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About The Plattsmouth daily herald. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1883-19?? | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1888)
1 J THF DAILY ITERALD: rL attsm o t itij. NEnnASi: v. FiirnA v: jrrx f'i . i .?. . if t il i it t . f 1 A CALIFORNIA CKAZE. COLLECTING BASKETS FROM THE ' MEXICANS AND INDIANS. SOUTH 's. Vmj In . BAY DUCK SHOOTING Tim Ijttrst ra Among ArtUtlo ropU on thn J'lu-Iflc Slopn Iluiitlnir for peci locin Itritutiful Work u tli Uualcy llunhfl makers. lln latest fad or craze In California, eMin.fi.illy in tho southern portion, id to Tmss k8 u collection of Indian baskets. It is the correct thing-, and some of the most artistic homes in tho state have rooms decorated with them. Who started the cruzo is not known, but some one discov ered tlmt tlie baskets iiofeHessed great nrtlstic beauty, wcro rich in harmonious coloring- und formed attractive ornaments' for lilrnry and parlor, and the demand begun. It w&s tho old story of new lamps for old, and dealers and others went around tho country exchanging now mod ern baskets for tho old ones of the Spau-i.-h und Mexican fumilies. The htkets tiro exhausted, nt legist the old ones, being now in tbe hands of a few collators and others who will not sell them. 'J ho baskets cost from il iAl Silt iiniiully, and bring from 10 to $."i0 apiece. Unless tho rider lias seen some of these works of barbaric art this price will seem excessi vc; but the graceful shape, the rich brown tints, the age und association, give themu value appreciated by those who have engaged in their collection. Tho cheapest way to make a collection is to go to f.ome collector and buy their baskets outright; but the most pleasurable method Is to take a carriugo and go about the country among tho Indians and Mexicans and buy them one's self. Many or tho . firiHt baskets come from tho Indians north of San Francisco, and others hav lieen collected in Ixjs Angeles, Kan Iiego und San Iiernardino counties. In tho lat ter counties are tho remnants of tho Mis sion Indians, hidden away in tho moun tains at 1'ulu, ruuma and at Pachanza. i;xi-kkif.ncks ok mi: COr.I.KCTOK. Tho experiences of tho amateur basket collector are varied, and no letter way in which to study tho habits of the present Indians can bo found. The successful - basket fiend must have what is popularly known as "cheek;" must walk into tho bedrooms mid private apartments, insist upon trunks being opened and contents shown. This may seem a high handed jroeeding, but it is necessary, as even -wiiilo the people wish to seil they, in t ho majority of cases, say at first that they have no baskets, and when they are pro duced do not wish to sell on account of tho ancient aunt or grandparent who has handed them down. If, however, tho would le purchaser has tho staving jnver the basket can be secured. Tho sellers reueraJJv believe the Americans to bo irreat fool for paying such prices. A half breed informed the writer that the jicople were crazy and would give anything; and with a laugh, he said: "They pay five times as much for tho old ones as they do for tho new." That a basket which they use to sift their Hour in could serve as an ornament is leyond their conception: yet this is tho end to which these old utensils are put. They are tacked against the walls to show tho figures or color, or hung over doors or in corners. Hie largo ones ud a place near the lire to hold tho wood, wL'te others are distributed about the library fr papers and magazines; indeed, their usefulness grows upon one. The finest collections are photographed by their owners unu ?uake a fine and artistic showing. It is as an art that the work of these jieoplo commends itself, not alc??o in the " form of the baskets, but in the marking and arrangement of colors; and that such artistic feeling should be found among people whose ideas of art, as we recognize it. are of the crudest description, is re markable. After so many years of asso ciation with white people it would not appear strange, if some of their ideas of ornamentation wero obtained from them, yet this is extremely rare. All the orna mentation is unique, possessing- an indi viduality that cannot bo mistaken. The lines are often graceful and of great geo metrical beauty, radiating from tho cen ter. A common design is a series of tri angular or arrow shaped figures worked into radiating lines. Some seem to repre sent Hashes of lightning in the zigzay .motion. Human figures worked in, oftei extending- completely around the basket, with clasjed hands, are seen in soma of the boat baskets, while