The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-03-28
The Land Of Brazil and Bolivia.

week or so more or less agitated a consider
able part of our people, we have gone to the
trouble of collecting some facts with refer
ence this country towards which public
attention is now turning.
The railroad which the Collins brothers
have undertaken to build, will be near two
hundred miles long, andis intended to con-
stitute an open highway from the Amazon
to Bolivia by the way of the rivers MADEIRA
and Mamore. The source from which we
derive our information is the official report
to the Governments of Bolivia and Brazil,
by George Earl Church. a distinguished
American Engineer, made in 1877. II was
then proposed to build canal, and in his
preliminary examination of the country, Mr..
Church says: ~ found millions OF sheep,
llamas and alpacas, browsing upon the noun
tain sides, and not cargo of wool was export
ed: vast herds of cattle roamed the plains, and
yet an OK hide was worth scarcely more than
pound of leather in the European market;
hundreds of tons OF richest coffees in the
world were rotting upon the bushes, and
only about ten tons per annum was sent
abroad as a rare delicacy abundant crops of
sugar in the river districts were considered
misfortune by the planter, because there
| was no market; the valleys of Cochahamba
we've rich in cereal wealth, unsaleable when
the crops were too great for home consump-
ton; not a valley or mountain side but gave
agricultural, medicinal and other products,
such as commanded ready sale in foreign
markets sixty five kinds of rare and beau
tiful cabinet woods stood untouched by
man in the great virgin forest of the North
| and East. The mountains were weighed
down with silver, copper, tin, and other
metals, and the people gazing upon a
wealth sufficient to pay the national debts
Of the world, and yet unavailable for lack Of
means OF communication. There was abun-
its wate3 from Bolivia to the Amazon but
washed through auriferous deposits, as rich
as any in California or Australia, and, for
lack Of power to take machinery to them,
they did not produce to exceed $500, 1000 per
annum, where they should have produced
millions. The country paid for nearly the
whole of its imports in silver and gold, and
| was consequently stripped of money as fast
as it was coined. The government could
with difficulty pay its employees for the
people could sell nothing they produced,
and consequently were untaxable. The pop
ulation had increased 1000, 900 since Bolivar,
standing upon the summit of silver-lined
POtosi, proclaimed the yoke of Spain broken
and Alta Peru free and yet it had been i'm
possible to increase the revenues of the coun-
try by single dollar in over 40 years. 1
found eleven constitutions, laws ad libtum,
and no progress to direct, no prosperity to
administer. The schools of the country
were engaged principally in turning out
doctors of law, for no field for the practice of
any other profession was offered. There
were concessions for roads and public i'm
provements by the volume, but nothing
but mule tracks could be found-not even a
cart road to connect the cities upon the ia
BILE land of Titicaca. There were large towns
standing as Spain left them, almost no ur-
ban growth in the west, but faint strus gle
forward of both town and rural growth in
the north and east, despite all adversely of
territorial Imprisonment l found a race
capable Of great progress, full Of national
stamina, an intelligent upper class, pro-
life, brave and ambitious people, with a
great future before them, if road were only
given them, if they might break away from
their isolated position Such was Mr..
Church's picture in 1869.
;. In 1854, Commodore Maury explored this
region, and after giving an enthusiastic de-
, scription of the country said, GLORIOUS
would it be for the United States and for
, Bolivia to realize the magnificent and gi-
gantic plan of opening to population and
civilization the most extensive and beauti-
fnl re ions of the world"
In the country about San Antonio, to which
the projected road will run, the highest
. point reached by the Fallrer heit Thermom
! eter during the year 1878 was 93o, and for only
, 80 days of the year did it reach 90o.. This
shows that for tropical country, the heat
ranges below that of many other tropica
countries where railroads have been easily
constructed.
A portion Of the route is open country
S but by far the larger distance lies through .
dense forest of stately timber.
!, With reference to the health of the coun
= try, Mr. Church says ''all kinds OF rumours
have been circulated relative to the health
l. at the rapids. There is no doubt that, ow
+ ing to the near approach of the hills on boil
!, sides of the river, and consequent lack of thu
g same circulation of air found at the othe
" rapids, San Antonio is unhealthy. and sub
;, ject to Intermittent fevers; but these hav
!, been proven to be very slight. A staff OF q
men, employed by an English Company
!, remained In this region for IS mouths. Dur
/ ing their stay only one Of them died.
It There is one curious fact we have hat
e applications from nearly every man we have
u ever had in our employ at the rapids or il
+ Bolivia to return there, whenever we ar
' prepared to re-employ them. With refer
: ence, however, to the general health of tn
=, rapids, we have never pretended that it va
s ries from that of semi-tropical countries
;. We do, however, maintain that it must b
II classed as among the most healthy OF them. ,
Three men and woman have been ar
II rested at Petersburg, Va, on suspicion o
II having perpetrated the robbery of the offic
IF of James H. Young in New York, in Janu
+, airy last of 5000 900 in bonds, certificates ant
II other stock securities. Their names ar