Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1889 — Page 6

SCHWATKA IN MEXICO.

AN ACCOUNT OF HIS EXPLORATIONS IN CHIHUAHUA. Beautiful Scenery and Old Ruin*—The Mormon Colony of Diaz—Considerable Influx of American Capital into Northern Mexico.

mer, the San Miguel, is the straight-line prolongation of the Casas Grandes, and seemingly the true stream, but the Piedras Verdes is the more important, as its waters are perennially replenished with branches, which head in the never-fail-ing springs of the Sierras to the west. On its picturesque bank wo uow find ourselves. Just before reaching La Ascension we came to the Mormon colony of Diaz (named by them in honor of the present President of the Mexican Republic) numbering about thirty families. A discussion of their religious tenets is clearly—and fortunately—out of my province, not only from the heavy, dreary character of it, but for the reason that everything, wise and otherwise, about Mormonism has already been put before those who cared to read it. But entirely outside of the subject of polygamy, which has so completely obscured every other poiut about these people, they have one characteristic which is seldom heard of in connection with them and their wandcr-

iDgs in the Western wilderness I rater a to iheir pioneering efforts, or the build* ii gup of new countries. They have no peer in pioneering nmong the Caucasian races. They number here about seventy-five families, a mere fraction compared with iill the available lands of the magnificent valleys of the Casas Grandes, Boca Grande, Santa Maria, and otheis, and never will predominate politically or in numbers over too others, counting the Mexican population, which is almost universally Catholic. In fact, those here seem content to settle down and be let alone, which they can attain here by the purchase or tracts of land over which thev

ANCIENT MEXICAN JABS.

can throw their authority and be a little community unto themselves, neither disturbing nor hoping to I e disturbed. Corralitos was reached the hist dav. It has a very pretly, almost poetical, name, that loses much of Ts romantic character when it is known that it is named for some old, dilapidated sheep pens that once existed there. It is a hacienda of about a million acres in extent, and one of the most beautiful ones in the whole State of Chihuahua, the Casas Grandes Biver running for some thirty miles through tho estate. The true hacienda, of wnich we hear so much in Mexican narration, is really a definite area of twenty-two thousand acres, but it is used now so as to mean almost any large estate from that size, or even less, to any amount whatever under one management. Under the advance of American railways they are slowly disappearing, and will soon exist only in poetry and cbeap-John novels. The views from the hacienda are beautiful in almost every direction. The one given in the illustration is taken from the La Ascension road, about six to eight miles from the hacienda. To the east lies a range of mountains filled with seams of silver, the Corralitos Company working some thirty to forty mines, while one hundred aud fifty to two hundred “prospects” await development. It has been known since the Spaniards entered this part of Mexico. The vista along the Casas Grandes Biver is especially delightful. The Corralitos Company is mainly owned in the United States, New York ‘parties being tne principal capitalists. There is considerable influx of American capital into Northern Mexico, which is rapidly in--roasmg with a fuller understanding of the country, and daily evidence of the greater stability of the Mexican Government. This part is especially attracting attenLo.i with the subjugation of the Apaches an I the consequent opening of the fine giazing and farming lands they held in le tor so short a while ago. If half the ' deals” I hear of, even at these little vil- > igi s remote from each other, are ever b ought to a focus, American influence

T HE Casas Grandes (the Big Houses) Valley and River, through and along which we have been traveling for fliSfsome time, is Sfiraformodby the juncfet'iL.tion of two rivers, CjUi'the S»n Miguel •’W^J|. m d Piedras Verdes, writes Lientenant Schwatka, i n the Chicago Inter Ocean. The for-

