Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-10-17

Peculiar Hobby Which Occupies
Leisure Time of a Texan.
Has Visited Many Lands and Coun-
tries in search of the odd Curios
aud He Has an Interest,"
ing Collection.

The following advertisement appeared
In the newspapers Of st. Joseph, Mo. re-
Gently:
"Wanted--Human skulls! must be In
good condition; will pay literally for
fine specimens Apply Hotel Nj. Charles
w. Jenkins"
Jenkins was temporary resident OF
st. Joseph, where be has considerable
realty interests, but his real home Is In
Corpus Christi, Tex He has probably
the oldest fad of any collector Of curios
who has ever been resident OF that city.
Mr.. Jenkins is very anxious to increase
his collection OF skulls, and In the pos
session Of medical students, physicians
and colleges of st. Joseph are specimens
taken from various burying grounds
that have been unearthed in the ex-
cavations for buildings on sites that
hundreds Of years ago were repositories
for the dead OF the ancient red man.
Il have now in my possession 34S
perfect specimens of human skulls, says
Mr.. jenkins "They represent the hui
man of many ages, and | find them an
interesting study indeed. How did
come to indulge in such a strange fad?
Well, in my youth / made study Of
anatomy, and became intensely inter-
ested in the construction of the human
frame. | gradually acquired taste for
this form Of bric-a-brac.
Il got my real start as collector OF
skulls in 1887. During excavations in
st. Joseph on property in the possession
of my father several specimens of an
ancient race were exhumed, and
straightway found a resting place upon
shelf in a cabinet in my home. l Wis
tied the former home of the mound
builder in Colorado and New Mexico,
where other specimens of the ancient
inhabitants were discovered. They diff
fer materially from the skulls found in
st. Joseph. Then visited the holy land
in search of specimens. From there
drifted to the lands of the Ptolemies Of
Egypt. Here some valuable acquisi-
lions were made. have tramped over
the Pampas Of South America, the noun
tains of Peru and Chill, and even pene-
trated into the wildernesses of the Anna
zon, where, in deposits of earth and
stone, have brought to light perfect
specimens of human skulls. represent
ing periods which history does not
chronicle.
q ain my experiments | have found that
some skulls take on very beautiful
polish, and | must say that, under the
hand of skilled artisan, they are made
magnificent. These specimens occupy a
cabinet by themselves. l have number
of skulls taken from the wreck of the
Galveston storm. l also have specimens
from other disasters on this and other
continents. Five victims of the Mont
Pelee disaster are represented In my
collection. This business OF collecting
skulls is a great aid in the study and re-
tention of important facts in history. l
have in my possession the skulls of men
at times prominent in the history of
this nation. How | came to have them
do not care to say. However, money
is a means of gratifying the tastes OF
anyone who cares to make a collection
of this kind Because have acquired q
liking for this work, | spend much time
during the winter months wandering
about between rows of grinning heads,
philisophizing, after the fashion of the
grave digger in Hamlet, upon the brew
ity of human life"