davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

as brigadier general and commanding
10000 troops at Knoxville.
~
After Williamsburg Gen. Gibson was
with a number of raiding parties: he was
with Stoneman when the latter was
obliged to fall back from Yorktown; he
fought his way on up with the army,
South Mountain and Antietam winning
him further brevets and honors; and then
he fought with distinction at Fredericis-
burg.
Following this epochal battle, he left
the Army of the Potomac for al" ives
Burnside his old classnate. seat for him
and made him colonel of the I'd Ohio Ar
tillery and chief of his artillery Gen.
Gibson raised his regiment in Ohio and
then took it on its splendid career
through the remainder of the war. clos
ing its series of campaigns at Knoxville
Curiously. with all this long record .!
active fighting, Gen. Gibson was wounded
but once. That was in one OF the lndian
tights in California. An Indian bullet
went through his thigh.
THE doctor said it was beautiful
wound remarked Gen Gibson, dryR' 20
| presume ! should feel fiattered."
At Fredericksburg he had his narrowest
ESCAPE. There a ball tore through his
overcoat, ripped off his saber and then
found lodgment in the abdomen OF Gen.
Bayard, with whom he was talking. zen.
Bayard died in twenty-four hours
Following the war. Gen. Gibson han
variety of service at army posts from
Maine to Florida. lie closed his army
career in 1901 following six years service
in command of Washington barracks
And was that service DISTINGUISHED ny
ANYTHING in particular asked some on
Yes" whimsically replied Gen. tiiDsoh.
the twinkle in his eyes growing nr, ,,,na
during all those six years l was unoef-
taker-in-chief TO every one OF distlnetion
who died in Washington"-for then ihe
troops at Washington barracks we're ING
onaS caIlad upon to furnish funeral
escorts. ASHMuN bno"A'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

can establishments where this and other
games of chance were played attracted
our men in large numbers.
The. National Soldiers Home, in
Washington. is partly the result of
these gambling operations in the City
Scott. on capturing the city, exacted a
tribute from it of 100000. Then he
exacted from the citizens the usual
necessary taxes. and also continued the
receipt of license fees from gambling
games, which fees, by the way, were
very large. On the return of the troops
to the United States this money was
turned into the Treasury, with the pro-
yiso that 1t be expended in constructing
a soldiers home at the National Capital.
This is the genesis of the home of to-
day.
THE Mexican people of that day were
not materially different from the present
there. is today a. larger rc-oportton OF edu-
Gated and cultivated Msxicans but their
total by comparison with the whole pop
ulation is wOefully small. We found the
people largely ignorant, largely uncivil-
lied. largely Indian and hence naturally
and racjally cruel Judged by our stan
dards. they were not and 1 think. are
that it will be several generations before
they are. tit. for absolute self-government.
"A strong, enlightened and arbitrary
government. such as Scott gave them.
coupled with a far more extensive educa-
tional system than they have today, is
necessary before Mexico can be brought
into the ways of peace and directed to
the esta blishment of a successful democ-
racy.
ut was an evil day. for Mexico when
we or Gen. Worth's division-the last Of
the American troops to leave Mexico
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

not much thicker than a wooden tooth
pick. The poison is SO deadly that it will
kill almost anything that the arrow goes
into. 1t comes from Brazil. The Indians
can send these arrows from forty to fifty
feet at shot, and they can hit monkey
or bird in a high tree For their fight
ing they use spears much like those of
the knights of the middle ages. There is
a Spaniard who makes these spears and
sells them to the Indians for rubber. Some
venom which they make from d certain
bodies in a state of putrefaction. The
in joints of bamboo. and it forms an arti-
is also used on the arrows. ard that for
the killing of game 1t does not inJure
the meat.
The Jivaro Indians are supersti;ious.
They have witch doctors. who make a
drink, called hiahuaSa from the root and
leaves of shrub. boiled into tea. This
stuff is something like opium, and it makes
one see visions and dream dreams. Mt
TAYLOR tried it. Shortly after he had
drunk, spots came in front of his eyes.
and little later on he saw pictures OF
saints The witch doctors told him TO
concentrate his mind on his family. He
did SO and saw snakes. but a little later
his family actually appeared before his
mind eye. and that far more real than
in any dream he had ever experienced
Another most interesting man with
whom I have talked about the Indians OF
the eastern Andes is a German explorer
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

