The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 3, 1901, Page 15

THE SUNDAY CALL. 15 the town s of the Rio istrious estors randfather was 1avez, who came Mexico and was a captain t company of cavaliers who the reconquest of New Mex er the celebrated Don Diego he Chavez family is an mong the Spanish hidalgos at it de Vargs ncient one It appears t was originz lly written a surname given by tho King of Spain to a certain Don Nulfo for his w ves” (Key nderful gallantry in the capture of a Moorish town, of which he presented the keys to his sovereign 7 “havez settled at a place named after them, Los Chavez and now knc = Atrisco. Here the father of General Chavez rancisco An- Chavez, was born and lived for a number of y but ultimately moved north, and was sojourning at the Indian puebl the time of the birth illustrious son. Four years r he moved up the Cl River ts Abiquiu, then an Indi. village, sit1 1 a high bluff which rises from the valley, and which is still known in the vicinity as “The Pucblo” on account of its Indian origin, though it has been an important Spar for many years Here Gener: has passed the whole of his active life, living t! con tinuously for ninety-six ye Abiquiu was a frontier scttlement, the farthest advanced of Spanish colon and directly on the line of t Imost con stant invasions of the w Indian tribes —the Utes, Apaches Kiowas and Coma Until some years the Americ occupation—ind after 1865, the people in tiae settlements ovtside of the G ley were never safe from attack, and even in the valley itself there were raids aimost every vear which carried off vast numbers of cattle and sheep and conside num- bers of prisoners, mostly children. Tt is in examining New Mexican s not to find several names Captivo,”” meaning that they Lad been carried off as captives by the marauding Indian bands. The frontier settlements were frequently abandoned for vears, until a partial cessation of hos- tilities or the arrival »me bold and venturcsome comnany of settlers caused them to be reoccupied. The inhabitants, from earliest vouth,” were bred to arms nd were dy to repel an at- tack or join in sedition to punish the marauders by a counter invasion. In the vicinity of Abiquiu are still seen a wu of half-ruined ‘“torreones,” the round towers which were built as lookout staticns from which the approach of the hostile Indians could be seen and the set- tlers called to arms. Young Chavez, from his earliest days. developed a strong military genfus, ani ¥ soon recognized as a leader among his people. Before the sucgess of the This together over th mist oving rough s on 5 As the fog is £CO.. But e no sun, as blue as the es. All that now city quickly fulfil] eral patronage of the timely recogni- it before the fact has been discovered and lauded abroad ditic which has existed on strength to the hackneyed remark, “That one must first go to Europe before he is ppreciated at home,” a reputation truly to be courted. San Franciscans are surely capable of saying such and such a work is meritorious without first looking t the tag attached by the committee of Paris salon more than ever before there This y lends vear will an opportunity to observe the strength of our artist element. for the studio doors are barred, inquisitive vis- itors knock in vain; there is work going on—work whica promises to make this December exhibition one of the best San F has had for years, for this the club where men of money, the lovers and patrons of art congregate, wine, dine, criticize, and what is more important, put thefr hands in thelr pockets—the re- sult being many cheerful looking Ifttle ticke marked “‘sold”’ being tack il d uring the exhibitions . con, tula- tions reverberating through the b is small wond=r then that the best is al- ways reserved for this which opens the t week in December. The finishing have been put on the water colors Hopkins exhibition, which opens November 7, with a display of pastel and black and white. e committee decided to exclude all oils vear, and, therefore, it is expected t the collection of the above named will be exceptionally fine. Henry J. Brewer sent a good sized wa- ter color representing a Californian scene, d is now work on a large canvas for the Bohemian Club. From present indi- cations this will be an unusually strong plece of work cnd is sure to add to the already enviable reputation of this well- known artist L. P. Latimer will show a particularly beautiful study in water color, entitled “The Marsh ir the Mist,” and for the December exhibition is working on some pine interfor 2ad some excellent marines, the result of a busy summer in Monterey. r the hursday, Mr. Cadenasso, besides a few pastels rep- resenting