The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-02-03
IN THE HRApr on p..s:i.Sii, ps.Siiii
DESCRIPTION or A TYPICAL IN
Ola RUBBER CAMP.
a Source of Profit to Many, But the
SC Poor Indian Cots Practically
Nothing for HIS PoriIous Labor.

thing reeks Of india rubber--wbcrc it j
tho ono engrossing industry Of th'
people, the one topic OF convorsation
the ono thing constantly seen, smeiled
and tastcd--you are sure to be seized by
the spirit Of discovery, sooner or later,
and burning desire to turn hunter
yourself and become habitante, IL for
ever so brief period, Of a genuine
rubber camp In the wilderness. And
nothing IS easier than to gratfy that
laudabe ambition, especially IL you arc
utaken" with it at Manaos-a thousand
miles up tho mighty river, 10 the heart
Of the greatest rubber producing section
CT the globo.
In our case it was particularly easy,
+ for our host is n rubber merchant (as are
most Of the substantial citiz,ns OF the
p!ace), who keeps from fifty to one
hundred Indians constantly employed as
~ cotfcvtors,~z uudsr the Y sdersl,ip Of q
"captaiu," or head collector, Of their
own choosing.
The following facts. stated briefly n,
possible, are a summary Of the inform,.
tion VIC have picked up in Brazil, from
divers sources, relative to tho rubber
trade. Like other indu1trics In various
parts of the world, it appears TO be con.
trollcd by capital on tho Scriptural plan
ot "to him that hath shall he givon,"
while the actual toilcrs are very poorly
paid for their labor. Hcreabouts it ir
customary for wealthy Inan to obtain {
grant OF land of greater or less extent,
uccordn, to his political influence and
financial powers Of persuasion, with the
exclusive righC Of gathering rubber
thereon for stated number OF years.
The entire river trade of the Amazon is
run on tho credit system. The rubber
hunters, who are mostly indians. arl
fitted out by their employers muci as
Amcricnn miners used to he supplied
with ''urub stake" in their search for
precious metals. Each hunter, before
he sets forth on u ircsh journey, IS pro-
vidcd with II gun, II quantity OF ammu-
milton, blanket, hammock, and enough
provisions TO sustain him from two to
six months; all Of which is charged to
his account at the highest market price,
aud in return he stipulates to sell to this
same accommodating dealer, Mt some
fixed sum per pound, all the rubber ho
may collect during his trip, after paying
what hc owes for the outfit.
But he seldom gets the debt paid up,
md, according to tho laws OF Brazil, as
long rs he owes u penny tho man to
whom he is indebted eau claim him for
work, holidays aud all, in bondage
akin to slavery. They aro engaged in
the first place for term of years, aud
the majority Of hunters, i'm consequence
of their debts aud propensity to drink
up all available cash iu tho form Of
chicha, arc practically never released
from tho contract
The employers, in their turn, arc
bound to DO in debt to tho small traders
in the river towns, to whom they sell the
rubber. They pay absuraly high prices
fer inferior goods and get little for the
product OF the enterprise as compared to
the price of rubber when 1t gets out OF
the clutches OF the "middlc- men, whilo
those who do all the actual work and
endure the risks aud hardships got next
TO nothing. Tho small trader, likewise,
is in debt to the wholesale dealer in
Para; and the wholesaler is cvon moro
deeply indebted To the New York, Balti-
more or London firm which furnishes
him with supplies and finally secures the
rubber. SomCbody makes heavy profits
out Of every transaction, but it is not
tho poor Indian, upon whose courage
and powers Of endurance oil depends, nor
yet the smaller traders.
The annual expectation OF India rub
Der from Para is said to be upwnrl OF
go, 600, 900 pounds, worth from sd, O0O,-
COO to 80, 900, 900. the rubber tree Of
Brazil (5iphonia cln3tica, q near relative
of the iicus clastlca Of the East Indies
and the urccola clastica of Asia) is
really giant species Of mil'twccd. 1t be-
gins TO yield when about fifteen gears
old, and the Government has repeatedly
suggested plans for cultivating it by
planting large areas with trees and con-
ducting the business like that Of coffee
and sugar plantations. But Brazlians
seem to be peculiarly devoid Of the
power to take "a long look ahead" aud
50 far nobody has been found willing to
wait fifteen years for tho first returns on
an investment.
IIcrcabouts the rubber hunters are
called Siringuerios, as in Central Amer.
iCa they arc known as Yularocs. They
usually go out in small parties, having
chosen one of their own number as "Cap-
tain and rs soon rs tile rubber swamps
are reached they select suitable spot
for the base OF operations aua proceed to
construct rudo camp, which serves as
the general rendezvous. They then wan.
der Off, slngly and in couples, searching
all day for new trees and returning to
headquarters at n,ghtfall. The scamp"
consists of a central hut, built on stilt-
like supports to elevate it above the ma.
laria haunted inorass in which rubber
trees most abound, with palm thatched
roof, projecting all around like that Of a
SWISS chalet.
There are neither windows NJ: door
to this rude home, nor any interior
furnishings except hooks upol which,
hammocks may be suspended W len rains
drive their owners inside. O!iinarily
'all outdoors serves we'll for kitchen,
and the men prefer to suspend their
sleeping paraphernalia from tho trees
around the central fire, built for the
triple purpose of frightening away
prowling beasts, counteracting the effects