Wichita eagle., 1886-09-05

FRANCISCO PIZARRO.
BILL NYE GIVES A SKETCH OF
THE CONQUEROR'S CAREER.

BILL NYE GIVES A SKETCH OF
THE CONoUEROR'S CAREER.
A Wonderful Example Of Self-Made
Man-Born in Humble Life, He Com
quers Fame and Fortune in Peru-His
Later Years.
Perhaps the history Of the western hemi-
sphere has never furnished more wonderful
example of the self-ma1e man than NAV be
found in the person of Francisco Pizarro, q
gentleman who came to America about 1910,
intending to grow up with the country.
Mr.. Pizarro was born at Truxillo, Spain,
about 1471. His father was Spanish colonel
of foot, and his mother was a peasant girl
Her name was I.stramadura- This was her
maiden name. 1t was a name which seemed
to harmonic we'll with her rich, pickled-olive e
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 al
lowed to grow UP a swineherd, and it Is even
said that he was sucked by swine in his IN
fancy while his giddy mother Joined In the
mad whirl at the skating rink. Wecan hardly
imagine anything more pitiable than the con-
dition of little child left to rustic for nourlsh-
ment among the black and tan hogs OF Spain,
while his father played Old sledge on the
frontier in the regular army and his mother
wrote her cigar box name in the atmosphere
at the rink.
CONQUEST OF PERU.
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 conquering it, il
he liked it, and bringing home some solid sill
yer teapots and gold-lined card receivers
He was engaged in gathering this line Of
goods and working them off on the pawn
broker for twenty-one years, during which
time he did not get killed, but continued tt
enjoy a reasonable degree Of health and
strength.
Although Peru at that time was quite
densely populated with an industrious and
wealthy class of natives, Pizarro subdued hel
fashioned muskets that had these full-blowr
barrels, with muzzles on them like the busi
ness end of tuba horn, sixty-seven mounted
men, and two toy cannons loaded with carpet
tacks. With no education, and, what was
still harder to bear, the inner consciousness
that his parents were plain, common, every.
day people whose position in life would not
advance him i'm the estimation Of the Peru
l. l,&%1 aI nc
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 a bronze arrowhead
mixed up with his kidneys when his bacl
was turned. For the first time in two years,
saws the historian, "Pizarro was able to take
ofikhis tin helmet and his sheet-iron corset al
night when he lay down to rest, or, undis
mayed to go forth bareheaded and wearing
only his crinkled seersucker coat and pair Of
sandals at the twilight hour and till midnight
wander alone amid the famous guant
groves OF Peru.
IN AFTER YEARS.
Such is the history of a man who nevel
even knew how to write bis own name. Ht
won fame for himself and great wealth with
out an education or long, dark-blue lineage
So Pizarro could not brag on his blood and
his education was not classical He could
NOT write his NAME though he tried faith
fulIy for MANY years Day after day during
tbe campaign, and late into the night, when
the waller dogs of Lima came forth with
their Peruvian bark, he would get his orderly
sergeant to set him the copy. Then Pizarrt
would bring out his writing material and hi:
tongue and trv to write, but he never coulo
doit His was not studious mind. 1t wa
more on the knock k-down-and- -drag-out order
Pizarro was made marquis in after years
He was also made a corpse. He acquired tn
latter position toward the close of his life
He. at one time. married the inca's daughte
and founded a long line of grandees, mar
uuises and macaroni sculptors, whose name
NAV bc found on the covers of imported
cigar boxes and the topmoSt tier of tn
wrought iron resorts in our best penltent
uries.
Pizarro lived a very busy life during tn
conquest. some DAYS killing as many a
seventy and eighty PeruvianS between su
and sun. But death at last crooked his Tin
ccr at the marquis and he slept. We all bra
and llow our horn here for a few brie
wears. it is true, but when the grim reape
with his new and automatic twine binde
comes along he gathers us in; the weak an
the strong, the ignorant and the educated
the plain and the beautiful, the young an
the old. those who have just shifted th
sweet and dew-laden air of life's morning an
those who are footsore and weary and wait
ing-all alike must bow low to the sickle tina
goes on cutting closer and closer to us eve
when we sleep.
Had Pizarro thought more about this ma
ter he would have been ahead to-day.-Bl
Nye in Chicago News.