named kroehle. who spent three years
in travelling among them. He had a
camera with him, and l was able to get
some prints from his negatives Some of
these I dare not publish, for the figures
are entirely nude. being especially inter-
esting from an chronological standpoint
Mr. KroehIe was twice wounded with poi
soned arrows, and he had some narrow
escapes from the head hunters in the
Of the River Napo. He de-
scribes the Napo region as full of queer
people. Some of the Indians there have
in the lobes of their ears plates of
wood or metal as big around as the bot
tom of an average tumbler. The holes for
them are first made when they are chill
dren, and are gradually enlarged by in
sorting bits of grass and twigs until
they grow and become so stretched
that they will hold the great ear plugs
The same custom prevails in Burma and
in other parts of the orient. On the high
lands Of East Central Africa l have seen
ear Iobes so stretched than when the
plugs were taken out they hung down
from the ears like straps, and their own
ers would fasten them over the tops of
the ear in order that they might not
catch In the branches as they passeu
the forest.
Many travellers who have made their
way along the eastern slopes Of the
Andes assert that cannibalism still exists
among some of the Indian tribes. Some
of Mr. Kroehles pictures are of Indians
he calls the Cachiros who live along the
River Pachitea. These people are wild
and are cannibals. They hunt with blow
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

aguacate pear. This juice is leather
preserver. 1t is smeared over the head
inside and out. AS the head grows small
er stone of the shape of a small skull
is inserted and the skin is worked down
upon it. This stone regulates the size of
the head when it is cured. 1t is taken
out before the skin has grown too hard
but after its features are fixed. The head
is then hung up over the fireplace and al
lowed to cure in the smoke.
Mr.. Taylor describes the Jivaro Indians
as a well made, good looking people He
says they are polygamists some of them
having seven or eight wives. They null
tiply rapidly. but the population is kept
down by feuds, during which one family
will lay for another and shoot any of it's
members on sight. In order to be ready
to defend themselves they sleep in a sit
ting posture. each brave having his spear
between his knees. While visiting one
tribe Mr.. Taylor saw three Jivaros who
had just come in from the hunt. They
were thin and gaunt. They described a
raid that had just been made on their
family, during which all had been killed
but themselves. Mr.. Taylor took canoe
and went with priest to the place of the
killing. There We're women and children
and old men lying on the ground The
heads of all had been cut off, and the
captors were probably curing them as l
have described
* *
Another interesting thing about the
Indians of the upper Amazon" said Mr..
Taylor, rs their use of the blowgun and
the poisoned arrow. This is common
among most of the tribes between the
Napo and the Maranon. Their guns are
long tubes just large enough around for
the arrows, which are wrapped with cot
ton at the ends to make them fit close.
The arrows are small. not more than a
foot or foot and a half in length, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

stood there in the grand plaza and saw
the American flag lowered from the
palace to the salute of twenty-on Mexi-
can guns, and saw the Mexican flag
raised in its place to salute of an
equal number of guns fired by enc Of
our own batteries. The cause of peace
and domestic tranquility in Mexico was
set back with our departure from the
country. -..,--
Il am not arguing for any particularly
course of action on the part of the
United States in Mexico, nor am l put
ought or ought not to be done. l am
simply relating to you the result of my
own observe tons and the facts disclose ed
by those observations, facts which
believe were not disputed by any who
formed ii part OF the original army Of
occupation in Mexico"
Cant you tell me OF some of Your
individual, adventures during your stay
in Mexico?'
Gen. Gibson chuckled.
Really" said he. II didn't have any,
thing that measures up TO the definition
of what might be called an adventure,
unless It be one little incident that hap
pened in the City of Mexico one night
In company with another officer / was
secluded part of the town. we heard
woman scream She was the occupant of
Il carriage which man had stopped,
presumably with the intention of rob-
berry.
my companion and 7, each of US
carrying sword cane. stepped up: and
the man fled. We then walked with. the
carriage to a Mexican home not far
away. house where had happened
to see number of American officers
visiting from time to time, and the lady
entered. After she had arrived she
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