ON THE ROAD FROM ASCENSION TO COPRALITOS

will predominate in Northwestern Chihuahua in a few years. The Mexicau Government encourages the element, for there is now no foir of a second Texas movement, the Americans who are here, and presumably those who will come, preferring the Mexican Govemmefit to that of the United States over them in the peculiar interests which naturally arise here, such as gient grazing interests, the colonization of large tracts, railways, etc., our laDd laws forcing people inio minute matters that do not exist here. Twenty-five or thirty miles south of Corralitos we came to Casas Grandes, said to be a town of 3.000 people. We saw about ten people a* we drove through the seemingly deserted streets. It is the niO't important town in the valley, both historically and in numbers. It takes its name, meaning “Big Houses,” from the ancient ruins just in the suburbs of the present place, which contained the largest houses of any found in this part of Mexico when it was first visited by Europeans many centuries ago. Here we left the river and struck out inland to the southwest to the Mormon colony of Juarez Like all distances in this part of Mexico, there is Dot a sign of civilization between, not even a camping-place, although the country traversed is a fine one for grazing cattle, with numerous valleys where farms could be made remunerative, and where three or four dozen houses ought to b& seen if a tenth of the country’s resources were developed. . Tfce scene from the top of the ridge between the two rivers was an especially beautiful one, seldom surpassed in the most picturesque part of the United States. Far to the west were the grand Sierra Madres, crested with snow, while nearer were great shaggy hills covered with timber, a most delightful sight to eyes deprived so long of it in such masses; and yet still nearer were rolling lands covered with yellow grasses and tiaversed by little streams, where it seems a hundred houses ought be nestling with thousands of cattle on the grassy hills. Above

all is a sky that defies both poet and painter to describe. Juarez is a bright-looking little Mormon town of some thirty-five families, almost Alpine in aspect as viewed from the steep bank overlooking it. The next day we started to visit the ancient ruins on the Tapasila, a branch of the Biedras Verdes, and i.s beautiful a little valley as I ever saw in my life. I expected to find a well defined set of ruins at a certain point, so one can imagine my surprise somewhat when I found that the country, and especially (he valleys, was covered with evidences of ruins. There was a high hill called the Picacho de Forreon, whose southern face had been occupied by cliff-dwellers, while at our feet was a m iss of reddish rubbish that indicated an old ruin of the later people, while twelve miles up the Tapasita warn a massive ruin of stone; but to reach it ruins were in sight continually the whole way. We were surely in the midst of an ancient yet dense population, and the fertile resources of ihe country will yet again some da/ sustain another such, oven far more civilized. Just before our arrival a pot or jar had been taken from one of the ruins, and was given to me by a young man of the colony, Mr. Ellis Johnson. It is like so many jars that come from Casas Grandes and other better known ruins, and that have already figured in works on Mexico, but it is exceptional from tho most of them in having upon it the figure of a bird, tnimais of all kinds being heio upon their decorated surfaces. It is jopres nted here with full and quarter view, the-double picture being of the same pot or jar. The bird soems to correspond nearer to tho chappaial cock, or California road-runner, than any other bird of this part of the.world. The geometrical designs are the most common, and of these the zig-zag, star-like ones are the most constant. Many other things bad been found in this mound, including human bones of the original makers, and

VIEW ON THE TOPASITA.

no doubt the same, with local variations, can be found in all. I believe I do not exaggerate when I say that we found 100 to 150 ruins in the Piedras Y’erdes region, most of them merely mounds to indicate what they once were; and not one-tenth of which had received notice by pen or pencil before. Their anciert ditches could be made out along the hillside, which showed that they had once cultivated the lich soil of these valleys. They well understood tho value of water, too, for around the bases of the small stieamless valleys coming into the watered ones were dam-like terraces, evidently to catch and retain the water after showers until it was probably needed in the irrigating ditches. On the top of high hills adjacent were fortified

places apparently where thov must have tied in times of danger from other tribes. They were a wondierfal and interesting people. The third sketch is on the Tapasita near the principal rnins, which mast have been a city of these people. The only life we saw here was a mountain lion, 01 f 'anther, that came trotting along the valey until it saw us and turned back to the mountains. Frederick Schwatka.

LETTERS FROM THE CORNERS.

Hester Ann Recite* More of Her Trouble*. Neck ob Nothin Hall, i Kilkenny Cobnebs. f

MR. EDITUB: I’d a finished* iellin you about Wiliam Henery an the lodge las time es that peaky ole l)ob-tale rooster an his gang of hens liedn't a got ,into my invuns an iscratched like all sin. It $ tuk me a plumb ‘ our to set them inyuns back into - the bed. But I wus a

goin to tell you how Wiliam Henery cum home frum lodge, want I? Weil about two o’clock in the mornin I heerd sum one make a awful timid nock onto the dore. “Whose there?” ses I. “It’s me—what’s lef o me,” sed a voise. An I want quite sure whuther it wus Wiliam Henery or not, and so I ses: “W r ho is me?” “Ole womin, you no well enuf who it is; let me in, I’m a’most crippled.” I node who it wer then, fur Wiliam Henery he never speeks so only jes when he air very much excited. “I tole you so,” ses I, an then gashed out: “Laws, man! what on airth is the matter? Air you drunk?” An, Mr. Editur, he wur about the wust lookin objec I ever did see. He didn’t answer my questions, but went to lookin at liis close.

