Bisbee daily review., 1916-02-19
FIVE HUNDRED ARE
 FACING STARVATION
 IN BAVISPE, SONORA
This Community Has Suffered More than Any Other in
 the State. No Money Had and no Crops in the Ground.

diiu iiO STOpS m the 1rOunu. - DOUGLAS. Feb. 1S.-Five hundred families of Bavispe, Sonora. an isolat- ed agricultural town 100 miles south east of this city, are in immediate need of food, and something must be done at once to relieve their want Realiz- ing this fact, Gen. P Elias Gales re- gently sent $500 worth of flour. sugar beans. calico and cotton. but it was not enough to last a week and the peo- pie are in urgent need of assistance.
 This quantity gave family of eight or ten F pounds of flour, 10 pounds of beans, , pounds of coffee. pounds of sugar and 10 yards of calico. This a mount, of course. did not last long. l Bavispe suffered more than most Sonora towns from the Villa invasion. It was ransacked by the Villa forces both on coming into the state and in departing. The first time the Villistas were decent. They stripped the town of things which they needed but they did not rob or mistreat the people. On the return, however. the Guadalajara Indians that comprised part of the col umn committed acts of beastliness that would be unbelievable of the in- formation did not come from unques- tionable sources.
 The citizens were forced to give up everything they had in the way of money and jewelry Even where the valuables had been hidden, the Willis tas often were able to force comics sion as to where they were placed. mountains and lived in caves until the marauders had left Several women were beaten and rings stripped off their fingers. Even dishes and blows were smashed. A number of young women were carried away.
 ,. Even Gold is Worthless.
 | CarranZa money is wort honly three cents on the dollar there now and there is not even any of it to be had. As a matter of fact even gold is value less down there now because there is nothing that can be bought with it. The spring wheat crop has been put in, but there was not enough seed to put in third of a crop. It will be the beginning or the middle of July be, fore this crop natures. and in tho meantime the people are in desperate straits. Corn will not ripen until some time later, as il cannot be planted un- til March, and there is very little seed to be had anyhow.
 Dr. B. J. Kone. for 3e years a resi- dent of Bavispe and who has always enjoyed the greatest confidence of the biggest men in Sonora and Mexico, ar rived here from Bavispe several days ago. He announced this morning that he would be glad to take charge of any food donated by the people of Douglas and Agua Prieta, and see that it will be properly distributed. He will make arrangements with some party in this city ao hold it until it can be carried south or it can be done through the commsiary department at Agua Prieta.
 Will Send Up Burros.
 ''The people will be glad to send burros to this city or Agua Prieta to get the food" Dr. Kone said. "and will see that il is distributed properly. Money will do them no good. It must be converted into food here first What | the people need is beans and flour and still more beans and four. Sugar and 2offee are needed but they are not so necessary. Clothes could be used but are not so urgently needed because he warm weather is coming on. Re- cently a man came to Douglas and | bought $100 worth of shoes which he sold 10 the people at cost. As far as shoes are concerned. however the peo- pie can go barefoot. Cattle are almost all gone, but they do not require meat. They can shoot rabbits and catch meat The acute need is staple groceries.
 Tt isn't the peons who are in most need. The shiftless class who live by roaming about and petty thievery can take care of themselves. The people in whom I am interested re the work ing people nd ranchers of the district Some of the latter have been well to do. even wealthy. but now, for the first time. find themselves absolutely help less in the face of want. Something has to be done by somebody al once if actual starvation is to be prevent ed"