We Visit the Governor of Arizona--An Indian Country--My Talk with the
Natives--The Custom Officer--He Favors our Entry into Mexico.
On leaving the Gila our route led to Tucson. We crossed the eighty-five
mile desert where the Battalion suffered so much for water. When we
crossed there were two wells furnishing good, pure water. One, two
hundred feet deep, where there was a small stock ranch and station. For
support, the owner sold water to travelers.
At Tucson we received a letter from Brigham Young, from which I will
give a short extract, dated, Salt Lake City, November, 8th, 1875.
"Since your departure from Salt Lake City on your way southward, more
than one hundred and fifty have been called to aid in the building up
of the Kingdom of God, in various parts of the earth. Among these, a
party have started in charge of Elder James S. Brown, who intends to
winter somewhere in the neighborhood of the Moencoppy (without a more
suitable place is found) and from there spread out as opportunity
offers."
At Tucson, we found quite a number of white residents. This old town
has been so well described by many writers, that I will simply say,
it never was, is not now, and never will be much. Its only merit is
in its being so very old; some two hundred and seventy-one years. Our
intention had been to go from Tucson to Sonora. But at the time there
was a hot revolution under way, and everything was in confusion. There
was no safety whatever for anyone entering the country.
We had a letter of introduction from C. T. Hayden of Tempe to Gov.
Safford who resided in Tucson. We had a pleasant visit with his
excellency. Mr. Safford is much respected by the inhabitants of
Arizona, he having been the framer of the Arizona public school
system, which is acknowledged to be excellent. From the Governor we
received a letter to Mr. Jeffries, the Indian agent at Apache Pass. We
were invited to preach in the court house at Tucson, and had a good
attendance and attention.
The _Police Gazette_ had me pictured out as being rotten-egged by a lot
of women, while preaching in a town in Arizona. Tucson was the only
town we preached in, in Arizona, while on this mission. So much for
sensational reports.
Owing to the unsettled state of affairs in Sonora, we concluded to go
farther east and visit El Paso and then go into the state of Chihuahua.
Our mixed outfit, both wagon and pack animals were inconvenient; and
as the roads were good, we concluded to get another wagon. Having sold
some of our animals we had money to spare, so we bought an excellent
wagon from the quartermaster, at the post, near Tucson.
We now had a good outfit. Our wagons took the place of the pack
animals, but we retained our saddle horses.
The next place of importance, to which we looked forward with some
anxiety, was Fort Bowie. On arriving there, we presented our letters
to Jeffries, who was in charge of the reservation at Bowie. But the
Indians seemed to be in charge of both Jeffries and several companies
of soldiers stationed there, for the Indians did about as they pleased.
It was considered somewhat risky to pass through the Apache Pass.
According to an agreement made at Beaver with D. H. Wells to be
careful, we camped a day's travel this side of the Indians, and with
one of the brethren went in to see how things looked. I felt a little
uneasy. The Indians were under no control whatever, save that of
self-interest. The government gave them everything they wanted, and
more. They had provisions of every kind so abundantly, that a great
deal was wasted. They had all the guns and ammunition they wanted,
and were allowed to raid at will into Sonora and Chihuahua. It was
generally believed that they were encouraged by some of the whites in
their raiding. When I talked with the agent he said we were safe enough
if we did not happen to run across any drunken Indians on the road; but
as the weather was cold and disagreeable, he did not think any of them
would be out. Advised us to stop at the mail station near the fort and
not turn out any animals.
We went back to camp and reported All felt like we would be safe. We
all had faith in being protected for we were on a mission, not of our
own choosing. We got in next day all right. Our animals needed shoeing
so we concluded to lay over a day. I had a great desire to talk to
these Indians, believing that they would listen a little. I made some
inquiry of the trader who had been with them for some years, about
their traditions. He said they had none, only to murder and steal. This
I found afterwards to be a great mistake.
I asked Mr. Jeffries, permission to talk to the Indians. He rather
jeeringly replied, "I don't think you can get them to listen to you, I
am the only man they will talk to."
I answered, "All I ask is your permission and if they won't listen to
me, all right."
He said, "Go ahead, I guess you can't make them much worse than they
are anyway."