“Look at that liat,” ses he. “It’s smashed flatter’n a pancake. It’s tetotaly ruinated, Hester Ann, an thet cote split up the back an one tale gone. He dun it xvhen he tlirowed me over his lied.” “An look at them pantaloons,” ses I; “they air clean gone up.” “Yes,” ses he, “and I went up in em, Hester Ann.” “Well, es you did go up in em, you cum purty nigh a cumin down out of em,” ses I, purty short like. “Thet’s so, Hester Ann, but every bone in my buddy akes; I tell you, I’ve lied a tuf time to-nite,” ses he, profetically. “Thet’s wliot cums of ole men a capeiin aroun on to old gotes an greecv poles. I knowed it wood be so,” ses I, sturnly. “But, ole womin, it wan’t the gote, it wus the ”

But I bruk rite in an ses, “Don’t make it enny worse by fibbin, Wiliam Henery, but cum along an let me put on the vinegar poltis, it’s good and hot.” “But, ole woman, tliay wus no gote; thet’s jis a sayin. It wus the ” “Don’t deny it, Wiliam Henery, your addition speeks fur its self,” ses I, calmly. “But, Hester Ann, masonry didn’t liev nothing to do with my addition. It wus Square Boperses ole ” “Wiliam Henery,” ses I, “its bin my axperience thet tho masonry may be a fine thing it don’t agree with ole men like you. Here’s another vinegar poltis, so you jes lay still an go to sleep.” An thet has been the las of Wiliam Henery wanting to go to the lodge. He is tolable well now, but his back wus awful fur a few days. He got well in time to go to Georges an Smantliy’s weddin, but he hed to git him a braud-knew sute of close tlio, fur tliay wus hardly enuf of themins thet he wore thet nite to make carpet rags out of. An then to think of him a tryin to lay it on to Squire Roper’s old Samson, when I knowed how it wood be when he wint, and I warranted him, but he wood go, an so he hed to suffer. Yourn, Hester Ann Scooper.

The Imitative Chinaman.

Senator Stewart, of Nevada, does not believe in the theory that a Chinaman can progress, although he may be Americanized in most particulars. The other day he was telling about some of his strange experiences with the sons of the Celestial empire, when he said: “When we got -our first Chinaman to cook, he didn’t know a blessed thing about the kitchen, and it became necessary for Mrs. Stewart to go down aud show him how to do everything. When you demonstrate in an ocular way how things should be done, John never forgets. He is very impressionable. Mrs. Stewart showed him howto make biscuits. After she rolled the dough, she took a cutter and began to cut the biscuits. When the whole roll was done there was a little triangular piece left, and of this she made a half moon, which is customary. I didn’t know- anything about it at the time, but at the end of three or four months I discovered that every day when our biscuits w-ere served here was a half moon among the lot. At the end of a year I made inquiry about the matter of Mrs. Stew art, and she went into the kitchen aud watched the Chinaman each time he cut his biscuits, and she discovered that he always made a halts moon, and would spoil four or five biscuits to do so. He thought it w-as as necessary as the , salt or the shortening-” Washington Cor. Indianapolis Journal. “It takes three generations to make s gentleman,” and a bottle of whiskv will unmake him.

SOME LARGE FAMILIES.