deer anl other nnimahj are sometimes introduced. Tlie colors are n.sually dull reds or browns, yellows and bi&rlt, and in almost every case the blending b harmonious. Where theso people obtain J heir i&ns is an in teresting question, but probably froia nature the foliago, the bending" brasses, etc., suggesting tho lines of grace aid beauty. METHODS OP BASKET MAKING. . It is not necessary to go far from the ,-enters of civilization to see basket niskets. The Diggers produce beautiful baskets not far from San Francisco, while tho Indians about Monterey, Santa Bar Lara, Los Angeles and other localities still Biake coarse ones in tho t amo primitive The basket work of tho California Ih il'.ans is valuable in several ways. It is t-baraeteristic of tho different tribes, and thev can b? traced by it. Some baskets a.-o beautifully ornamented with feathers, r.::d this shows that they were made by ts Indians north of San Francisco. One for which a large sum was recently paid Is orraoiented with tho red feathers of the woodi-cr, while around the edge are the plumes cf the plumed quaiL Tho feathers are woven in while tho basket is iiro-nini'p. Fineness and aee are two Important qualifications. ', The California- Indians employ two gen eral methods in basket making: the co is either twined or whipied. The Dig gers, as before stated, produco fine baskets ei great beauty, while the Klamath and JlrClouJ Indians make twined baskets so ine that they can be used to hold water. Iathe baskets from the Eel river tribe a douNe oil 13 used. The Modoc women produc some beautiful shapes. Wo see rones, inverted truncated cones, shallow dishes, some like hats or half eggs, vases, long and narrow, others flat, with short necks. Flaques are common, while some baskets are almost perfect spheres. Many of these are made of willow slips and pine roots, stained in the southern county with nail rust. The material used mostly by the California Indians is the plant known scientifically as "rkas aromatica," or squaw berry. In the houses or ramadas of Lnsketmafcers the raw material is eeen tw igs cnt and scraped, eight or ten inches in length and tied together with a string. They are dyed with plants and nail rust. Young girls can be seen soaking the twigs and scraping eff the bark ready for the old women to use. The Id baskets may bo considered a lost art. and compara tively few modern ones aro being made, not enough to meet the demand. C. F.. Iloldcn in San Francisco Chronicle. flattery," with Gun la Ilaad. - Snaptcloaa lllrria. Thcro la a fascination to many sports men in shooting ducks from a South bay battery, though a more cramped and un comfortable osillon cannot be found than that required by the gunner. The battery consists of a box about eighteen inches deep and long enough to admit the outstretched body of a man. A rub ber coat is the rubstitute for a mattress and a sandbag serves for the pillow. From the box extends on each side a lint, rafUike screen composed of wood and and brown canvas, which serves to float the box and break the force of the waves as they dash up against 'A. By means of weights the box is sunk in the water and iron decoy ducks hold it in place. A hundred decoys are scattered about the box in a natural manner. Tho gunner then lies down flat in the box, with his shells on one ide and his gun on the other. With a parting instruction to be sure ami keep tbe head well down the battery man sails away, leaving tho gun ner alone on the sea. To the man first trying tho sport the situation is a peculiar one, and the sensa tion tlie same. All alone, surrounded by the little flock of decoys, and the waves pounding up with a swash against the guards to the box, he feels somewhat in secure. As he lie3 flat in the box his body and head are below the level of the water. Sometimes, if the wind is blow ing pretty strong, a wave will break over into tho box, tickling his face with briny drops and sending cold streams of liquid down his back. If he is a sportsman be will only laugh at this and take a pull at his whisky flask to prevent catching cold. Sometimes the waves run so high that the gunner is compelled to bail out his box or it will become a fish pond in the sea. The Bun beating down on his face will redden it in about ten minutes. Meanwhile the sail boat is tacking across tlie bay to stir up the ducks A bunch of them is aroused, and as the birds go skimming along the water they 6py the decoys, and. thinking they are a flock of brethren peacefully feeding, shape their course toward them. As they sail up to the decoys they soon perceive they are deceived and wheel away. Just as they come