-HE words 'tgreaser"' and srlnso
are supposed by most Americans
L and Mexicans to be the utmost IN
opprobrium. When an Amefleah cans !"
MexJcan ..preaser'' he imagines, oouot-
less. that he is referring to his southern
brothers. personal appearance lie mas
the vague idea that "gringo Is Ter
rife insult in Spanish.
Yet. these two words, symbohc Oh
hatred and contempt, are OF most ihiio-
cent origin, according to the statement OF
an American mining engineer OF this CITY,
who has spent years in Mexico and the
soutbwestern states of this country.
Healthy curiosity" as he describes II.
led him to investigate the origin or the
words. This is what he found:
During the early pioneer days when the
stage coaches were bringing goidseekers
across the plains from ST. Joseph, Mo-, to
Denver, the rate of pay as well as the
fare was high Americans deposited from
500 to 500 before they made the trip,
and the plainenen who conveyed the
wagons were naturally drawing high
portant and poorly paid job in connection
with the stage coach-that OF axle
greaser. And as the Americans didn't
want the work, the unambitious Mexicans
of the pe6n class were usually employed
Thus Mexican and greaser" became
symbolic The eastern traveller and .fnaI-
w the westerner came to call all Next
cans "greasers
Even less harmful is the origin of the
word ..gr1ngo." When Gen. Scott was
leading his troops toward the Mexican
capital he had a number of Mexican pris-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
cANN1BA1s LIVE NEAR TIE SOURCE The A71Azo

the camp at night. and were now and
then to be seen as the party made its
way through the woods. Much of the
journey was along the banks of the
streams and the party did not lack for
fish Whenever they wanted a fish din
dynamite cap in the water, and mo-
ment later the surface would be covered
with dead fish. From one such explosion
they took out 300 pounds. Some of the
fish We're as long as your arm, ana We're
of a delicious flavor. Among other in
habitants of the streams were aligators
of various kinds. One had no scales and
its enormous head was more like that of
fish than of an alligator. The skin
was of blush cast, with few specks
here and there. These reptiles are said
to be dangerous, and the natives would
not go into the waters where they live.
In talking of the Indians Mr. Avant
said that the most of them are not friend
ly to foreigners. They are savages. who
dress almost altogether in bark. and their
chief weapons are bows and arrows tipped
with poison. Some of the tribes are sup
posed to be cannibals and all are in a
very low state of civilization.
1t was at Lima that l met Mr.. W. Bell
Taylor OF Boston. who had just come
down from the coal mines in the high
Andes near Cerro de Pasco, and had a
chat with him about an expedition he had
recently made from Amhato, Ecuador.
down the eastern slopes OF the Andes into
the Amazon valley. His trip took three
months, and during this time he Travelled
on foot and in canoes for more than ], 400
miles through the wilds. 1t took him nine
days to reach Canelos, on the Rio Bo-
banjo. during which time he walked and
had men to carry his cargo. Each of the
cargadores carried seventy-five pounds.
The whole way was through the jungle
At Canelos the party took canoes and
foated down one of the Amazon tribu-
taries to the mouth of the Ucayali, which
is one of the sources of the Amazon.
The Ucayali flows into the Maranon, and
the latter goes down into the main
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