TWINS, TRIPLKTB, QUADRUPLETS AND SEXTUPUJTS. low»’i Champion Leads with Twentyeight Children, and Another Haivkeye Claim* Two Dozen Michigan’* Great Record—Wisconsin to the Front. [From the Chicago Herald.] Dubuque. lowa. May, 1889. Some interesting developments tu connection with largo families have l eon made in this vicinity. Me Ichor Mueller, who reside* near Bellevue, in the neighboring county of Jackson, bears tho distinction of Doing the father of one of the largest families on record. Twenty-eight* children nave been born taliim. e ghtoen of whom are dead and ten living. In this number there were three pairs of twins. Alueiier wus born at Trimfeeim, Germany, iu December, 1834. and is a robu-t, healthy man. He uas been twice married. His first wife was Agatha Doser, a native of Germany, who bore him sLx children, three of whom are living. His second wife was Jtunigundo Hummel, also a native of Germany, who is <n<w living, aged 4G. She has borne twentytwo children, seven oi whom are living. Mueller is a poor but industrious man, deeply attached to his family, thoroughly domestic in his tastes, and, if his life is spared, thinks he w 11 yet see several other flaxen-haired, rosy-cheeked children bear his name. The neighborhood in which Mueller resides is largely populated by Luxemburger.-’, and among them are many large lamilies. The average family is twelve. Indeed, a family of less than this number is considered small iu that neighborhood. A family of twenty-five children lives in Spruce Creek Township, Jackson County, near Mueller’s home. In the city of Dubuque there are many large families. John Benksou, a painter, heads the list. He has been married but once, and is the father of eighteen children. His wife is a native of lowa, 59 years of age. Their residence is 1090 White street. John Jennie, a laborer, comes next with a family of sixteen children. His wife is 43 years of age, and the cquple declaro they would not willingly part with one of their offspring. John Krayer, a well-to-do grocer in this city, has fifteen children by his present wife, who is now 43 years of age and a woman of robust health. George Neumiller has a family of fourteen, and Jake Dodge, a peddler, one of the same number. Joseph Goode is thoroughly hiippy surrounded by the same number of children. Those having thirteen children are: Leo McDaniel, Benedict Bossier, P. Vogel, Fra*k Maier, Fritz lteibitsch. P. McCullough and J. C. Curtis. Those having twelve children are: J. M. Lenehan, E. E. Jonos, John Parker, Robert Miller. Adam Doerr. A. J. Patch, H. A. Mayer. M. Gantenbeim, Joseph Bower, G. ltidermeyer, Thomas Kennealty, Anton Baumhover, Henry Dlppey. E. L. Curtis and Max Matscli. It would occupy a column of space to publish the names of the men in this city who are the fathers of eleven children each. With a great many that number seems to be high-water mark. It is related, here thatin 1872 a Woman named Schmidt, living at Rockdalo, in this county, gave birth to.six children, all within an hour. A year or two ago a woman named Murphy, residing in this city, gave birth to four children, all of whom were healthy and strong.

Has Twenty-three. Still Living. Bellevue, lowa. About three miles north of tho neighboring township of Dows, this State, on the Bowen road, there lives in a one-stmy house one of the most romarkable families on record. It consists of a father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. William Marks, with twenty-two girls and one boy. Tho oldest child an infant child of eight months, 'there was an even two dozen children in the Marks family until November last, when the diphtheria visited them and carried off one. Tbe'husband and father of this immense family is a laboring man, possessed ofno means of maintenance except his simple earnings, with which ho supports his flock, and want lias never yet entero l their door. He is 43 years of age; his wife tho perfect picture of health and comeliness—is one year his junior. They lfiive been married twenty-five years this mouth.

