The Saint Paul globe., 1898-04-24

Quito is on the pigeon-hole system. You
rent box in the wall for your coffin,
and 1t stays there as long as your
relatives or friends pay the rent. When
the pay stops the authorities pull out
the coffin and dump the remains into a
great cistern adjoining the cemetery.
A similar custom prevails in the ceme-
terry of the city of Guanahuato, in Mex
leo, where the bones of the delinquent
dead are shoveled away into a great
vault, where they lie piled up like so
much corn in a granary.
They Trade in Human Heads.
The bulk of the population of
Ecuador is made up of Indians There
are 100000 Indians in the republic who
have never been subdued. and sGme of
the savages upon the Napo river, which
flows through the eastern part of
Ecuador into the Maronon, are less
known than the people Of interior Afri-
ca. Some Of these tribes shoot their
enemies with poisoned arrows, using
blow guns made of reeds. They send
the arrows at you with great force,
and scratch from one of them is sure
death. 1t is In this same region that
dried heads Of human beings are cured
for sale. AS I write these words a
human head, cut off just below the
chin, lies on the table before me.
Whether 1T is that of a man or a
woman I do not know, but it's hair is
as long, as black and as silky as the
hair Of any brunette belle who reads
this letter. When I photographed it a
few minutes ago, holding it in my hand
before the camera, the black strands
hung down almost a yard below my
fist, and the hair was so thick that I
could hardly grasp it all.
The head is one of the famous dried
heads of the Ecuadorian Indians who
live on the eastern slope of the Andes.
They have for ages adopted this meth
cd Of picking or curing the heads of
their enemies, and I have been told
that such a demand has existed among
the foreigners for the heads as curiosi-
ties that within recent years the In
dians have been killing their friends
and relatives as well in order to supply
it. The Ecuadorian government has re-
Gently passed a law making 1t crime
to buy or sell such heads, and the
severest penalties are imposed on those
who engage in the traffic. Still, I am
offered this head for $100 in gold, and
l could buy several more at the same
price. don't think I shall take it. 1t
is, however, a wonderful thing.
All of the bones have in some way
been taken out of it, and the flesh, skin
and hair of the head only left. In part
Ing the hair at the back see stitches,
and it is evident that the skin was cut
open here to get out the skull The
remainder of the skin is as perfect as
it was in life, only the whole head is
so shrunken that it is not much larger
than base ball. Its color is perfectly
black. The eyes are closed, the fore
head, over which the dark hair hangs
| is low, and the nose is almost that of a
negro in shape. The lips, which were
once full sensuous and voluptuous, are
sewed together with long cotton strands
which hang down like macreme
| fringe, and the chin has a pronounced
| dimple in it, which, I doubt not, once
smiled at it's sweetheart and friends
| Whether it's owner was killed by
| treachery or in battle no one knows
The method of curing the heads is
! also mystery. 1t Is said that a red