Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-01-30
A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Nv
COMMERCE.

awarded 10 certain citizens Of Penn
sylvania for the building Of the Made
: ira and Mamorc Railway. II, in fact
involves the opening Of a continen
whose vast resources are not only un
developed, but are hardly dreamed q
by the commercial world. Tho irl'
is white TO the harvest, and waits fO
the rcapers to enter in aud garner il
rich fruitage. At present Bolivia, th,
most peaceful and the richest of Sontl
American Republics, is absolutely iso
lated from commerce. The railwa,
line whose construction is now assure,
will break up this isolation aud max,
the Bolivian trade u prize within ih'
rcacb oiany country thai has the plucl
and the sagacity 10 reach out and TAX,
il. The road will run along the east
ern shore Of tho Madeira river, in Bra
zll, from the head OF navigation below
he rapids to the point Of navigation
on the Mamore river, u branch OF The
MADEIRA above. The Madeira has il,
source on the great water shed OF Boil
via, cast OF the Andes, leaves Bolivia al
the northeastern point aud runs acrus,
the table lands OF Brazil to the ANA
zon, which II joins near Barra, about
seven hundred miles from the Atlantic
A series Of iall-, however, render lh,
river useless for navigation for dis
tance of one hundred and eighty miles
The Namorc Is continuation Of the
Madeira, aud begins above the falls oil
the border Of Bolivia, and on it are the
Guajara.mcrim Falls. The railroad Is
To bridge tho gap Of one hundred and
eighty miles caused by the rapids
which are otherwise an insurmounta
bic obstacle To the movement down the
Madeira and Amazon to the Atlantic
where il will be open TO the compcti.
ton Of the world, will be easy.
The area of country in Bolivia that
the road will draio, directly or indi.
rectly, is 1000 square miles. In 1865
iis internal trade reached 10 000, ,O00
pounds, aud IN 1872 exports amount.
ing to 75U00O pounds were taken
across the Andes on mule aud llama
back, in default of any other way OF
getting TO market Silver, gold lead,
salt, copper and milre are abundant
indeed, the mineral wealth OF the coun.
try is immense, and yet the surface of
the mines has hardly been seraped, be-
cause when extracted il was impossi-
bic TO bring it within the reach of the
arms of commerce and the same may
be raid Of the best coffee N the world
that grows almost without cultivation,
the berries dropping TO rot because un-
I'll there ls some better vehicle Of trade
than mule packs it does not pay TO
gather them. Cotton, too, grows wild
~ great proiuson cocoa is an mpor.
tant aud valuable product sugar cane
is easily cultivated the tobacco Is said
to bc equal to that of Havana there
are vast indigo fields, and dyewoods
drugs are varied and numerous. The
stories he to the salubrity of the climate
aud the produclivcness of the country
would strain credulity were they not
fortified by indubilabe proof How to
make thc products available aud to
give the Bolvians the goods and ma.
chinery that they crave in exchange
is II problem that has long challenged
the attention of the engineers and
statesmen OF Brazil md Bolivia aud
lured the convctonsness oi European
commercial aud manufacturing inter
csts, and that has now been happily
solved through the heruic efforts Of Col.
onel Church, the agent Of the Bolivian
Governn ent. 1t is Americas good for.
tune that the contractors tor building
the railway that is 10 bring Bolivia in
to closer aud mutually more profitable
relations with the community of ma
tiuus are Americans. The grant that
the Bolivian Navigation Company has
received from Brazil and Bolivia Is be.
yend computltion in value, aud it is
not surprising that British interests
look with cLagrin and jealousy upou
the prospect OF American domination
IN handling il. This grant embraces
ono million of acres OF land and tho nav
igaIion of all tho waters OF Bolivia for
nliivty.nine years, with the remarka
lle concession that no other company
shall have tho right to build u road
around the rapids iur fifty years. The
enterprise need only be named in this
general way to suggest the lst poss-
bllllies that it involves.
Tho great question, however, is
whether from ignorauce of the matter
IN hand, II conflict of lucal interests, net.
" personal jeaousics or sheer stupid.
" the commercial and manufacturing
men of this country will neglect the
magnificent opportunity that is presen.
ted. That the building oi the Madeira
and Mamorc Railway will enrich the
contractors and open the way to for
tune for those Americans whom they
will send TO the field of promise is be
yond question. But his is trne com.
pared TO what may be done in the re
vival OF our commerce, the quckcning
and indefinite expansion Of our manu-
laciuriug interests aud the cnlivening
Ui trade IN all its branches. This new
tributary of commerce taking its rise
IN tho Andes should find its way to
American puit- aud leave the rich spoils
that il bears upon lis busom at our
duors. But IL will not come OF its own
accord. A channel must be opened ior
It's accommodation. American steam
ships must do the work, and it will not |
do to wait uuiil tho last moment to put
them on the ocean There is in this
and other cities unemployed capital
aud enterprise sufficient for the work
and We believe capitalIts and merchants
and manufacturers generally have some
vague idea Of It's Importance. 1t would
he most unfortunate, therefore, if from
any cause the opportunity should he
lost Let the right sort of Mcn take
huld OF the problem aud organize and
push movement that will accomplish
the object. IL is n matter that rises
Tar above personal or local considera
ton. Philadelphia, as the leading man.
city in the county, may be
more directly Interested, hut the whole
cuuniry will share in its benefits, aud
il is therefore ot national concern. We
hope ere many months have passed TO
rec steamships, carrying the United
States flag aud the United States mails,
liylng between PhiIadrlphia or New
York, or both, lnd Rio Jancro and Pa
ra The business men OF these cities
who rclalIzc tho magnlticencc OF the
that IL within our grasp
should organize for the work aud see
that Congress gives the contemplated
undertaking the consideration aud as