El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-05-23
A Scientific Pilgrim

Paso on Saturday evening last in the
person of Capt. Newton H. Chitten-
den. Capt. Chittenden is graduate
of Columbia college of New York, is
courts of California and New York, and
gave up his practice to further the
cause of science by researches in tn
fields of archaeology and ethnology.
To HERALD reporter Capt. Chit
tendeu, said:
crossed the Rio Grande at this point.
l was serving as first lieutenant and
adjutant of the Fourth Wisconsin cav
airy. With other troops under Cen
ersl Weitzel, we were watching Max
imilian's troops on the other side OF the
line. My own sympathies were strong
ly in favor of the Liberals, and l de-
termined to give them all the aid l
could. had saved up several hundred
dollars. With this money l purchased
| AL the guns L could obtaia. Lashing
| them on a powerful horse, 1 forded the
Rio Grande just below Ringold bar
| racks (the barracks stood on the site of
Ell Paso) and rode for the Mexican
| headquarters.
The headquarters of the Liberal
general, Esco nado, was about five
miles away. When l arrived there l
was Immediately surrounded by won
dering groups of Mexicans. When
they were told that [ had guns and
ammunition for them they cried out
| with Joy, and breaking INFO run sew
eral men led the way to the headquar-
| tiers.
1.-The general accepted the arms and
of gratitude. He then brought out q
coarse sack, which was kept on the
floor in q corner of the room, and open
ing it, counted out in silver dollars the
price l asked, which was just the
amount of my own actual outlay.
Il put the specie in my saddle bag
and mounted. AT that time the usual
route of travel along the river was
infested by outlaws, SO l avoided the
beaten track and made dash back to
the river. 1 recrossed the Rio Graude
not far from this point, and until
Saturday last 1 had not been in Texas
since that year, 1865.
"Nearly all these thirty-three years
l have been in the field exploring. 1
am now on the twenty third expedition
in the cause of scientific research. l
have travelled by every mode of trans
portation, but I never tried the
I found that nj other animal could so
we'll do what was required In my work
of exploring the ancient ruins of Ari-
IONA. New Mexico, Colorado and, Low
err California. Within the last two
years I have led my different animals
over 1900 mites The little burro call
ed Cinto has been with me since 1 left
November, and l have led him 1900
miles.
my route has been through the val
legs which contain the most numerous
and best pre- served remains of the an
cient civilizations of this interesting
region. 1 travelled go miles up the
ella, then along the Salt river beyond
Florence and the river Verde, through
the Casa Grande region, to the San
Luis valley.
81 followed this valley to the old
mission of San Xavier, then through
he valley of the San Pedro and over
the Dragon mountains. This OF
course is but small part of the country
1 have walked over during these two
years."
Among the papers carried by the cap
tain are some very Interesting draw
ings of the famous picture writings
copied by him from the walls of tho
rocky canyons of the Colorado river.
Capt. Chittenden is q very enthu-
siastic explorer and has seen the whole
Pacific coast from Alaska to Southern
California. He has written several
interesting books concerning his trav.
els, and stated that he 'hsd not re-
moved his clothes and slept in q mat
tress bed, but one weak altogether in
two years, and on the present trip had
walked and led his burro over 1900
miles,
ssOn hearing of the declaration of
war; the captain said, 81 Immediate
ly offered my services to the president
for active service in Cuba, and receiv-
ed q reply of thanks stating that my
Lot To ha <>f
war, but as yet l have not been assign
ed The following is q clipping the
captain gave the reporter showing
some of the work that has already
been accomplished by him:
Leading his little burro"Cinto, ''all
the way from Santa Monica, Cal. out
in the mountains and deserts since
September, Capt Chittenden, the in
defatigable and enthusiastic explorer.
ethnologist and archaelogist, reached
Tucson yesterday. and although wear
led by four days forced travelling in or
der to reach water, proceeded without
stopping to the rare old mission church
of San Xavier. He is now on q histo-
rical tour of the worl /, especially in
the interest of chronological research,
aud is carefully examining the most
people who were SO numerous in Arizo- |
ma during former ages. with a view of
soon published work thereon. Capt. |
ChitteDden is the author of several |
pamphlets upon the Pacific coast reg
ion, having published one on Alaska |
fourteen years ago. In 1884 he was
specially commissioned by the govern |
ment of British Columbia to explore |
the Queen Charlotte islands and the |
following year under the patronage OF
the Canadian government he published |
"From Ocean to Ocean," through the |
British possessions. Upon these, and |
many other expeditions he has made |
the most complete and valuable collec- |
tions relating to primitive American |
life, much of which he has donated to |
the Los ' Angeles !chamber Of
commerce the old carreta |
which attracts SO much attention. He |
was appointed special commissioner /
for British Columbia in the depart |
ment of ethnology at the inter-colonial |
exposition held in London in 1885, and |
also at the Worlds Columbian exposi- |
L