Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1907-10-30


mated il might kaye prolonged the
life of that Inflated government.
The necessity for making the psrs
chase at all came about through the
negligence or earelessness, or lack of
knowledge of the physical contour OF
the region, on the part Of the commits
sion which negotiated the treaty of
Hidalgo. 1t is said on good authority
that the plan of making the ella riv-
er the base of the dividing line be-
tween the two nations was merely an
expedient OF convenience and that a
more southeriy line might have been
had practically for the asking. How
aee.s shat ma ha tho III peso
Herald, the United States, being the
victor, was certainly in position TO
dictate the terms of the treaty
The treaty was signed and ratified
in IS4S and very soon afterwards an
important discovery was made-the
United States had a frontier of over
coo miles along which there was no
possibility of ever constructing a rail-
road or even a wagonroad Think of
railroad from Las Cruces west to
the source of the ella and thence
along the north side of the river to
San Carlos and on to the Colorado
A burro train would hardly be able to
traverse that route, yet no other route
was in possession of the government
at the close of the war with Mexico
The discovery of the poor bargain
which the commission had made
created something of CONSERVATION
! throughout the country. especially in
congress. The confederacy was even
then looming into great proportions
and the south was inclined TO think
that the north had brought about this
condition of affairs for an Interior pur-
pose. There was a great deal of GRIM
ination and recrimiHation between the
two sections over the folly that had
been committed
OF course. the territory adjacent 20
the line was considered as entirely
worthless and a hundred miles of it,
more or less, was OF no importance:
but two sections of the country, Tex
as and California, each beginning to
pulsate with new life. were without
means OF communication. Just then,
| too. the thrill OF the gold discovery at
! Sacramento went around the world
and sent a vast horde struggling
| across Mexico's northern frontier,
knowing nothing and caring nothing
for international lines or for the COM
fly Of governments. All Of this made
thoroughfare on our own soil i'm.
| perative.
For a time the government at
Washington was determined 10 make
the most of the unfortunate situation
and insisted that a thoroughfare must
be established. When General Kear-
ney marched his cavalry from Santa
Fe to the coast, soon after the bound
airy was fixed, he was under orders
not TO encroach on Mexican territory
that Is, he must keep north or the
ella river. He tried to do SO, but
found the route impracticable, even
for his horsemen, and so crossed over
and traYersed the plains country to
the south.
After Kearney. a number of months,
came a company of infantry with a
wagon train. This was the somewhat
noted Mormon Battalion" raised by
order of Brigham Young, and offered
to President Polk for the purpose of
proving the oft questioned loyalty OF
the Mormons OF that day.
The battalion was in command or
Captain ST. George Cooke, and Cooke
had imperative orders to keep north
of the river at all hazards Leaving
Don Ana, near what is now Las Cru
ces, and then the important crossing
of the Santa Fe Trail aud the Old I'm
migrant Road or Butterfieid Road
from Fort Smith, Ark, Cooke strug-
gled OFF to the westward past Cookies
peak, named for him, and Mule Spring
to the Santa Rita copper mines, near
the present Silver City, actually drag.
ging his wagons over the traclSless
mountain region. Here he found fur
ther progress to the west along. that
parallel utterly impossible especially
as his guides, notably Leroux, told
-
mnexnlnred and that the location Of
water was an unknown quantity. I'm
willing to imperil his men and his
whole train by a fooihardy venture
Cooke now struck south into Mexico
over an old Indian and Mexican trad
ing route, between the copper mines
and Janos, on tributary of the Casas
Grandes river, near Corralitos Thence
he bore west around the big bend of
the Bavispe river, through the famous
Guadalupe pass (about 50 miles due
east of the present city of Douglas)
by Aqua Prieta Gust across the pres
ent boundary from Dougias) and over
70 the Santa Cruz valley near the
present city Of Nogales, whence he
turned Eorthward again TO Tucson,
then still In Mexican territory, and
from there ne made his way 10 the
ella river and on to Yuma and the
coast.
This route was for a great many
years thereafter the great thorough.
fare for California immigrants II
WaG IN arcrffro 4hfc rrs.fa
Gadsden purchase was brought about.
The lase Bishop Christopher Lay
ton of the Mormon church, who resid-
ed In Graham county, this territory,
for many years prior to his death in
1908, and William ID. Johnson. yet
resident Of Thatcher, Graham county,
were both members Of the Mormon
battalion and were on the trip which
first marked the southern overland
trail through what is now southern
Arizona and on to San Diego from
Yuma. Bishop Layton related to the
writer many interesting events OF that
trip one day On a stage ride between
Rpwie station and Solomonviile.
Tucson at that time was occupied
as a Mexican military post az It had
been for many years previous to that
famous march across the untracked
wilds Of Arizona by the first Ameri-
can soldiers. When the battalion ar
rived at a point near where Pantano
now located Captain Cooke sent a
scouting party into Tucson under a
white flag for the purpose of request
ing the privilege of making camp
there where wafer and supplies might
be obtained The Mexican command
L.