Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-27
The Terror of Sonora
By Frederic J. Haskin

stances where certain individuals
would contract for laborers whom they
did not need and then sell them to
planters at premium. A great many
unpleasant charges were brought for.
ward in this connection but the whole
matter of the Yaqui wars of late years
has been an unpleasant one on both
| sides.
1t Is easy to idealize the Yaquis at
a distance for their courage, their
hardihood and their love OF country,
just as 1t Is easy to paint them as I'm.
possible demons for their cruelty and
treachery. They have undoubtedly
practiced savage tortures on their cap
tives in the past just as they have uli.
doubtedly broken treaties with the
| Mexican government: but 1t Is just &C
| true that they are guided by a savage
code Of ethics and are fighting for land
that In the last analysis belongs to
| them, for they held It before Columbus
was born.
In flesh and blood, the Yaqui Is not .
particularly romantic figure. He 10 tho
common laborer OF Sonora, the peon,
| the herder of cattle and the tiller of the
soil. In the Mexican towns of the dis
trict many of the servants are Yaquis
! One Of the chief difficulties in subduing
them has been the highly developed
/ clan spirit that prevails among them.
The outlaw from the hills, hard press
ed. slips his rife into mesquite bush
and enters some peaceful village OF his
people where everybody will swear
that he has lived there for years.
The Yaqui Is a. medium sized indl
vidual as rule, rather stockily built
with a face broader and browner than
that of the North American Indian
whom the tourist sees in the west and
who adorns our buffalo nickels. His or
binary garb is prosaically like that oe
the Mexican section hand who works
on the western railroads, whittier as i
matter of fact he will sometimes AsSs
His wiry endurance, however, 10 truly
remarkable. Four centuries Of almost
(; continual warfare. interpreted with
the hardest OF hard work on the
ranches have made him tough AZ leath-
er. He will travel for days at high
speed through desert and mountaiil
with little or no food; he will work al
day in the fields under sun glare that
reaches $50 degrees heat in the direct
rays. In fact, one OF the chief prob
| IClAb Ill COAACCtiOA wAIh Suo A0kOA -
ton scheme for handling the Yaqui II
that OF filling his place as laborer In
Sonora.
In the past, the Yaquis Increased
their natural hardihood by regular
course Of training for their young men,
by which each boy was forced to make
long marches, endure long fasts and
privations before being admitted to the
rank of warrior. The women ara ~
hardy az the men, and accompany
them into the hills in time Of var.
Much OF the undying hatred Of the
"Yori," as they call the white man, ID
I duo to the women. who inoculate the
creed in their babes from the cradlo.
With all these martial characteristico,s
the Yaquis are neither noticeably stern
nor sullen among themselves. They
will work for hours with continual
flow of Jest and laughter NJ
The last few years Of the Yaqui wars
have been very similar to our own past
fights with the Apaches. The Indiana
4 have taken to the hills in small troops
have robbed, pillaged and murdered,
and have merited the treatment Of out
laws which the Mexicans have nnmer-
cifully visited upon them. Not 70
many years ago, however, they held
their country with an organized army
and fought pitched battles with the
Mexicans, even charging cannon with
the utmost bravery Under their CHIEF
Cajeme they maintained state q
thorough independence for years, with
their own laws, taxes and tariffs. Co.
jeme was pure blooded Yaqui Of good
intelligence and abilities, who had A5
Caucasion cast and regularity OF feas;
| lures. He served In the Mexicau'
armies against the Yaquis and wAsI
made governor over the tribe by the
Mexicans themselves The call Of hia
people proved too strong, however
and he turned against his old govern
ment.
There are probably not more thana
$4,000 Yaquis all told in Sonora today,
Yet this little people has been given 2
fresh impetus on It's old lawless pain
by the revolutionary confusion ana
will probably prove thorn In the side,
of whatever central government finally
undertakes the task Of pacifying the
republic.