The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-03-16

and deposits of other precious ores,
attractive to the commercial spirit of
the age, and the present era of ill-feel-
ing against the American settlers
there is undoubtedly due to what the
Yaquis regard as unwarranted tres
passing upon their domain, since they
cannot read and do not recognize the
Mexican rulers right to sell mining
and other concessions within the terri
tory which that government has never
conquered Another reason for the
cooling off OF friendly relations be-
tween our navy and the Yaquis is that
on several occasions in the course of
the revolutions that have been going
on for so long Americans have per-
mitted Mexican generals to secure
strategic advantages by transporting
their troops over our territory from Ell
Paso to Nogales. How great factor
this is in the present situation can
best be understood by those who know
the Yaquis-not one of whom has ever
turned traitor, though every one Of
them, from the moment of his capture
to the day of his execution by the Mex.
lean authorities, has been tempted to
betray his tribe with offers of gold,
invaluable treasures, and life itself.
With few exceptions, all the prisoners
taken by the government since the
war with the Yaquis began in 1926
have been butchered.
All Stubborn Fighters.
AS far back as the days Of Monte
yuma the Yaquis were famous for their
running prowess, and a corps of them
rs said to have been retained to bring
from the "Vermilion Seas" as the Pa
cific was called by the Aztecs, fresh
fish from the shores of the hot coup-
try to the capital on the temperate
tablelands, and if the old Spanish
chronicles can be relied upon, it would
seem that, thanks to the relays of
feet-footed Yaquis, Montezuma was
able to get fresher fish than did the
residents of Mexico City in the days
Of their greatest prosperity, civiliza-
ton and railroads, in the regime of
General Diaz.
The Yaqui warrior Is a noble figure.
His free and open gait is like that Of
an Olympian victor carrying off the
prize, rather than the lope of our own
redskin.
Besides being stubborn fighter and
swift runner, the Yaqui is a sturdy
worker, though it would seem that
they work not to amass wealth but
ammunition. They are splendid agri-
culsurists and expert pearl divers, not
hesitating even with the most primi-
tive weapons to grapple with a man.
eating shark 80 feet beneath the sur
face Of the pleasant-looking but dan
gerous waters of the Gulf.
There is no organization among the
Yaquis except that part of the tribe
that lives practically free and conducts
the warfare. This hostile contingent
recognizes rule by the elders, who in
turn are elected for a single campaign.
In the effort to punish the Yaqui de-
predations in the past two decades,
1ANu0hhuo VI nhSAICdu IIOOpS nave
been killed and wounded aid yet not
one Yaqui stronghold has ever been
captured.
From time to time for nearly a GEN.
fury it has been reported that the
Yaquis have been quelled by the Mex.
leans, but that is only because the
Yaqui ammunition gave out. They
replenished their ammunition and
were ready to renew the warfare again.
When preparing for battle the Yaqui
have way of digging round holes in
which they plant poisoned arrows,
lightly covered with leaves and lit,
tie earth on top, Their trapping the
enemy to this unique torpedo bed.