Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-04-11

Henry Allen Howard of Chicago is enc
of those nerveless people WHO are proof
against Jabs and stabs Of all kinds and de-
scriptioHs. Mr.. Howard thinks he has hit
upon II plan to utilize his physical pccul-
iarities to great advantage. In short, ho
has announced himself as full fledged
candidate for ruler of Patagonia.
The ceremony by which these Patago-
mans select aruleris a revolving one to the
ordinary civilized mind 1t makes the
blood of man supplied with the ordinary
complement of nerves allotted to mankind
run cold, but to Henry Allen Howard the
prospect of undergoing the ordeal brings
no terrors. In fact, it would be undertake
en- by him rs an everyday occurrence.
The system used by these South Ameri-
cans of muscular mold when selecting a
king to rule them in peace and lead them
in war is as follows: Every ten years feet
footed couriers are dispatched throughout
the length and breadth of Patagonia TO
summon the ablcbodicd men of the ma
tion to grand powwow Mt some central
point in the great plains. When the braves
are all assembled and the king has called
the meeting to order, volunteers for the
position of ruler for the ten years to fol-
low are called for.
The king Of Patagonia rules for but ten
years, and then new monarch is selected.
Nobody is barred who wishes to undergo
the ordeal through which a ruler of these
people must pass, whether he be mem
Der of their race or not. The Patagonians
love brave man above everything and
likewise despiso a coward, and any man,
| be his skin white, black or brown, who is
| able to successfully undergo the terrible
| torture to which all aspirants TO the king
| ly scepter are put is good enough in the
| eyes and estimation OF these strange pco.
| pie to be invested with tho mantle OF
| sovereignty over all the Patagonians and
| given power to rule that might be envied
| by q car.
The details Of the ceremony show tor.
turo of the most revolving kind. and the
man who can go through the ordeal with
out wincing must surely be possessed Of q
heroic heart. Two hundred or 800 Of the
stalwart braves of the tribe generally vol
unteer u undergo the torture. Each is led
in turn to tree, against which he is told
to stand erect, with his arms held stTaigh,
| up above his head and against the trunk
of the tree. Then one OF the old men of tn,
| tribe, selected by the braves to perform tn,
ceremony, seiZes stone hammer of natiy,
mold and proceeds to nail the aspirant t
kingship to the tree with rivets made o.
a wood of wonderful hardness which i:
found in that part of the world. Tines,
rivets are driven through the hands Of til,
applicant and through the fleshy portion.
of his lower limbs.
II the volunteer should stand this horri
bic torture without murmuring and with
out giving external evidence OF suffering
he is hailed with a mighty exclamation
and pronounced Lit to undergo the finish
ing touches Of the ceremony, which con
sist OF a selected number Of the braves ap
preaching the transGxed applicant witt
hooking gestures and cries Of derision ant
each jabbing him in the fleshy parts of hi.
body with small, sharp darts and spears.
Often the whole number Of volunteer
is exhausted without finding a man will
sufficient bulldog grit and stamina 10 z,
through the ceremony without giving wa!
! 10 the physical torture ana either faintinl
from the pain or begging to be released
A fresh complement OF braves willing {,
be tortured for chance TO be king i
called for.
: When at last man Is found who is abb
, to go through the ordeal without a sign o
, lear or an evidence Of suffering. he is q
I once released and is then and there pro
! claimed king OF the PGtagonians for thr
] ten years 10 follow. His power is abso
lutte, and the reverence with which hi