The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-10-04
Return Of BraziIian Pioneers.
ENCOURAGING ACCOUNTS FROM THE MRDRI-
RA AND NAMORE RAILROAD.

Among the arrivals at the Washington
Hotel on Saturday last, says the Phiadel-
phia Record, are the names OF J. Howard
lIiestand, Harry B. kinport, J B. Brown,
Eli Shfer, Jr., and Il. 3. Evans, who have
just returned from San Antonio, Brazil,
where they have been engaged since Feb
ruary last in the construction of the Madei-
ia and MamOre Railroad.
These gentlemen left San Antonio on the
3lSt day of August, OH the tug Brazil pro
ceediug to Para, where they re-embarked
on the City of Para, and arrived in New
York on Friday last, making the entire
trip in twenty eight days. They report the
enterprise of .he MeSSrS. Collins as being at
the present time III a furnishing condition.
For some time past the work of construct
ing has been somewhat impeded through
the inability of the men TO endure the
climate, aggravated by a want of proper
kind of food to subsist on. Recently five
hundred natives, have been engaged as
labOrers on the road, and these, with the
men who have become accimated, form as
large force as is required. IL the supply
of materials there is no lack.
Referring TO the complaints that have
been published through private and public
sources of the hardships to which the men
have been exposed, these gentlomen say
that there has been no needless suffering
among them. That the men have had
haTdshps to endure they say is not to be
denied, but they have been only such as
nigh. have been expected on going into
tOrrid country, unused TO the climate and
shut out from all civilization. Everybody
was inexperienced and as ignorant of the
proper articles Of diet as they were Of the
language Of the natives, and as a conse>
quence large share of the sickness has
been attributable to a want of proper kind
of diet.
Canned fruits, vegetables and meats are
now being sent out in large quantities and
regularly distributed among the men.
There are some, they say, who will never
be able to endure the climate and these
are coming back to the States
About ten miles of the road have been
graded and three miles of this distance are
now completed. The engineer CORPS have
surveyed about seventy miles of the road
and are pushing rapidly forward. These
gentlemen speak confidently of the com.
pletiOn of the road at the expiration of
three years from the date of the contract
and say that the most difficult part of the
work has been completed.
The completion of the road will omen mn
valuable trade with Bolivia, particularly
in the article of india rubber. Even now
/ this product of the country is BROUGHT in
paddle boats down the MamOre river to
the Madeira, thence down .he latter nntil
they reach the first falls. when it becomes
necessary to unload the boats and barI
both the boats and their contents overland
around the falls, then launch their barks
again and paddle down the river until the
next falls are reached, when the work is
again repeated, aud SO on until ten falls
ale thus passed. the last one bringing them
to the Falls of st. Antonio, where the ma
tives are met by traders from Para.
Yankee enterprise isuOt alone represent
ed by the Messrs. Collins in South America
Already the invincible and ubi1uitious
sewing machine agent has found his wav
into this far off country, and, according tn
the statement of these gentlemen, in eigbt
shanties out OF ten along the coast of tho
Madeira and Amazon rivers there stands a
sewing machine as monument to the in-
duStry and intrepidiJy of the Yankee sew.
ing machine agent.