Twenty-ono Young Fredericks. Sioux City, lowa. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick are the proud parents of tweuty-one ohildren, two of whom have died; nearly all of the nineteen are grown and some are marriod. It used to be a standing joke in the neighborhood that Frederick bought hats and caps and boo!s and.shoes by the case, and that when he traveled with his family he procured carload rates of the railroads, Atlantic’s Showing. Atlantic, lowa. L. A Lerenzen and wife, of this place, have had seventeen children. A majority of them are not living. W. Smith and wife have had two pairs of twins, and have had triplets once. All the ohildren are living, and some of them are grown up and married. MICHIGAN’S GREAT KECOKI). . Statistics from the State Census Show Many Prolific Women. Lansing, Mich. George Batchelor was married,and resided in Bunker Hill Township, in this county, shortly after the close of the war. During the first eleven years of his married Jiie eleven children were added to his household. All the children are yet alive, hut Mr. Batehelor is now dead. 'A.B. AngeE, who, when twenty-euzht years of age, married a sister of Mrs. Batchelor, relerred ho above, became the father Of eight children iu the illst seven years of married life. This family was once blessed with triplets. The last State census of Michigan shows tha't there were 701 molhers who had given birth to their tenth child, 405 to eleven children, 251 to twelve children. 120 to thirteen children, sixty-three to iourteeu children, twenty-seven to fifteen children, ten* to sixteen children, eight to seventeen children, four to eighteen children, one to twenty children, and one to twenty-five children. There were 606 pairs of twins reported during the census year, and four sets of triplets. Come In Bundies at Grand Rapids. Grand Bapids, Mich. Tho wife of Professor La Pierre was one of a family of twenty-three children, and she is herself the mot her of eleven, six of whom are still living. John Yan der Hauten is the father of twenty-two children by two marriages, and nineteen of them were alive at one time and all living under the same roof. Seven of the children have died at various ages. There were only two sets of twins. The late Leonard D’Yoge was the father of fifteen children, five of whom are now living, one of the five being Professor D’Yoge, of the State University faculty. John Shekehee is the father of thirteen children, only four of whom were girls. John W. Phillips has the credit of being tho father of thirteen boys, all grown to manhood and themselves parents of large families. John Poisson is tne father of an even dozen children, none of them twins, and the majority of tho feminine persuasion. Michael Farrell, of Ada Township, has nine girls and two boys. Mrs. May, a widow, lias ten children, the eldest fourteen years, six of them boys. Aaron B. Turner, editor of the Eagle, has two boys and six daughters living and one boy laid away to rest, John Montague,

•f Georgetown, has thirteen children living and two dead, and all bat three came either as twins or triplets. Seven of them are girl*, and the eldest is eighteen years of age. A Polish family at Dow had one set of triplets, two pairs of twins, two solitaires, and last fall the mother gave birth to four babies at one time. All but the quadruplets are living. Julia A. Moore, of Edgarton. known as “the Sweet Singer of Michigan." had ten children. J. Loshoskey has his modest home adorned with tourteen.olive branches. Ten of them are girls, with four pairs of twins and one set of triplets in the lamily, the eldest of the lot being twelve years. Battle Creek Ha* Twins and Triplet*. Battle Ceeek, Mich. There are many families in this city and vicinity with seven, eight or nine children. The la-gest family yet discovered is that of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Sparrow, who are the parents of seventeen children, nine of whom are attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Joe N. Sanford have twelve children. James Mulvaney has a family of eleven children. The youngest one is about eleven years of age and weighs 213 pounds. Anotner good-sized family is that of Isaao N. Johnson, which consists of eleven children. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Morse are the parents of eleven children, all but one of whom are living. In the last school census Jeremiah Conway is credited with ten children of school age, Hugh Gibson with nine, Christian Sneau ten. and W- 8. Nelson nine. Twins are quite numerous. Mrs. Michael Marion recently gave birtn to triplets' The most remarkable case of that sort here was that of Mis. Alonzo Gray, who first gave birth to one child, then to twins, and finally to triplets, all boys. The triplets were named “Tom. Dick and Harry.” The latter lived for several months, but all three are now dead. Mrs. Alonzo G. Payne, living a few miles east, gave birth to male twins very recently. Nothing Remarkable About Benton Harbor Benton Habboß, Mich. Mrs. George Horman, of Bt. Joseph, has borne fifteen children, twelve of them girls and three boys. Mrs. Henry Butzback is the mother of twelve children. Mr. and Mrs. Don C. Morrison filled their cradle full of twins on Feb. 10 last.

WISCONSIN TO THE FRONT.