stream. MIR. Taylor visited 1quitos, the
chief rubber port of the upper Amazon.
and then came back overland through
Peru. He describes Iquitos city OF
25,O0o inhabitants and as one of high
prices. 1t cost him So day there for his
food alone.
Among the most interesting stories told
me by Mr.. Taylor were those about the
Jivaros Indians. These savages are head
hunters who kill their enemies and pre-
serve their heads as trophies of war. |
have seen many of these heads during
my travels and have made photographs
of them l was once offered head for
500 in gold, but refused it for fear that
the ghost of the dead man might haunt
me for the rest of my life. This head was
about as big my fist. The bones of
the skull had been removed and the skin
SO carefully shrunken that none of the
features was lost. The skin of the face
down from the skull was of the same
raven hue. The nose was almost negroid
in shape. and the lips were sewed to-
gether with long cotton strands that hung
down like macrame fringe.
Mr.. Taylor told me the story of how
these heads are cured, as he got it from
the natives. He says it is a drying proc
esS. After killing man they cut his
head off close to the shoulders, and as
soon as they reach camp they open it and
take out the bones of the skull The skin
of the head is then Sewed together from
the crown to the base of the neck. 1t is
now kind of bag. This is filed with hot
sand, but is kept as far as possible in its
original shape. 1t is pressed inward dur
ing the drying. the sand being changed
from time to time, until the head is re-
duced to one-fourth or one-f1fth the orig
inal size. Before beginning the curing.
the skin is painted with the juice of the
huito, a fruit that looks much like an
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

his book of "reminiscences Gen. Sheridan
details the story of this escort party
and tells of Gibson, its commander.
Hood. later a famous Confederate gen.
eral, also was one of the young officers
of the expedition. and third was Crook.
the great White Fox of later Indian
warfare. Williamson and Abbott. both
later regarded as great engineer officers
Of the army, were the engineers of the
expedition. All now are dead save Alb
bolt and Gibson.
X
Gen. Gibson had a large part in the two
Rogue river campaigns; he also was with
the expedition sent to avenge the mas
sacre of fifty-six whites in the Pyramid
lake region of Nevada. and for months he
was with Col. Wright's famous COM
mand which swept up the Columbia river.
through Washington territory. and on
into the Couer .alene mountains. clean
ing up the hostile Yakimas. klichitats
and allied tribes. One decisive battle
was fought by the command within sight
of what is now Spokane, Wash. Through
the efforts Of Gen. Gibson the army post
at Spokane erected few years ago, was
named Fort Wright in honor of the COM
mander.
Then came the civil war and four years
of brilliant fighting by this young regular
army officer In 1861 he came back to
the east as captain of artillery and went
at once into active service with the Army
of the Potomac. He it was who Opened
the BALI at the battle Of Williamsburg,
Va, May !. 1sI2. He was brevetted mayor
for gallant and meritorious services in
that battle. =,
Parenthetically, it might be remarked
that during the war he received four
brevets for gallantry. and was recon-,
mended for many high promotions D! an
the commanders under whom he served.
But this young officer had no political
backing, like many another regular. ara
so the highest commission he held during
the war was that OF colonel though !ne
end of the great strife found HIM actihs
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
eGRE.ASER' AND sGRlNGO'

oners with him. and these were compelled
to hear American soldiers with voices in
all stages of repair below forth the pop
ular song of that day. which began
"Green Grows the Grass
The Mexicans remembered that song.
Usually when an American soldier starts
to sing a song he does a good job Of it.
And when an army starts singing any VIC
member the words, if not the tune, until
his dying day. The Mexicans were re-
leased when the war came to an end.
They couldn't pronounce the words
green grows" so they cut 1t to ''gringo'
and that became synonymous with Ameri-
cans.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

Gen. H. G. Gibson
Relates His Personal
Experiences of Sixty
Seven Years Ago.
American Government
of Mexico Under Scott
the Best the Country
Ever Had Before or
Since How Shipping
Was Stopped.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
INDIAN OF g.
RIO NRoPEdIoN.