one of his favorite and most successful subjects, the stately euca- lypti, has finished tempera painting, something comparatively new in San Francisco, although this revival of the early Italian school has been noticeable in the European galleries this The method consists principally a preparation ar past. in using > egg for dilution in pla of ofl, the result being superb coloring, which does not darken and deaden with age. This fact is significant in the work of some of the old masters, whose can- vases, with the passing of all these years, still retain theis brilliancy. Cadenasso has in this “‘old new" school achieved a splendid result, and the tem- pera, one of the first to be exhibited here, wi no doubt, cause considerable com- ment Harry Fondw has sebt nothing to the Hopkins, but may have a few canvases for the club. He has found Monterey a good field for work, and Is proving his al- legiance to the adobes and ptnes by pack- ing his trunk and departing for another vear, at the termination of which he wi{l go to Florence. Charles Dickman has deserted his cozy little Monterey cottage; that is, for a few months, and is more than busy on the portraits of several handsome million- alres. Mr. Dickman will have some Brit- tany fisher folk, and we hope a moonlight, for there is a canvas in his studio which makes one wish that more moonligh: from his brush wonld be forthcoming. Orin Peck has a number of good' things for this exhibition, several of which have never been shown before. The large can- vas, entitled “The Cabbage Garden,’ an exceptionally strong piece of work, which recelved commendation from the Euro- pean authorities, was recently the most talked about picture of the October Sorosig Club exhibition, where it was shown in this city for the first time. Henry Raschen has just returned from a European trip which lasted a year, during which time much of the other side Logal A ¥t World of fhe ockan traveled over, admired and criticized, and now th artist says: “I have seen what there is abroad: I'have sketched, painted, observed: but I eome home to take my hat off to California, for she iz without a rival.”” Mr. Raschen is fond of studying nature close to nature's heart and he has therefore some wood- land and mountain s®enes which are beautiful. T nter means to make a thorough stu the coast. His work this year will be a weicome addition to the club. E. W. Currier, a comparative stranger in our midst, is doing some exceptionally fine work in both water color and ofl. Mr. Currier spent the summer in Monterey making studies of the gdobes. There is a warmth of feeling in®his work that is seldom seen in water color; the China- town studies being exceptionally strong. J. Martinez has returned from Paris and is bard at work on an ambitious piece fully five feet in length and four in width —subject, Indian Sun Worshipers. Amedee Joullin, the Indian painter, has left the wilds of New Mexico, has given up trying to hynotize the Indians into pos- ing, has packed his grip and a goodly number of canvases, sketches and studies taken for future use ahd with them has landed in New York, where he, like all prominent Californians, has been received with ooen arms. They like our Western artists in New York. Mr. Joullin wiil give an exhibition at an early date, after Which a trip to Paris is in contemplation. Once in awhile a stray bit of news from abread speaks about Joseph Greenbaum, who Is evidently working hard. Mr. Greenbaum has a permanent studio In Paris and expects to remain thereanother ear. ¥ The circulars are already being sent out fiom the commlittee on art for the World's .Fair to be held in St. Louis in the’ year 1903. They are giving plenty of time for the artists to prepare contributions. In- vitations sare also being received from those in charge of the New Orleans exhi- bition, which opens December 3, f— 3 e THIS MAN WAS 100 YEARS OLD ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1901. HE HAS LIVED AND BEEN IN AUTHORITY UNDER THREE GOVERNMENTS. HELD THREE OFFICES UNDER FERDINAND VII, KING OF SPAIN. BEFORE 1822. TOOK PART IN ELEVEN CAMPAIGNS AGAINST INDIANS, AND IN FIVE OF THEM WAS COMMANDER IN CHIEF. HE WAS SEVEN TIMES A MEMBER OF THE TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE. HAS RECEIVED COMMISSIONS AND TITLES WITHOUT NUMBER. e Mexican revolution in 1822 he had held three offices under the Spanish King Fer- dinand VII, and had seen active service both in defensive and offensive war. His first position was that of lieutenant in the ‘“urban militia””; from this he was promoted to be captain of a battalion, “capitan de escuadron,” and was soon afterward made an adjutant in the army. All this before he was 