Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-02
THE GREAT AMAZON,
A VALLEY WHERE FORTUNES LIE IN
The SAP or THE TREES.

A Country first Explored by the spaniSrds
over Three Hundred Years Ago-it l.
Modern III Dorado, but Its Product Is
Rubber. Not Gold.
The great Amazon was described with
graphic words and with lantern pictures
before the Public School Teachers assoeia-
ton by Mr.. Conrtenay de kalb OF New
York Al Harris academy concert hall. Mr..
de kAlb has made two voyages over the
valley 81 the Amazon, penetrating It's deep
est Wilderness. lie returned to this eoun
try from a voyage through Central Amer
lea.
In the beginning, from the very day IN
1916" he said, when Nincente Nanez Pm
ION entered the Amazon, or Maranon, as u
was known e him, a glamor Of seductive
romance began To gather about this river
and its mighty forest covered valley. In
1910 Francisco de Orellana came across the
Andes deserted pizaro on the Rio Napo
and sailed down the Amazon 70 the sea,
bringing wondrous tales Of the land OF Elm
namon and gold and OF Kingdoms Of war
rior women. The fancies, fed by greed Of
riches. added tales IL giittering unreulities
until in i6aa Padre Cristoval de Acuna,
after his journey across the basin Of the
river. boldly affirmed that here was situ.
ated that famous III Dorado, which was the
Holy Grail Of sixteenth century seeking'
that here abided the Amazons in the richest
splendor tine world had known
But the tabled FL Dorado shrnnk from
one impenetrablc wilderness to another as
explorers unlocked their secrets. The Anna
IONS were at length found to be only the
mistake committed by Orcllana because tho
men OF certain cities did not dress differently
from the women, and the OmaguaS became
known rs nothing more than a race OF su-
perior sayages. The people Of the Amazon
slowly became disillusioned, but the spirit
Of Incidence, the life Of penury, couched In
the luxury Of gilded dreams IS still their
birthright from the past New forces are
working also. The poetry Of each new III
Dorado is dispelled rs soon rs found by the
brazen jingle Of commerce, and the Anna
IONS have found their FL Dorado ut last
not gold, not diamonds, not barbarlc splen'
dor, but that wonderful gum from then
forests Of rubber trees, whose uses in the
art Of civilization seem 10 have no end.
'Thc center Of the rubber producing area
of the Amazon i the city Of Manaos, Loo
miles r. n the mouth Of the river, with 2
feet OF water al low tide, an important con
sideration in commerce. There are three
lines ofsteamships 10 Manaos, one Brazilian
line and two English lines, of the latter one
being from New York and one from Liver
pool They all receive subsidies, and WI
have allowed them to obtain a carrying
trade on a river that is increasing 10y leaps
and bounds and allowing tue trade TO be
come firmly fixed III English shipping lines
whereas, by taking advantage OF the mail
subsidy bill and seeking these Brazilian
subsidies ourselves, we could not only oh
tain the carrying trade, but would vastly
benefit the chancrs Of American merchant,
and manufacturers IN getting control OF tn,
commerce Of the valley Of the Amazon.
Efforts are being made to establish tele
graph communication in Manao> with thu
outer world, and as soon as this is done Il
will become one OF tine greatest ccnters d
trade Those firms on the ground ut ii,
time will OF course have the benefit. ] triuL
10 get Americans To establish a bank il
Manaos several years ago, but no one would
venture. England has since done So, ant
the enterprise has met with splendid sue
cess.
The rubber plant from which the Anna
zonian gum is obtained Is not the variety
used as an ornament in opr hou.es an,
greenhouses. This is plant from lHaH
from which rnbhsy mas i.t-tessutatEti. III,
south American plant, iGOm which the rub
Der now in use Is obtained, Is one Of Tia
/ sparge family, or euphorbiaceP. The rub
Der exists in the sap Of plant as an EMU
sion, aud many commonly known plant
contain rubber which gains its strength
and elasticity after exposure To the air o
-. 1.
tains rubber, and the milky substance no
tieed when lettuce stalk IS cut Is rubber
The uses Of rubber arr increasing euor
mously in manufactures, aud people VIII,
are willing to wait for their money car
reap immense haryests by planting rubbc
orchards nov in South America The plant
take II years TO mature, but after that n
further planting is necessary, aud the OF
ehards yield steadily for from % To Is years
Tquitos, capital Of eastern Peru, il an i'm
portant rubber center, and its export
amount to between 100000 and &. %, 90
year.
THE Amazon is considered by the bull
Of our people as a dismal, interminabl
swamp, "a vast miasmatic basin teemin
with every species Of obnoxious insect.
with boa constructor on every bough wal,
ing to seize you in the forests. with an all
gator alert TO dcyour you on every san
bank, and a hideoas vampire lowering owe
every sleeper in the night. And yet, afte
SO many decades Of assidudus exploration.
scientists art in doubt about the vampire
existence. Adventures with reptiles are q
exceptional there as in the United State,
and alligaturs are a. abundant and yorg
eious IN tile lagoons Of Florida as In Bra
zil Neither have | found it a reekine
pestilential morass, Il Is Il valley full Z
strange delights, which even come dow
to the sea 70 greet one at the very thresi
old. To give an idea Of the size OF Peru
let me state that Of the l go miles of ID
Amazon's length 1900 mics Cow In Per
nnd 2,o00 in Brazil. The peruvians hay
found amiable In character, and even /
the wilderuessos | never found il necessar
to be armed against the Indians nor {
have guard at night, trusting 10 thei
courteous treatment, and in this not byin
disappointed. - Baltimore American.
Caution In Teaching a Child to Walk.
The culture OF n child's physique en-