alout is a good time to fire, and if tlie gunner is expert while they are get ting away lie lias time to 6lip in anotlier shell and fill the back of the rear duck with cold lead. If any of the ducks fall the gunner stands up in the battery, which is a signal for the sailboat men to come up and gather in the fowls that have been shot. Then the gunner stretches himself out again and waits for another flock. If tlie ducks are thick and not in a suspi cious mood he will not have to remain so long before another set will be along and more blazing away is in order. Some favorable morning there is a constant liooming of guns on the bay, and big ijoatloads of ducks are brought in. It is not uncommon in the autumn for one man to shoot fifty to eighty ducks from a battery. Tlie next day be may not get five. In the season about five batteries a day str.t out from Patchogue. The skip per always has a man to help him sail his catboat, and it is a race to secure the best ground. Often In making the best run across the bay the "cap'n" only gets in first to find the ground already seized by the ambitious huntsman who has gone out the night before, slept in the catboat and at sunrise is ready in his battery. Tlie early morning is the best time, as ai dawn the ducks begin to feed and are out in great numbers. Every sailboat man is a "cap n and must scrupulously be addressed as suclu ilis assistant is the mate. There is no crew. The South bay boatmen are honest, good hearted men, always ready to get as much as they can out of the sportsmen, but work ing hard to drum up the game for him. He will charge 41 6 a day for the use of the battery, and will throw in the meals. In the cabin of the catboat tlie mate cooks ham and eggs, steak, potatoes and coffee, and serves it hot. If the sports man likes oysters, he will throw over his rake and bring up half a bushel to open on the spot If one is not having much success with the ducks it is a good plan to allow the "cap'n" to lie in the bat tery for a tim,e, for he is invariably a crack 6hot and will fiJI jp the quota needed in short order. .Brant and broadbills are the most abundant of the family in the Great South bay n spring. The broadbills are a plump duck, with cbprt bills. They are sw ift flyers, and it is like shooting at a bunjble bee to draw on one as he comes by. Lo the fall black ducks and red heads come ?u the bay. Shell ducks are also plentiful. Shell ducks and coots are good shooting, but not worth eating. The broadbills are great divers, and often, when wounded, will lead the skip pers a long chase. On diving they are pretty sure to come up to the windward, and a good d'stapce off. Often the duck come in the bay in great quantities, and 6et up in the water like big rows of ten pins. When started they rise with the noise of a whirlwind in the forest. Tlie boobies are a small species of duck that sometimes come in the bay. They get their nauie from their aptness at losing their heads. A slxot into a flock of boo bies will sometimes so disconcert them that they will fly around in a circle and allow the gunner to take his time in shooting them down. They are great chatterers, and keep the bay noisy with their criei. New York Times. HEX WITH A MAMA. MAKING COLLECTIONS OF ODD AND CURIOUS THINGS. Broker Eager la the Pursuit of SI limit, Pottery, Rosea, Orchlda, Japanese Curios, Pipe. Mosaics and DotterOies. The True Collector Is Horn. Tht collecting craze U something almost as inevitable as death to tbe successful Wall street man. As soon as he begins to feel his fortune upon an assured basis be isatolutely sure to fall a prey to a mania for collecting something, these ranoies are as widely dif ferent as the poles and as numerous as midnight stars. H ray ton Ives scikU thou sands of dollars every year on books and has tho finest collection of Illuminated missals is this country, and the most complete colloo tion of first printed editions in tbe world. Henry Clews ban the pottery craze, and his 1 loyal Saxony, Kevres, Worcester and Dres den ware are unsurpassed on this sido of the ocean. Alfred Bully raises roses at bis coun try place and is always searching for a new variety; for that reason more than any other be got his affairs in order and went across the water, where hfc will visit all the famous roeeries of France, where mo6t of the new varieties of that flower are produced, and contemplates also looking through the old gardens of England for the eider varieties that can no louger be found in the collections of modern florists. Jay Gould devotes his leisure moments to orchids, and his orchid houses at his place on the Hudson contain the