22 years of age The change In government caused by Mexican independence made little differ- ence in the frontler experiences of the New Mexicans of that day. The Indian invaders cared not at all whether King Ferdinand, the Emperor Iturbide or a reoublican President claimed allegi- settiers. Captain ance of the Spani Chavez was now a tall young man, with a black beard, piercing eyes, and a grow- ing reputation as a bold, skillful and suc- cessful Indian fighter. During the quar- ter of a century of Mexican Government he was gradually promoted in rank until he became a colonel, then *“Military In- spector of the frontiers of Abiquiu., Ojo Caliente and El Rito,” and finally a brig- adier general. The Nauvajos and the Utes were the worst enemies of this part of New Mex- ico. the Apaches and Comanches being most dangerous on the east of the mou tams; and, besides being constantly o the watch to repel invasions. General Chavez, in the course of his life, took part in no less than eleven regular c paigns against the Indians, and in five o them he was commander in chief. These campaigns consisted of invasions of tie Indian country in order to inflict punish- m- ment on the marauding tribes, to recap- ture and release prisoners and recover the animgls and other booty that bhad been carried away, and they usually resulted also in the capture «* o number of It dian boys and gire, who were dls [ | among the settlers as servants. These expeditions penetrated into Arizona, Colo- rado and Utah, wherever the offending tribe happened to be. The last of these campaigns under Mexican authority was against the Utes in 1845, and may be scribed.as an illustration of the general character of all of them. The Utes having been more insolent and troublesome than usual, it was determ- ined by the Governor of the Department of New Mexico to organize a campaign of invasion for their punishment, and on the 31st of May Juan Andres Archulete then adjutant general, sent to General Chavez his commission as commander in chief, and at the same time dispatched orders to the prefects of the thlee dis- tricts into which New Mexico was then divided, to furnish a thousand men for the purpose, including one hundred regular troops, all to rendezvous at Taos on July 19.. On June 14 elaborate instructions for the conduct of the campaign were issued. The little army marched north into what is now Colorado, and the Utes fled before them. Finally the Indians approached t Napeste River, now called the Arkans: and 2s that was the boundary tween Mexico and the United General Chavez sent a messenger to Governor at Santa Fe to ask whether he could pursue them within American te ritory, but was instructed that that cou >t be done; and so he returned after driving them .across the river and de- stroying all the goods which they b For his services in this and othe 1s he received from the Mexican Government a magnificent sword, which is one of the highly prized ornamen his home at Abicuiu. He was a and t as to h man of very great personal cores of anecdotes are cur fearlessness and daring said that at one time when a band of Indians invaded the Spanish settlements Chavez ralsed a com and pursued tiem, but so far outran his men that hen he came in sight of the enemy he e v alon 3ut without ation he rode into their camp at speed, and created such consternation that the entire party fled, leaving all of their arms and provisions on the grou But General Chavez's talents were nc confined to milit operations. Under the Mexican rule he was Alca for four vears and Prefect of the rthern J risdiction for a long period. this latter po- sition being the most important civil o fice north of Santa Fe. After the American occup; on under General Kearney he became a citizen of the United Stat and served under the new government in many official capac O F the beginning of the Terri- rnment he was a brigadier -+ general of militla and continued as such for a number of years. He was seven times a member of the Territorial Legis- lature, his large experience being of great value in that body. In 1851 he was ap- pointed by Governor James S. Calhoun prefect of the county of Rio Arriba. In 1853 he was commissioned by Governor David Merriweather as Probate Judge of the same county, he having been elected to that office, and he served three terms in {his position. When the rebellion broke out he was found, like almost ail New Mexicans, ready to serve under the stars and stripes, and on August 9, 1361, was commissioned by Governor Rencher lieutenant colonel of a volunteer mounted regiment, called into the service of the United States. In fact. he has commis- slons enough under the three Governments to paper an