constructed. Ii It
is a success half a dozen others Of the
same kind are to be built for Mr.. Hart
High grade armOr plate will be used
ON the working parts, the front seats
and tonneau to protect the machinery
and passengers from Indian as
saults both On level ground and while
winding through the mountains where
absent minded Indians have the care
less habit of tumbling down things on
travelling outfits without stopping to
see whether they carry dynamite or
guns. With steel hoods over these ma
chimes, spiked like a Roman helmet,
nothing short of the tumble down
mountain can effect them. Poisoned
arrows, ordinarily bullets, gravel fired
from sawed off shot gun and the like
will ha~e no more effect on these ma
chimes l. n a summer rain drop.
A plac- will be provided in the
tonneau for carrying gold, with rapid
fire guns mounted in front and rear. 1t
is expected that the SharpshOtters with
these guns will be able to knock the IN
dams from the n~eighboring mountain
tops as if they were dogs and rid the
country in a short time of savages.
But there are others. President Diaz
discovered this when he was General
of the army and later when he became
President. While making a railway
1 lIlD IIlp SOIIC oCA1(dh ~
to wreck the train. Ditching a train
in Mexico means hurting thirty or forty
cars down a slope a mile long, almost
perpendicular, with a little ribbon O!
silver at the bottom which is found
to be a big roaring river when kind
ling wood, car wheels and multilated
passengers begin tumbling down the
mountain side.
President Diaz barely escaped with
his life, and then he inaugurated the
custom, backed by law, of executing
train wreckers at 3 o'clock every Fri:
day afternoon. After the law had beer
vigorously executed a month or Two
leading citizens entreated the Presiden'
to let up or the country would be de-
populated of it's most eminent men.
A merchant who had held office anc
lthOusht he was something OF q states