Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-02
FRANCISCO pIZARRo.
Born in Shame and Reared Among
Swine, He Conquers Fame and
Fortune.


came to America about 1910. intending
TO grow up with the country.
Mr.. Pizarro was born at Truxillo,
Spain, about 147l. His father was a
Spanish colonel of foot and his mother
was peasant girl who admired and
respected the dashing colonel very
much, but felt that She had scruples
about marriage, and so. although years
afterward Francisco tried his best to
make a match between his father and
mother, they were never married. 1t is
said that this embittered his whole life
None but those who have experienced
it can fully realize what it is to have a
thankless parent
Pizarro's mothers name was Estrs-
madura. This was her maiden name
which seemed to harmonic well with
her rich, pickled-olive complexion and
so she retained it all her life. Her son
did not have many early advantages.
for he was neglected by his mother and
allowed to grow up in a swineherd,
and it is even said that he was sucked
by swine in his infancy while his giddy
mother joined in the mad whirl at the
skating-rink. We can hardly imagine
anything more pitiable than the condi-
ton of little child left to rustic for
nourishment among the black-and-tan
hogs of Spain while his father played
old sledge on the frontier in the regular
army and his mother stood on her
Spanish head and wrote her cigar-box
name in the atmosphere at the rink.
Poor little PiZarro had none of the
modern advantages, therefore, and his
education was extremely crude. The
historian says that he grew up a bold,
ignorant, and brutal man. He came to
what was then called Spanish-America
at the age of 80 years and assisted Mr..
Balboa in discovering the Pacific Ocean.
Having heard Of the existence of Peru
with all its wealth, Pizarro secured a
band of self-made men like himself
and lit out for that province for the
purpose of eonquering it if he liked it
and bringing home some sold silver
teapots and gold-lined card-receivers.
He was engaged in gathering this line
OF goods and working them off on the
pawnbrokers for twenty-one years, DUR
ing which time he did not get killed,
but continued to enjoy a reasonable de-
gree Of health and strength.
Although Peru at that time was quite
densely populated with an industrious
and wealthy class of natives, Pizarro
subdued her with 10 foot soldiers
armed with old-fashioned muskets that
had these full-Dlown barrels. with muz-
zles on them like the business end of a
tuba horn, siXty-seven mounted men,
and two toy cannon loaded with carpet
tacks. With no education, and, what
was still harder to bear, the inner con-
seriousness that his parents were plain,
common, everyday people whose posi-
ton in life would not advance him in
the estimation of the Peruvans, he
battled on. His efforts were crowned
with success insomuch that at the close
of the year 1882 peace was declared and
he could breathe the free air once more
without fear OF getting Il bronze arrow
head mixed up with his kidneys when
his back was turned. For the first
time in two years, says the historian,
''Pizarro was able to take OFF his tin
helmet and his sheet-iron corset at
night when he lay down to rest, or I'M
dismayed to go forth bareheaded and
wearing only his crinkled seersucker
coat and Il pair of sandals ut the twi-
light hour and till midnight wander
alone amid the famous guano groves of
Peru"
Such is the history of man who
never even knew how 10 write his own
name He won fame for himself and
great wealth without I'm education or a
long, dark-bluc lineage Pizarro was
like Job. You know. we sometimes
sing:
Oh, job, he was a fin. young Ind,
Sing g.Ory taleWjRA.
His hear; rs g"i tut his blood was bad,
Sing Oty haliciujah
So Pzarro could not brag on his
blood and his education was not CLASH
cal. He could not write his name,
though he tried faithfully for many
years. Day after day during the cam
paign, and late into the night when
the yaller dogs of Lima came forth with
their Peruvian bark, he would get his
orderly sergeant to set him the copy:
paul may plant and Apollinaris
water, but it is Goa that giveth the in
crease"
Then Pizalro would bring out his
writing material and his tongue and
try to write. but he never could do it.
His was not studious mind. 1t was
more on the Observation-Disclosures
order
Pizarro was made Il marquis in after
years. He was also made a corpse.
He acquired the latter position toward
the close of his life. He, at one time,
married the meas daughter and found
ed long line of grandees. marquises,
and macaroni sculptors, whose names
may be found on the covers of imported
cigar boxes and in the topmost tier of
wrought-iron resorts in our best peni-
tentiaries