Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-10-06

a'1N-f tOcIy 1O2IA MIA, |
September Is, 1888. I
The chief industry in Eastern Costa
Rica is the collection of caoutchouc, OF
india rubber. The native word for that
useful commodity sounds much like a
sneeze, and is pronounced as if spelled
kee-chook, with the accent strong on the
first syllable. Not many years ago more
than 100000 pounds were shipped annu.
ally from Greytown alone, but at present
the average export is only about 10000
This falling off is due to the fact that nc
legal surveillance is exercised over the
gathering of the juice, and the people
with their customary improvidence, art
constantly destroying the valuable trees
that yield it.
The yularoes, or rubber hunters, are
the most irresponsible and ignorant o.
creatures, whose first object, when out Oh
an expedition, is TO secure as much caout
chouc as possible, and next to damage the
prospects of other yularoes, regardless O,
the future
A thrifty tree at its first cutting ought
to yield not less than 80 pounds of rubber
but the hunters Of to-day find few SO profit
able-unless they penetrate far into the
virgin forests, and are fortunate enough tC
discover an entirely new district. In the
sections already worked most OF the tree,
have been tapped several times and many
of them We're spoiled at the outset by hay
ing been cut too young, because its greedy
discoyerer feared that il the prize were
left to attain perfection, another might
secure it. Were the matter regulated by
judicious laws, so that only mature trees
might be tapped, and those not to an ex.
tent to cause death, the production Of
caoutchouc would soon be source Of
wealth to the Republic The Costa Ricau
Government begins to be alive to this fact
and has recently offered extensive grants
IF land to any who will devote themselves
to the culture of rubber trees.
Among the inhabitants of Central Amer
lea, the yularoes form distinct class, by
all odds the lowest in the country-uniess
it may be the Caribs of Guatemala or the
pearl-diTeTs Of the western coast. They
are mostly half-breeds or negroes, for white
men seldom engage in Il, although the
business might be made extremely profit
bic. A yularo can be distinguished at a
glance from natives of other professions, y
as easily as a cowboy In genteel society.
or miller fresh from his mill-not only
by his general air of daredevil don't-care-
itiyeness, but by the thick coating of
caoutchouc that covers his clothing from
head to foot. This extra coating accumu-
lates gradually by contact with the rubber
trees, without intention on the part of the
wearer, and in time renders his garments
absolutely waterproof and almost indie
structible.
Of course, | could not venture far enough
into the forest to observe the modus oper-
and of caoutchouc collecting at its best.
Undetermined to fulfill my journalistic
mission as nearly con the spot" as posi-
ble-I made special journey to Paris
nina, and thence, escorted by the Alcalde
and his servants, visited the nearest rubber
camp, situated about seven miles within
the dense, dark woods.
Parismina is small coast town in the
very heart of the rubber district, midway
between Limon and Graytown, the latter
a well-known port of shipment and the
former a comparatively new town, the
eastern terminus of the railroad
The eight or nine hundred habitans of
Parismina are all in some way connected
with the caoutchouc trade and it is a far
more favorable place for obtaining reliable
information concerning the rubber bust
ness than the distant camps of the hunters,
who know little about it themselves be-
yond the process of gathering the gum.
Here the yularoes obtain their supplies
before setting out on their long journeys,
and to this point they return when the
season is over.
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 provided with a gun, a
quantity OF ammunition, boat and a suf-
hc;ent supply of salt, flour and pork to sus-
tain him from two to six months. All
this is charged to his account at the high
est market price, and in return he stipu
Iates to sell to this same accommodating
dealer, at some fixed sum per pound, ali
the caoutchouc 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, he returns to the
vlilage-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 ex
hausted that he can obtain by promises
upon the next expedition. 1t is not
strange, however, that they are reluctant
to return to such dangerous exile, for un-
der every leaf of the tropical forest some
Tenomous creature is lurking, and eternal
vigilance is the price Of safety. The
hunters life is little above that of the
wild beasts whose howis make night hide
Gus around him, and he is constantly ex-
posed to a thousand perils, seen and IN
seen. Not only are there hungry jaguars
and pumas, wild bears, 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; inuamerable
bugs beetles and insects many OF them
more dangerous than the rattler of our
Northern wilds, who at least gives some
warning of his intention to strike, while
even more to be feared than the monstrous
crocodiles Of the lagoons, and the enormous
serpents of hugging proclivities, are the
fevers that nightly stalk abroad with the
noxious vapors of the terra caliente
Usually the hunters go out in small
parties, and as soon as the rubber forests
are reached, they select suitable ground
for operations and proceed to construct a
rude camp, which serves as the general
rendezvous. Then they wander of, singly
or in couples searching all day for new
trees and returning at nightfall to head.
quarters, where they sleep under no better
shelter han a few palm leaves laid lightly
over four upright poles. A huge fire is
always built at night, partly TO brighten
away prowling beasts and to counterac,
the effects of deadly dews and miasmas
but principally that the smoke may keep of
those more troublesome pests, xin-xins
gnats and garripotss.
Aside from the scant ralions he brings
the yularo's food consists mainly of wilC
hogs or such other animals as he may b,
able to kill, eked out by totillaS, and, a
an occasional luxury, dish of red bean
stewed in fat. Monkeys are considered
the choicest of morceaus, particularly tbs
large red species, which are as highly rel
ished by the hunters as are raccoons b,
the Southern darkies or Thanksgiyips
turkeys by New Englanders. Indeed il
many parts of Spanish monke,
meat is eaten by both natives and foreign
.a,.c whose orastronon,ic faoto- ara L,.J<