Four Children at One Birth Near Ran Claire—Some Big Babies. Eau Clabe. Wls. About two years ago Mrs. Grindale, of Chetek, a small town north of this city, gave birth to foiir boys at once, two of them weighing six pounds each and two of thorn five pounds eaoh. The pair had be’en married about two years, and had previously been blessed with no children, nor have they had amy since. The boys were all perfectly farmed and lively, bright babies, but two of them died within a week, the other two living respectively six and five months. Bad not tho family been in destitue circtfmstanees at tho time, and had not the infants thereby sullered from tho lack of immediate, attention and of subsequent ca.e, they’; would doubtless have lived. The parents had but just arrived in this country, and 1 had settLcifin a remote spot, where aid did not reach them at once. Mrs. John Neher, of tins city, who is enjoying excellent health at the goud old are’ of eighty-four, has had sixteen children—nine boys and seven girls—all of whom are ljving and aro well-to-do residents of vari-. ous Northwestern States, 'iho youngest of the family, a boy, was born when Mrs. Neher was fifty-one years of age. The young man, who is a substantial citizen of Eau .Claire, rejoices in being uncle to sixtynine children ami tho lather of six. Mr. Neher, the father of this remarkable lamily o: sixteen, is dtfud. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ihle have four boys and eight girls, the oldest twenty-six, and Mrs. Ihle is but forty-three years of age. Mrs. Louis Enguard, aged forty ,-eoentiy gave birth to triplets and has had seven children in all. Mrs. William Bell lias presented her husband with eleven children, who range in age irom one to nineteen years, four boing girls and seven boys. Mrs. J. Hotchkiss has nadten, the youngest a year old and the eldest nineteen. Families with nine children aro frequently found, and ten children of one mother is not uncommon. Angus MoVicur has be n presented by his wife with fourteen.,the oldest of whom is twenty-two. Mrs. Joseph Whelihan has sixteen, ranging from four to twenty years. Mrs. William Carden recently gave, birth to a boy weighing seventeen pounds, and Mrs. A. Gilbert to twins weighing seven pounds each.

Figures from Dodgeville. Dodgeyllle. Wis. Mr. and Mrs. James F. Brown, of Linden, are the parents of eleven children, all of whom are now living in different parts ofi the country. Mrs. Bleakly, a daughter, is in Chicago. Mr. ,nnd Mrs. James Callom,, also of Linden, and Ms. and Mrs. Andrew Peterson, of the same town, have been blessed with families of twelve childrens Mr. and Mrs. James Hutchinson, of! Mineral Point, have had a like number. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Curry, of the town of Linden, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph D. Davey. of Dodgeville, have magnified tho record by one, and onjoy the enviable dibtinottoh of having boooine the rarents of thirteen children in their respective families. Mr. and Mrs. Erick Halverson, of Dodgeville; Mr. and Mrs. William Lanyon of Min-; eral Point: and Mr. end Mis. William Thomas, of MilJKn, are the parents of four-, teen children. Kearton Coates, a wealthy farmer and a former member of the Legislature. of the town of Linden, is the father of fifteen children, ten girls and five boys. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Linley. of the town of Arena, have had seventeen children. John Cruse, of thalKbUlic town of Linden, comes forward with a bright and interesting column of twenty-one children. Mr. and Mrs. William B. Williams, of Dodgeville, preside over a family of twenty-two children. Mr. Williams being the. fattier of all of them, he having been twico married. Mr. Williams is a wealthy tarmer and lives near this village, and wields the domsstta scepter over the largest and most interest-i Ing family, perhaps, in this part of Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Griffiths, of the town ot Dodgeville, early settlers, and avdo now enjoy a comfortable homo and competence, are the joyful parents of sixteen children, of whom two are twins. Mr., and Mrs. Francis Prideaux, of this village, besides being the happy parents of three othor ohildren, enjoy the proud distinction of being the parents of iwo pairs of twins. Capt. W. It. Jones, of Bidgeway. made a roeord of twelve children,among whom were three pairs of twins. This was considered a very remarkable record until a family in Mineral Point made a record that lias not been excelled, or at lea9thas not been made public, in this part of tho State. Mr. and' Mrs. William Jacka. of that place, were the proud parents of ten children, among them a pair of twin girls. The girls grew to womanhood, and one of them married Wm. Paynter. of Mineral Point, and became the proud mother of twenty-one children. The othor one married John Huxtable. also of that city, and .raised a family of nineteen children, among whom were two pairs of twins. Nothing Great at LaCrosse. LaCbosse, Wis. Peter Bott is the father of twelve children, all living. John Olson, a Norwegian mill-hand, is the father of fourteen chip dren, eight boys and six girls. Mr. Damrod, a resident of the Fifth Ward, is the father of a baker’s dozen, aU of whom are living. Mr. Lynch in the father of seventeen.