I inquired if any of the Indians talked Spanish. Their interpreter,
a drunken little Mexican, offered to interpret, if I would pay him,
saying that that was his business, and that no one had a right to talk
to the Indians except through him. I told him that the agent had given
me the privilege of talking to them; that I was not working for money,
and that I did not intend to pay for any interpreting. He then pointed
out an Indian that spoke tolerable fair Spanish.
I approached the Indian and spoke to him. He answered quite short and
asked what I wanted. I told him that what I wanted to say to him was
for his people's good; that if he would listen to me a few minutes, he
could then judge.
He looked me in the eye for a moment and then said, "All right, say
what you please."
I asked him if the Apaches had any knowledge of their fathers, counting
back many counts. He answered that they had lost that, and did not know
anything about them.
I showed him one of our books, and informed him that it told about
their old fathers. At this he got up and called to a lot of other
Indians that were loafing around. Some thirty or forty soon gathered
around me. I commenced and explained considerable to them. They were
growing quite interested when the agent was seen approaching.
They seemed to understand that my words were not for the agent's ears,
and manifested as much by their remarks, so I changed the subject and
said that the Mormons had also sent us to look for country to settle,
as we were growing and wished new country; that we would perhaps settle
near them; that we were friends to the red man and hoped the Apaches
would be friendly with us.
The agent had approached near enough to hear this talk. He stayed
around, giving me no further chance to explain the Book of Mormon to
them. He made some remarks to call their attention away from me. I
could see plainly that he wished me to stop talking, so I told the
Indians we would meet again sometime. I felt that I had made a little
impression for good upon them.
Sometime after this I had a good long talk with the Apaches, which I
will give an account of in the proper place. We had a vague idea of the
western portion of Chihuahua, where the Mormons are now settling, but
could get no definite directions, as we met no one who seemed to know
much about the country. So we concluded to continue on the main road to
El Paso. Nothing of interest occurred on the way. All went well with us.
We drove into Franklin, a small town on the American side of the line,
opposite El Paso. The main question now was, how will we be able to
pass the custom house and get our books and outfit over the line into
Mexico. Many persons had told us that we would never be allowed to
pass, as Catholicism ruled in that country and they would never permit
us to enter with Mormon publications. Our hopes were in the overruling
Power to help us. None of us pretended to have wisdom for the occasion.
We were standing in the street about noon. I was talking to a
gentleman, telling him that we wished to pass over the line at once
with our outfit. Our mission was to Mexico, and we felt like going
ahead and getting in. We intended to remain there until spring. It was
now January.
While talking with the stranger he said, pointing toward three men
passing: "There go the custom officer and post master; the other man
is a good interpreter. The post master is an American, but is a great
friend of the custom officer. They are going into the post office now.
They have just been to dinner and will be in a good humor. You had
better go at once and see them."
I went to the office and inquired if I could see the custom officer. I
was invited into a back room where the three sat smoking. Politeness
is the rule in that country. I was asked to take a seat and offered
a cigar. The custom officer inquired through the interpreter how he
could serve me. I told him I was traveling with some others, seven in
all, and we wished to cross over into Mexico at once, as we desired to
winter there. He asked about our outfit, then our loading. I told him
it consisted of the necessary utensils, provisions, clothing, etc., for
travelers. Then a lot of books we intended to distribute _gratis_ through
the country.
He wanted to know what class of books they were: if religious. I told
him they were. He said he would rather have some good novels; that
he did not care much for religion, but asked what denomination we
represented.
I told him, "Mormons."
At this all three burst into loud laughter, the post master and
interpreter making many jesting remarks to the officer, and saying to
me, "Yes, he will let you in. You are all right. You will get in."
I was a little puzzled, not knowing whether this was favorable or
otherwise.
Soon the custom officer turned (as yet I had not spoken a word of
Spanish) and said directly to me, "Well, I guess I will have to let
you in. I have just been telling these gentlemen that I am a Mormon
in principle, and that I wished some of them would come along. That I
thought your religion the most sensible of any. You will do good in
Mexico, and you shall cross over. I will fix it so you will not have to
pay a cent."
I now thanked him in his own language and said we would try and act so
as to retain the good opinion he had of us and our people.
We shook hands as friends. He kept his word entirely, and we crossed
over at once, rented quarters and got ready for the winter's campaign.
We were the first Mormon missionaries that entered Mexico. This was in
January, 1876.