guns and arrows tipped with poison so
deadly that the scratch of an arrow will
cause death. They do not use money.
and all Of their dealings are by barter.
They WAHh the gold from the streams and
bring It to the traders in nuggets and
coarse dust In defense of cannibalism
the Cachiros say they would rather be
eaten by men than by worms. and they
believe that If one eats a man he ac-
quires all the courage and other good
qualities that the man eaten had when
alive.
Others of the tribes cultivate the soil
in a rude way. They have little fields of
yucca, and sometimes of potatoes and
corn The yucca root tastes like Pc,
tato. 1t is cooked over the Goals and
made into a cake; it is also used to make
beer which is somewhat like chicha.
The Aguarunas are among the tribes that
have houses and cultivate the ground.
They are warlike tribe who fight with
poisoned arrows and build war-towers
for defense. They are polygamists and
one man may have a half dozen wives.
These people, both male and female, wear
short skirts of bark or of cotton.
Another curious tribe along the Madre
de Dios river. down which Mr.. Avant
Travelled, is the Huachipairis. These peo-
pie generally go naked. their favorite
suits being coats OF red and black paint.
They cultivate the soil and weave cloths
and ropes of wild cotton They are like
the Aguurunas in that they have several
wives. They frequently make raids on
the Quichuas, the descendants of the In
cas-, who live on the high plateau Of the
Andes. and steal their women to replenish
their harems They also buy their wives,
the price of woman being a knife or a
Ratchet. The Huachpairis make holes in
hi thar
or sticks They are not friendly to the
whites and the Catholic missionaries have
been able to do very little with them.
Speaking of the religion of the Indians
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
The Right Men.
IN his eightieth birthday Chauncey
" NJ DepeW said to reporter:

IN his elght1eth birthday Chauncey
~ NJ. Depew said to a reporter:
''You ask for the secret Of success.
Well. one secret in executive work il
putting the right man in the right
place Like Lord Claud Hamilton, you
know.
Lord Claud was travelling over his
line when a brakeman-or guard.
they say in the old country-shouted at
Acton station:
'Hacton. Hacton"
Lord Claud smiled A little further
on. arriving at Hanwell. another guard
shouted:
".Anwell. Anwell"
Quick as a flash Lord Claud said to
his companion:
You see how difficult it is. Thorn
ton. to get the right man in tbs right
place. We must have that Acton por-
ter brought here, and we'll send that
Hanwell fellow to Acton"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

Y modern ages Mex
leo has had but one
strong, stable and
efficient govern
ment. That was
during the Ameri-
can occu p a t j o n
from 1S47 to the
withdrawal Of our
troops in the au-
tumn of 1S4s. Gen.
Scott governed Mex
leo as it has never
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

How Heads Are
Cured With Hot Sand.
Among the Jivaros and
the Aguarunas - Poi
soned Arrows and How
They Are Made A
New Story of the Gre
alton and of the ORR
gin of Races-Queer
Superstitions Gathered
by Explorers in the
Wilds of Eastern Peru
and Bolivia.
,.,,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

figure Though he celebrated his eighty
seventh birthday at his home in Wash
ington May % last, and though he was
he is still active, mentally alert keen in
his interest in current events and still
full of the joy Of living.
A slender, rather delicately framed
man is this, still bearing himself with
soldierly erectness, his face adorned
with the mustache and imperial such as
Gen. Mcclellan made famous. His
cheeks are pink, betokening sound
health and his eyes are extraordinarily
bright and clear. Age has not impaired
any of his senses. Moreover. those
bright eyes of his have in them an ever
present twinkle, and there Is chuckle
in his voice, merry, humorous and full
of fun.
The record of this soldier of the old
army is a brilliant and gallant one.
Mexican war, Indian campaigning and
the four bloody years of the civil war
found him ever seeking action. hunting
out the places where there was some
thing doing" He was American youth
incarnate for a period of years beyond
the ordinary span of youth, and even
now, in his eighty-eighth year. there
10 still hint of boyishness about him.
Some men seem never to grow old.
Gen. Gibson Is one of these.
The range of his recollectiOns includes
acquaintanceship with the dominating
figures in American history from the war
of 1872 down to the present time. This
can be said probably Of no other living
man. When he became an officer OF the
army. sixty-seven years ago. he met
and knew many of the military leaders
Of our second war with England, and
also many of those who in civil life
had bulked big in the conduct Of nation
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

GUAQJI. Bolivia.
L RING my travels
on the high pla-
teau of the Andes.
| have heard many
s TT a n 6 t stories
about the vast un-
explored country
that slopes down
to t h e Amazon
valley. In coming
across Lake Tit
caca | travelled
with an American