largest variety of these strange plants in any collection in the world outside of the fiotani cal Garden of London. Austin Cor bin eari most for Japanese curios and ha5 his house stored with crystals, swords, pottery, bronzes, Kakamono and carved ivories till there is scarcely room for meie cornmouplaco living purposes RAJUE AND DKAUTIFUL THINGS. One Wall street man has collected pipes from all over the world. Another has ran sacked all lands for weapons; a third devotes himself to bringing together wood carvings, a fourth to tbe collection of Mosaics and so ad infinitum. There are a lot of spurious ar ticles palmed otT on some of these untrained collectors, but on tho whole tbe mania is ad tnlrable if for nothing else than that it re sults in filling the country with rare and beautiful things. One of the mast interesting and occult of these collections is that of Hu moegen's, which consists entirely of moths and butterflies. It contains 100,0u0 of these insects, all carefully arranged, ticketed, cata logued and displayed in handsome glass cases. Nuemoegen has been some twelve years bringing these together, and it is said to be the most complete collection of moUis and butterflies in tbe world. No expense or pains have been sared( no expedition ha? left any of tbe large cities for purposes of exploration In foreign countries that has not been accompanied by an agent of Nuemoe gen'a, commissioned to bring home specimen! of the papilio of the land. Tbe collection includes specimens Indigen ous to every country from the equator to the very limit of tbelr existence northward, and they vary in eolor and size all tbe way from tiuy creatures naif tbe diameter of one's lit tle Anger nail and of the purest white up to wide winged beauties of glowing peacock blues, with bodies bigger than a bumming bird. They range the whole gamut of color and present the most curious suggestions of imitation such as tbe pansy butterfly, hose four wings resemble with startling exactuess tbe four petals of the purple and golden heartsease, or those so like a dead leaf as to be indistinguishable at a little distance Others have precisely the same rich scarlet coloring of autumn foliage, or the hue of tlie peacock's breast; tbe death's bead motb has a distinct skull and cross bones marked on bis back, a whole branch of this family of lepi doptera are seeming counterparts of a bed of pale purple wood violets. Some are white as Know and others black as velvet, while most beautiful of all are the great creatures of pale, milky green, whose wings have long tails of four or five inches attached. Some are very like dragon flies, with gauzelike opalescent wings, while some of the big bodied fellows are covered with actual feathers of down. THE TRCTE COLLECTOR. The true collector is born, and is only made by long experience and much labor. These rich stock brokers indulge in collecting only as an elegant advertisement and intelligent way of getting rid of their superfluous in vome; they are rarely born, with the true pc&jion. The men who sell curios take them in band and educate them slowly and laboriously to distinguish between the true and tbe false, tbe artistic and the mere tricious, and in large part their collections are brought together by their having carte blanche orders with London and 1'arisian dealers to buy and ship them anything that comes np for sale fitted to perfect or adorn tbelr possessions. But there are two or three men in Sew York of very moderate means who are true born collectors. They mouse about old bock and brlo-a-brao shops, dive suddenly into junk cellars on Avenue A and come up ra diant and grimy with some dingy object which, when put in order, causer their friends tocrever with envy. Their manner, too, in purchasing is worth study: Whenever they happen across something specially desirable they begin gradually toexhibit more and more profound disgust and scorn. They contempt uously toss the treasure trove aside and ex amine everything else before they return to it, finally selecting spina cheap, worthless object and suggesting that the hud shall be thrown in as an inducement to purchase, and wearily pocket the whole as if after all they felt tbey were very weak to allow themselves to be persuaded to take it at alL 1 have seen this performance tried successfully more than once. Brooklyn Eagle. WORK OF PREHISTORIC MAN. KetnmLable Relic ut un Aucltut Civili sation lit California. In many parts along the coa.it and in Mexico can still lo seen relics and re markable evidence cf some of tho mast skillful arts practiced by tho so called "ignorant savages" that once inhabited tliis