The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-05-18

JTnaS, MexICO.
the occasional white or Mexican tray
elers. may, and do cross and recross
it frequently without knowing its To-
cation, and with no guards or officials
to question them.
Not a Pleasant Region.
The Mexican triangle of Papagueria
which it is proposed TO add to Ari-
iona, is even Il more inhOspitable cOun-
try than the border region. In addition
TO the features Of the latter, it EN-
braces a district 50 by 40 miles COW
cred by extinct volcanic craters and
an ancient lava flow, and hundreds of
square miles Of great towering sand
dunes that create a landscape like that
of parts of the Sahara. On the high
est lava peaks Of Pinacate, say the OLD
papago legends, their Elder Brother
landed from his caSk after the deluge
and after floating around the world
four times. While his solicitude for
animals was not so extensive as that
Of the Hehraic Noah, he at least man
aged to say a coyote and Il beetle.
The Papagos formerly were sand peo-
pie" living in the sand dune region
near the lava fields, with headquar-
tiers at the few small water holes.
This region is now practically deserted,
the Papagos living by dry-farming and
stock-raising farther east and north.
On the southern edge Of the Bay
Of ST. George is the Salina de st.
George, Il salt deposit, usually measur-
ing about 325 feet in diameter, but
sometimes entirely covered by the sea,
which is Il favOrite with the PapagoS.
When they need salt, the customary
method is to ride to the foothills of
Chujubabi, perform a certain ceremo-
NAL rite peculiar to the gathering of
salt, and then walk the 80 miles to the
Salina in about Il day and Il half.
There is no water to be had between
the two places. The Pinaate Salt de-
posit, about fifty miles farther north
on the Gulf shore, however, has al
ways furnished the major portion OF
the salt supply Of the Papago Indians.
The amount of this heavy commodity
that the Indians can carry is aStound-
ing. Not only are Papago families in
Arizona supplied from this distant
source, but in the past the entire salt
supply Of stable American towns has
been purchased from the Indians.
The proposed boundary line wound
strike the Gulf Of California just north
Of the Bay Of st. George, which has
peer considered by Mexico as a posi-
bic port site. There is no general
knowledge Of good natural harb0rs
along the portion Of the gulf To the
north, but probably there would be
little difficulty in constructing harbor
facilities either along Bahia Adair,
which would mark the southern boun
dairy Of the addition, or northward to-
ward the head Of the gulf. The larger
sand dunes are 20 miles f,Om the shore
near the gulf head and an equal dis
lance from the Colorado river. The
most feasible railroad route probably
would be from the neighborhood Of
Yuma, extending roughly parallel TO
the river.
Paradise for Fishermen.
The placing o. IA portion of the Gulf
OF California under the jurisdiction Of
the United States would open UP an
other tishermen's paradise. Even now
a few super-adyenturous Americans
venture to this unknown region on
hunting and fishing trips, but in IN
alien land where only the law Of the
frontier prevails, it is a somewhat
risky procedure. There is a multitude
nous variety Of fish in the CULTS wa
ters-a sufficient supply to Justify the
erection Of huge canneries. Today
they are serving as food for innumer-
able pelicans and other f%sh-eating
birds. The natives and Mexicans OF
the region are without skill and the
facilities for catching them. They US
ually still fish at great depths for the
Jewish and tOrtuava and kill their
catches by pounding them on the head
when they get them to the surface.
At present Guaymas, about half way
down the gulf, is the farthest north
port OF any consequence. Under the
strong, centralized, though somewhat
despOtic regime of Diaz, Guaymas was
a busting port of consequence; but
the products Of the hinterland fell off
under revolution and insecurity, and
for years the bay has been sitting up.
But it still hints Of the possibilities in
Lower California across the gulf. Now
and then a schooner from that mys-
terious shore will put into Guaymas
and yield up its cargo of dates in raw
Undiscovered bales, sewed up in the
form and size Of flour barrels, as the
friars taught the Lower Californiana
to do two centuries ago.