Evening star., 1915-06-23
AMERICANS HOLD
VAST YAQU| REGION
Scene of Indian Uprising Is
MiIIion-Acre Irrigation
Project.
COMPANY OFFICES
ARE AT ESPERANZA
May Take Marines More Than a Day
to Reach Imperiled Subjects
of United States.

The Yaqui valley in Mexico. where
hostile Indians threaten the lives Of
American settlers for whose protection
Rear Admiral Howard has been sent
to Guaymas, the relief expedition hav-
ing been threatened by Gov. Maytorena
of Sonora If an attempt is made to
land an armed force, is in reality a big
irrigation project owned by Americans
John Hays Hammond Is the principal
American owner of this millionaire
project, and the Richardson brothers
of Los Angeles are the next largest
shareholders. j. r. Talman, now en-
ployed by the United States engineer
ing Office in the Southern building, and
living at Falls Church, Va. was the
engineer in charge of surveying most
of this irrigation plant.
Few Have Firearms.
At Esperanza, where news dispatches
say the Americans are concentrated, is
the headquarters of this irriga ton
works. and is\reckoned 120 miles from
Guaymas There is located the COM
pany stores and Castle Verde, the resi-
dence of the American owners when
| they are visiting the plant. Those ia
milar with the country and the ad-
minstration of the American project
believe that the Americans have been
| removed to the experimental farm at
Onteago, a few miles from EsperanZa
where there are some old guns that
were supplied by the Mexican govern
ment about the time of the Madero
revolution. They say that very few of
the Americans in southern Sonora have
any firearms at all
Should it become advisable to land
United States marines and bluejackets
| it is understood that they will be put
ashore at Tobari bay, sheltered by the
lei q nd nf nh he
| but about six feet over the sandba RS
| so troops would have to be taken
ashore in small boats. Tobari bay is
directly west Of Esperanza and news
| dispatches have stated that Navy De-
partment officials have estimated that
| II would take an expeditionary force
one day to reach the imperiled Ameri-
| cans in the interior
Says Two Days Is Necessary.
| Engineer Talman. who has traversed
all of this country. says that it could
not possibly be done under two days
and not then If any hostile effort was
made to impede the advance. For
several miles inland from the coast H.
entrance to the harbor was an old
delta. After this soggy ground had
been crossed the relief expedition
would encounter drifting sandhills for
width, and then would stretch inland
the great cactus grown and entangled
mesa.
I Between Tobari bay and Espera MA.
about eighteen miles from lGsperanza,
is the six and main" construction
camp of the irrigation project This
consists of few shacks Between
this and EsperanZa there is nothing
but the warehouse at Cajerne where
there are only a few persons This
warehouse was established here mere
y to save long hauls of freight and
supplies.
Cocorit is an American town, the
nearest to Esperanza. This Indian
name means Where the Sal, Was
spilled II commentaries the attack
upon and destruction of a salt train by
! the natives, who had been deceived
into believing that the Americans were
shipping gold out of the country Sc
cretly.
| Are Small Homesteaders.
The Americans in peril are mostly
| small homesteaders. who went to the
| country N tai UnrL m ~.