land, which, by forcibly dispossessing them, we now inhabit, unless, perhapt, some more civilized race ossessed tliL? country prior to its discovery by Christo pher Columbus, whose tribe has long since been exterminated and whose record is lest. One of tho most wonderful of these relics is the indication of a solid pavement road in Arizona, made of granito blocks or 6lubs about ten ft t long, hewn square, conveyed and pl.tc-ed side by 6ido by souio means unknown to the spectator. , This pavement or road was undoubted ly built thousands of years ago, as lhcso blocks and indications can be traced d r miles along the mountain sides, through which deep canyons have washed their way. Some of these slabs are said to weigh nearly two tons, and theic U-ing no granito ledges nearer than several miles from where they aro now situated indicates that they must have had Lome powerful mod a of conveyance, as well a? powerful machinery to shape und locuto them. To these ancient people also was known a process of tempering brass so it could bo converted into tools equal to tlie lxr t of steel. Numerous specimens of l!iU tempered brass have been found where mo city or r.:t'.-o i: .s:.i:.:.s, :j v.- on the Pacific slope, and while the chemist has no dirliculty in removing the temper. yet he cannot return it. For the red covcry of this tempering process scientists and chemists have labored, and tho United States government has offered ft premium in vain. Nor can they even by having tempered metal before them gain the least light on the subject. liringing the tiiscourso a little nearer nomc, on tne euge ot tne i-ansa piaiiM, but a short distance from the stock ranch of C. Ii. Drumley, can ie seen what is known as the "Painted Rock." This rock is in a horseshoe shape, about eighty feet high and 1,000 feet in circu infer encc. I he inside being hollowed out gives it the appearance of a natural fort which has frequently lecn used by stork men as a sheep corral, and is capable of holding comfortably 3,000 head of siieep. The inside walls on the south aro very aurupc ana overnanging, ami are cov ered with many ancient paintings, roughly resembling sketches of men, dogs, snakes, lizards, tortoises and vari ous characters, the significance of which was, perhaps, even unknown to the painter. So we are inclined to think that each character is a record of EOiue historical event, and that, if we but un derstood them, they would be very inter esting to us. The paints used are oi three distinct colors red, whito and black. And, although we know nothing of their mode of manufacture or mate rials used, we can say thi3 much, that they have a power of durability and of retaining their color unsurpassed by modern productions. In the western part of tht3 county, at tho outlet of the Antelope valley, on the Tulare plains, is what is called the "Point of Rocks. " On top of the most prominent of these rocks is a large, beautiful water tank about 7 feet deer and 20 feet long by 12 feet wide. lis capacity is between 4,000 and 5,000 gal lons of water, and although evidently it has been formed by nature, still, judging by its location being such as to catch all the rain water that falls to the surface, one can be led to believe that it was human art and design. The height of the rock is about 100 feet and its walls are quite steep, but by the aid of steps chiseled into it, is no difficult task to as cend and return with a pail of water. From on top of the rock ono ha3 a mag nificent view of the surrounding country :1 1 ' mi ior nines unci inues. mere uemg no other water for a long distance makes it a very convenient resoit for stockmen and travelers. On adjoining rocks can be found a great many similar tanks; also two small ancient paintings. Scores cf mortars and pestles are found in various places. Some are made very roughly and others are shaped out of a fine quality of stone with elegant taste. Marvelous skill is displayed in the art of making arrow heads and knives of the hardest flint. How they can give a tie sired shape to eo brittle a substance by chipping off bits is easier to think uIkjiU than to accomplish. Cor. Bakersfield (Cal.) Echo. DON'T READ THIS ! ITnl ess you want to know w lie re to JJiirgain in B the J)et "Cash" We tire now ollerin Special Prices in OHJIE lEilfl'IiRi Hi 9 And the most we pride ourselves on ia our excellent line 4t Ladies' Hand-Turned Shoes At their Present Low Prices. Ladies looking lor euch a Shoe should not fail to call on fie iisoioo h Herald Xs on joying o. Boom in "bcth. EDITIONS. JL MJL3 Will he one during which the snhjectri of national interest and importance will ha