Forty Years Among the Indians: A true yet thrilling narrative of the author's experiences among the nativesJones, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster)
History
Forty Years Among the Indians: A true yet thrilling narrative of the author's experiences among the natives
Jones, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America; Latter Day Saint pioneers -- Biography
When meeting was over many came and shook hands with us and said
they liked what had been preached. One aged blind man who had held a
discussion with the Bishop of Durango, said he had been preaching our
doctrine for years. He showed us a report of his discussion. The old
fellow, although very poor, had made a name that is known far and wide.
No one could answer him. He came to our rooms next day and talked for
a long while. We gave him some of our books to distribute. He lived at
Jabonero, southwest from Chihuahua some two hundred miles. He said the
honest people of Mexico would believe our words. The old man manifested
a great desire to have us go to his town. I have never heard of him
since, but we were all impressed with his honesty.
By invitation we visited Gov. Ochoa several times. He explained fully
to us the condition of government lands. He said the Mexican government
made big offers of land to colonizers, but the fact was, they had no
good land; that all desirable tracts for settling were covered by old
grants with titles. He desired us to say to Brigham Young that if he
wanted lands for his people they must be bought from the owners; and
for him not to be deceived by any offers coming from the government of
Mexico. He said their offers were polite and looked pretty on paper,
and sounded well when listened to; and he really believed that if they
could do as they offered to they would.
"The Mexicans are naturally kind and polite, but inasmuch as they have
neither land or money," he said laughingly, "you must take the will for
the deed."
This I reported to Prest. Young on my return home, who received it as a
fact, and remarked: "Why should there be good lands left in the heart
of Mexico, when they had given out grants clear into California, New
Mexico, Arizona and even into this territory?"
We remained some three weeks in the city. A great many persons called
upon us, some to enquire about our religion with sincere interest,
others for mere curiosity. Among our visitors were some notorious
robbers from Arizona who visited us often. We could not avoid them as
they passed for gentlemen, and really acted as such. One was a small,
heavy-set Dutchman, who seemed to know all about the big mail robbery
on the southern route in 1875, as also about the robbing of Golinsky,
of Silver City. The other was a young man from Silver City who robbed
an old Dutchman of some fifteen hundred dollars, not far from Mecilla,
while they were traveling together. The old man had been to California
for five years, had mortgaged his farm, or bought it with a mortgage
given as security, he had saved the money to pay up and was on the way
home full of joy to meet his wife and children. He had traveled all the
way from California on horseback and alone, not even a pocket pistol
to protect himself He carried a fifteen hundred draft and some little
money. He looked quite poor. No one would have suspected him worth
robbing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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