ordinary room, or, if framed, to decorate an entire house. His last com- mission was given to him by Governor Axtell in September, 1575, when he was just 74 years old, and appointed him School Commissioner of Rio Arriba County One of his most famous campaigns. how was made without any regular mmission whatever. In 1360 the Indians had become almost insupportable; the savages had attacked villages in the very center of the Territory, and even carried off cattle from the outskirts of Santa Fe. Neither the civil nor the military author- ities afforded protection, and, in despair, the leading citizens held a convention and determined to raise a volunteer army and inflict such punishment on the Navajos as to prevent further trouble. Every county was called on for its proportion and General Chavez was made lleutenant colonel, the chief command in the fleld being given to his cousin,. Don Manuel Chavez, also a renowned Indian fighter. The men assembled at San Isidro, each mounted on his own horse, and they marched into the midst of the enemy's country, far aer he Arizona line, in- flicting such punishment that it was never forgotten. In this campaign Ger eral Chavez gained fresh laurels and the newspapers of that day contzin a num-~ ber of verses dedicated to him and re- counting his deeds of bravery, the first being as follows El Teniente Coronel Del condado del Rio Arriba Es distinguido hombre fiel Gritemo: s que viva The Chavez residence. where Genera Chavez has lived for aimest a century, one of those spacious buildi construe ed around an open “placita,” or court- vard, and covering almost an aere of ground, which are « acteristic of the old Spanish families. It . brow of a high and alme biuff, which commands a view tire valley of the Chama R miles and was a place e: bi in the s when that was a very impor- tant consideration. It is surrounded by fruit trees of all kinds and with a muiti- tude of outhouses and corrals for the ac- mmodation of livestock of all deserip- ticns, among which must not be forgotten a number of peacocks which proudly dis- play their gorgeous plumage in the won- derful, brightness of New M an sun- ine on the tops of adobe walls and the branches of zreat trees. The cnildren of General Chavez live on rarches in the vicinity of their father, so that family reunions are not unusual, He three sons—Jose Patricio. who lived for a number of years in California, but now resides on the north de of the Chama River, near Abiquiu; Jose Maria C. Chavez, who lives in the ald homestead. extending loving care to his venerable father: Francisco ., who has a fine ranch a few miles to the west, and two daug Ignacio who ters. the wives respectively Ortiz and Jesus Maria Vigil, ve at Abiquiu and El Rito. Of ichildren and great-grandchildren he has a goodly number and thus he lives like an ancient patriarch surrounded by his descendants. oDD BHOTO _OCF A COON HUNT HE raccoon. or opessum, is an anl- mal of common occurrence in va- rious parts of the United States and Australia. He is usually termed a “coon” or ‘‘pessum. n A@tralia his fur is considerably valued, as it makes one of the best slesping bags for outdogr use by travelers im “the bush. ™ The possum is a very clever little animal and to catch him requires some patience and artifice. A common way in Australia s what Is known as “mooning.” The hunter waits for a bright moonlight might and then, with twe or three dogs. wan- ders through a part of “the bush" whers possums are gnown te have their h, If the dogs get upon the scent of possum they pursue him until hs up the trunk of a tree to escape from them. The dogs then stand at the foot of the tree and bark continually to bring up the hunters. who place themselves so that the tree is between themselves and the moon. The dark figure of the po sum elinging closely the trunk the runs baugh of the tree is then clearly seen and a shot brings him down: that is. it gen- srally does, for occasionally the anir at even w climb is n grips the hough so tightly dead he does not fall. and a essary to get his body As the tree most common! the possum is one of the many varieties of eucalyptus or gum, the phrase. “A possum up a gum tree,” denotes a perso in a serfous strait or trying to avoid tention as much as possibie. In this country the coon is “riven up into a tree by dogs and is then shet. but daytime fs usually selected for the sport. When a ccon has been driven up into a tree by dogs he is sald to be “treed. The above photograph shows very clear- Iy a coon in this unfortunate pesition. It was taken by George E. Moulthrope of Bristol, in the State of Conrecticut, who makes a specialty of pictures of game and sport. selected by e e s ——