The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-25

FL PAso, March :l.--The American
troops nov are passing through an in
teresting and historic region In Mexico
on their hunt after villa. writes II. d.
Slater. an engineer who spent three
years In the country to which villa has
reiterated. Ills nap Of the country now
10 In the hands Of tho United States
army ofncers invading Mexico. Mr..
Skaters knowledge Of the country. Its
peoples and the history surrounding
them probably 10 as complete as that
Of any living man.
"0en. Pershins's column entered Mex.
leo over . road known in late years a.
the Mormon road. because the earlier
established Mormon colonies were
reached over that route. before the pres-
ent Mexico Northwestern Railroad was
built" he says. But for half a century
before that the route had beer known az
the '~SmuGglers' trail
"Col. Dodd's column from Hachita
passed over q road that dates back far
beyond the earliest days Of the Spanish
settlements In the Southwest. 1t was
= pAsstost uhBhWa <OV YEARS U8b.
For ages before the Spanish occupation
the same road had been followed by the
various tribes OF Pueblo Indians Of the
region. ana BY their prosecutors, the mo-
mad Indians who preceded the Apaches
and Comanchcs and other Southwestern
plains Indians OF our day.
MormOns the Pioneers.
THE first Investigations by Mormon
pioneers as to tho possibilities of settle
mert In the Casas Grandes country were
made in the late '70s. before the Mexican
Central Railroad was built. Some years
!ater. in the early sos. the first lands
were taken up and the Mexican Central
Railroad was used for passage Of settlers
and goods. although an overland trip of
about lis miles was necessary To reach
the frst colonies. Later the road from
Columbus was opened. and the colonies
were reached direct over n somewhat
shorter and easier route. Colonia Juarez
was the hrst important colony. Diaz
Morelos. Oaxaca. Pacheco. Garcia. Chui-
chupa and others followed in the late
SOS and early sos. with Dublan estab-
lished abou the time the Mexico North
western Railroad tthen the Rio Grande
Sierra Madre and Pacifc) was started
GU, Of Ciudad Juarez Iss6p.
Before the Sierra Madre Railroad was
built "a syndicate Of Mormon capitalists
and others had promoted a railroad From
Demlng via Columbus 10 the Casa,
Grandes colony region. This WAS IN,
John W. Young project. An effort wa.
made 20 interest, the New York owner.
of the Corralitos ranch and the Sar
Pedro OF Candelaria m!rcs but thes,
people later decided 20 build the rail
road themselves directly GU, of C.udaC
Tho Columbus project then 'apsed. Par
OF the roadbcd had been graded II th'
present road follows the Ole
grade for some distance.
The Smuggiers' trail. which ran from
Columbus and Palornas 10 C%hihuahua
had several branches after reaching ~
mountains. one branch followed III
Spanish and Pueblo road from Casa
G~andea through Chocolate pass up Ia.
Santa Maria River. Another struck OF
into the timber some forty or fifty mile
west Of Casas tirandcs and headed 70
the sources % the Chico River. a tr!bu
taiy OF the Aros or Yaqui River. tnci
sk!rtiUg the Babicora pain into tn,
Valley o. the P~aphigoch!c .: Conception
River and W me valley 20 Guerrero
formerly TO- as Conception theme
into S.naioa, Durango and the PARA
district.
'All this region is ore OF ancient set
t!ement. The Casas irandes, or 'gIea
houses row IN ruins. hav. been i
that condition for 400 years at least, a
the ve,y earliest SPANISH chronicle