strongly agitated and the election of a President will take place. rihc people of Cass County who Mould like to learn of Political, Commercial and Social Transactions of this year and wobld keep apace the time; should with -roi: mtjiek tiii: any or Weekly Herald. "CycleV for Army Vtp. Tlie recent experiments in employment of "cycles" of various sorts for army use in the spring milit.ary exercises in Eng land seem to demonstrate the futility ot expecting that class of machinery to ha of much practical ralu for this service. Hie ascents of long bills had to be made by the cyclist volunteers slowly and with toil on foot, because the machines could uot be ridden; a carriage to be ridden and worked by four men, and to carry a Maxim gun," broke down utterly; the Centipede,' or flying sapper, a machine on eight wheels, carrying intrencliing tools, engineering appliances and men, broke in two and had to be abandoned, and there wero numerous minor acci dents in only two days' trials. So long as the operations of war cannot be con fined to nice, smooth asphalted floors, and conducted daintily, these machines ere not likely to be worth much among Mania and Malaria. Ors. Lemoina and Cuamnier communicate, to The AnnaJes Medioo lJsychologique their conclusions upon tbe relations existing be tween malaria and certain disorders of the mind, from which it appears that violent mania may accompany an attack of inter mittent fever in predisposed persons, and that old subject? of malaria, with masked manifestations, are liable to recurrent intel lectual disturbance, or to chronic Insanity. Quinine gives good results in intermittent renpfft and its convalescenea, It is apparently of no value in the chronic cses, but even in these the drug may quiet transient attacks of agitation as if tbey were masked phe nomena of the diseasd Chicago Newa.' JepV Freedooj from Inebriety. Says Dr. Norman Kerr, tk well known writer on physiological aspects of inebriety: "The temperance of the Jaw is proverbial. Extensive as my professional intercourse has been with them. 1 have new been consulted for inebriety in the person of a Jew, while my advios has been sought for this complaint by a very large number of CbrutLana. In my opinion their general freedom from inebriety In almost every clime and under almost ail The Second Hand TSook Trade. One of the many peculiarities of the second hand book trade is that the sales are heavier on days of stormy weather. The business men find slow sales on in clement days, and those of a literary turn of mind, or those who have a pen chant for collecting books on any special subject, will drop into a second hand book store and while away several hours in looking over the stock. I remember one 6iiowy day last winter a prominent gentleman of this city came into my 6tore, and, while waiting for the storm to pass by, ho became interested in sev eral volumes cf books on a line he was collecting, and I sold him $G3 worth be fore he left. Customers who liavo a Lobby to which they are devoting atten tion will find a book sometimes which to the eye is only worth ten cent3, but they will value it at $3, and if a dealer asks that price they will readily pay it. Ed ward Mills in Globe-Democrat. Kow while we have iho subject before the people we will venture to speak oi our Electrical Detective Camera. The relation of electricity to crimo, which began with the invention of bur glar alarui devices, has been extended in the 6hape of an electrical detective, camera, invented by two Kewavk meii. Their Idea is to have tho device fixed in tho walls of banking houses "behind "the tellers, and so arranged as to photograph whoever stands at the teller's window, in case the man's picture is wanted. Th4 little button that does the work of open ing the camera shutter, making the ex posure, dropping the plate and putting in a new plate, will be under the teller's desk, so that he can, without betraying himself, instantly take the picture of any one who excites his suspicion. Thi3 sami camera can bo put up in polico stations in tlie same way, and as tho prisoners conditions (there are very few exceptions to are brought in tbey can be pnotograpnctl this rulei is as much due to racial as to by- t without knowing it and having a chance . t ... . ... . - J . . - r . r E M i N PI i ti "Which is first-class in all respects and from which our job printers are turning out much satisfactory work. a PLiTTSMOUTil, NEBRASKA. possible military appliances,- New York ! eienic, and more to racial than to rel'gioua to distort their features when sitting for Bun. I iuflueacea" - the Rogues' Gallery. New York Sun, i i) V-