The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-07-19
American Enterprise In Spanish Amer
From the Daily Alta California

From the Daily Alta California.
While our people are covering the ir
own territory with network of rail-
roads and telegraphs, many of our citi-
zcns are working at similar enterprises
i'm Spanish America, from Chihuahua
to Patagonia. In Mexico the tele-
graphic lines have been erected from
Vera Cruz nearly TO the Rio Grande,
by way of the Capital, and in this work
several Americans have been employ
ed. Juarez has lately granted fran
chise to an American company to
the proposed transcontinental railroad
on the 32d parallel.
In Costa Rica Mr. Meiggs, has COM
menced the construction of a railroad
to connect the most fertile coffee dis
trict with Il seaport on the Atlantic
side, and there is little reason to doubt
that the track will afterward be eX-
tended across to the Pacific. Peru has
undertaken to construct so many rail-
roads that she will soon be far in adj
vance of any other part of South Amer
lea i'm that respect, and nearly all her
roads have been let to American build
ers. The chief railroad of Chile was
built by an American.
Bolivia is also anxious to see some of
the new heralds of progress in her fer
tile and extensive, but almost inacces-
sible country Oh the eastern slope of
the Andes. 1t is said by some travel
ers that Bolivia is destined to be the
richest country south of the Equator.
At present, however, the development
of its resources is beset with great diff
Guilty. The Capital is cut off from the
Pacific by q mountain ridge II, 900 feet
high in its passes, aud from the Allan
tic by succession of falls in the Ma
more, the chief navigable tributary of
the Amazon.
President Melgarejo, who was over
thrown and banished in 1870, made
two contracts with American citizens,
one granting A. ID. Piper, 100000
square miles in the northern part of
the Republic for settlement by Amer
leans, and another granting to Colonel
Church valuable franchise for rail-
road, about fifty miles long, to connect
the navigable waters Of the Upper and
Lower Mamore. Piper having taken
Colony to his grant, was murdered
there by the savages, who it is supposed
have enslaved his wife, and the Colon
lists were dispersed. The Bolivian
Colonization Company, organized in
this city, has applied to our. Govern
ment for its intervention on behalf of
Mrs. Piper and the Coionists, but we
do not hear that anything has been
done.
The present Government of Bolivia
has lately made an application in the
London market for loan of S5,000,00U
to be used in opening up the naviga-
ton of the Madeira and Mamore, and
this loan has been taken. The money
viii probably be expended in purchas-
ing steamers to run above and below
the falls on the Mamore, with pack
horses or wagons to make the portage
until the railroad can be built. The
steamers below the falls will probably
run 10 the mouth of the Amazon;
those above will reach the Bolivian
settlements. The entire length of the
river navigation on this line will be
more than 1900 miles, the greater part
of the distance through very fertile,
tropical wilderness. 1t is nearly time
that Bolivia should wake up and do
to prove that she is able to
keep pace in civilization with the lead
ing nations of the Northern Hemis-
phere.