Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-09-23
A SKULL HUNTER
OCCUPY HIS LEISURE
TIME.
Researches Extend to Egypt, the Holy
Land, South America and the
United States.

st. Joseph. Mo-. Sept 23-The fol
lowing advertisement appeared in the
newspapers of this city
WANTED-Human skulls must be
in good condition; will pay literally
FOR fine specimens. Apply Hotel Me
| trOpole. Charles W. Jenkins
Jenkins IS a temporary resident Of
St. Joseph. where he has considerable
| realty interests but his real home is
In Corpus Christi. Texas He has
probably the oldest fad of any col
lector of curios who has ever been
resident Of this city. Mr. jenkins IS
very anxious to increase his collection
of skulls and in the possession of ply
sicians. medical students and colleges
OF this city are speciments taken from
various burying grounds that have
been unearthed in the excavations for
buildings on sites that hundreds of
years ago were the repositories for
the dead of the ancient red man.
II have now in my poss ession 34S
perfect specimens of human Skulls
says Mr.. jenkins. .They represent
the human of many ages and I find
them an interesting study indeed.
How did I come to indulge in such
strange fad? Well, in my youth !
made study Of anatomy and became
intensely interested in the construc-
ton of the human frame. gradually
acquired taste for this form OF brio
a-brac
Il got my real start as a collector
OF skulls in 1887. During the excava.
tions in st. Joseph on property in pos
session Of my father several specimens
OF an ancient race were exhumed and
straightway found their resting place
upon shelf in cabinet in my homo.
visited the former home of the mound
builders in Chicago and New Mexico
where other specimens Of tie ancient
differ materially from the skulls found
in ST. Joseph. Then l visited the Holy
Land in search of specimens. From
there | drifted to the lands of the
Ptolemies of Egypt. Here some val
liable acquisitions were made. | have
tramped over the Pampas of South
America, the mountains of Peru and
Chilli, and even penetrated into the
wildernesses of the Amazon, where, in
deposits of earth and stone. | have
brought to light perfect specimens of
human skulls, representing periods
which history does not chronicle.
In my experiments have found
that some skulls take on a very beau
tiful polish. and | must say that under
the hand of skilled artisan they are
made magnificent.
These specimens occupy a cabinet
by themselves. have a number of
skulls taken from the wreck of the
Galveston storm also have speci-
mems from other disasters on this and
other continents. Five victims of the
Mont Pelee disaster are represented
in my collection This business of col. |
lecting skulls is great aid in the
study and retention Of important facts |
in history. have in my poss ession 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 means of
gratifying the tastes of any one who
cares to make collection Of this kind.
Because l have acquired liking for
this work l spend much time during
the winter months wandering about
between rows Of grinning heads phil.
osophiZing, after the manner Of the
grave digger in Hamlet upon the
brevity of human life"