Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-11-01
HUNTERS or cAourc4ooc.
The Risks Rnn By HIen In Quest Of tho
Milky sam

Inc uiaIOeS, OF ruDDor hunters OF
Costa RIGA are the most irresponsible and
ignorant of creatures, whose first object,
when out on an expedition, is 70 secure as
much caoutchouc as possible, and next TO
damage the prospects of other Yulafoes,
regardless Of the future A thrifty tree at
its first cutting ought to yield not less than
fifty pounds of rubber; but the hunters
Of today find few SO profitable, unless
they penetrate far into the virgin for
ests. and are fortunate enough to dis
cover an entirely new district. In the
sections already worked most of the trees
have been tapped several times and
many of them were spoiled at the outset
by having been cut too young because its
greedy discoverer feared that if the prize
were left to attain perfection another
might secure it. Were the matter regu-
lated by judicious laws, SO that only ma
ture trees might be tapped, and those not
to an extent to cause death, the produc-
ton of caoutchouc would soon be a
source of wealth TO the republic. The
Costa Rican government begins to be
alive to this fact, and has recently offered
extensive grants Of land to any who will
devote themselves to the culture of rub
Der trees.
Among tho inhabitants of Central
| America the Yularoes form q distinct
class, by all odds the lowest in the coun-
| try, unless it may be the Carihs of Gllat-
emala or the pearl divers of the western
coast. They are mostly half breeds or
negroes, for white men seldom engage in
it, though the business might be made
extremely profitable. A Yularo can be
distinguished at glance from natives of
other professions" as easily as cowboy
in genteel society or miller fresh from
his mill, not only by his general air of
dare devil don t-care-itiveness, but by
the thick coating Of caoutchouc that
covers his clothing from head to foot.
This extra coating accuEulates grad
ually by contact with che rubber trees,
without intention on the part of the
wearer, and in time renders his garments
absolutely waterproof and almost inde-
structible.
The hunters are fitted out by the
shrewd traders of Parismina, much as
American miners used to be supplied
with "grub stake" in their search for
precious metals. Each Yularo is pro-
vided with gun, quantity of ammu-
milton, boat and sufficient supply of
salt, flour and pork to sustain him from
two to six months. All this is charged
to his account at the highest market
price, and in return he stipulates to sell
to this same accommodating dealer, at
some fixed sum pcr pound, all the caout-
chouc he may collect during his trip.
A journey to the woods may occupy
weeks Or months, according to the will
of the Yularo, after which no returns to
the village, not to leave it again till the
last cent is spent which he has earned, or
can beg, steal or borrow, and all the
credit exhausted that he can obtain by
promises upon the next expedition. It is
not strange, however, that they arc relrc-
tant to return 10 such dangerous exiles,
for under every leaf Of the tropical for
est some venomous creature is lurking,
and eternal vigilance is the price of safe
! ty. The hunters life is little above that
| of the wild beast 8, whose howls make
night hideous around him, and he is con-
stantly exposed to thousand perils,
seen and unseen. Not only are there
| p }
| and other powerful animals, but, more
to be dreaded, are the deadly reptiles,
some of them no longer than your hand.
| There are tiny lizards, the exact color Of
the leaves under which they hide, whose
bite is fatal; innumerable bugs, beetles
and insects, many of them more danger
Gus than the RATHER Of our northern
wilds, which at least gives some warning
of his intention to strike. while even
more to be feared than the ronstrous
Crocodiles Of the lagoons and the enor-
nous scrpents of hugging rrcclivities,
| are the fevers that nightly stalk abroad,
| with the noXious vapor Of the terra
caliente.
| Aside from the scant rations he brings,
| the Yularo's food consists mainly of wild
hogs, or such other animals as he may
be able to kill, ekcd out by tortiilas, and,
as an occasional luxury, dish OF red
beans stewed in fat Monkeys are con-
| sidercd the choicest of morceaux, par
ticularly the large red species, which are
rs highly rclished BY the hunters IS are
raccoons by southern darkics, or Thanks
giving turkeys by New Englandcrs.
| The Yularo has no other implement
than q short rors Of cactus fiber, of lis
own twisting, and huge machcte-thc
latter rude sort of sword or knife which
every Central American who is engaged
III any out door occupation carries upon
all occasions. The hunter ties enc end
Of the rope around his waist, throws the
other over the lowcr branches and 6cram-
bles up the tree, macheto in hand Hav-
ing reached convenient limb he secures
himself by means of the rope and pro
ceeds to mako an inci5ion in the tree,
from whish-gradually letting himself
downward-he cuts deep channel
through the thick bark, around the trunk
to the ground. In most cases the care
less fellow cuts much deeper thar is
necessary, thereby running the future
usefulness Of the tree, for if a penknife,
or even pin, I've thrust into 4 thrifty
young tree the milk" spurts Gu: in copi-
Gus flow.
The ycllowish white juice resembles
good, rich cream more nearly than any
thing else. Ii the tree il fully grown
and has never before been tapped the sap
will flow, from, tba i.,oigiN,, II, ~,