The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-17
\ THE BACKW00DS COUNTRY OF bolivia.

~ the least known countries
o. the world. Even now
the geo9rapbers are dis
0 putting about i;s area. and
different estimates vary
>ors than 1880 square miles The In
a~-.rson I have or the subject comes
s<nor Manuel V. BaIiivlan, president
Ia Paz Geogra phicaI Society. and
:. .as best-posted men upon al sue4a
-.-.,. connected with this country.
..a- ga,lsvian tells NE that Bolivia con-
-. more than 81. 90 square miles. The
=. sxsres are given In the Statesman's
=, Hook and In the volume on Bolivia
-.s.ssa t,y the bureau OF American re-
aars n Wash n 9toH. This is almost
..xta tie size Of the whole United
estes Including Alaska 1t Is equal 20
=, shan ten states as big az New York.
900, thar any country Of Europe. with
:. .reeotion Of Russia. and more than
a.rmzay, France. Great Britain. Greece,
s~s.zertaus and Belgium combines. This
-. ssrris9ry has not as many people as
=. sss.~ OF Massachusetts, / d1dot II 4,
I'D fgure out AZ many as Chicago has
,hI. writing, and the Greater New
v..s would give at least one and hail
-. 20 every human being now In 30
-. TIE population is estiIate ted at
80. .os1oq. ali told. and Of these be
- that not more than half a million
-, white blood IN them. Think OF CIV
:, !. territory one-sixsn the size OF ours
- proportlonateiy quite a. rich in its
-sseraI RESOURCES 10 less than half the
s.zels Of Philadelphia. and you have about
8. conditions which prevail here. The
.Aass practically own Bolivia, and the
.asf three-fourths OF the people. who are
,sxssas. are their servants OF course
.,re are n few exceptions 10 this claAsih-
.,.n but as ii rule IL will hold good.
\ !, 4 specially so as regards the 4omesti-
4 RIA indians who number much more
car half OF the population. and .ho are
: many oaseS practically the slaves Of
A. whites Here at La Paz there are a.
so I've Indians to one white. and the
80 d more Indian than anything else.
gscxpIored Bolivia.
ssa surveyed. and there are grsa. prov
.scsa here which are practically unex-
,sred. There ara some sections which are
4. unknown a. Central Africa, and their
shabiiants have as curious customs as
,.e sasagcs along ;he edges OF the Sa-
lara. There Ia a strip Of Bolivia several
sspdreh miles wide ana about sAo miles
bag, lying between this plateau and ths
sasndary Of Brazil. which has resources
q xseat wealth. ] have met men here
vnc have travelled overland 10 Paraguay
I'd the Argentine. They ;eli me of vaEt
ssins upon which cattle feed IN herds Of
sAsusancs. They can be bought for from
Z head. for there is no means OF
s,ssng than 10 the markets AT present.
eesor Bailivian tells me. there Is "a syndi-
ere formed In London to connect these
rrA grazing lands with the head of nsyi-
ga.aa Of some OF the Amazon branches
sy means OF a railway which Will run
siorg The boundary between Brazil and
BaErA, but on Brazilian soil. The road
VA b On the line Of n concession granted
10 Col Church some years ago, ana iis
ylfposs win be TO carry these cheap cat
IL % Tie rubber camps OF fhe Amazon.
Tsess are several other Important projects
= BA1 saIlroads in Bolivia. One Is 10
eHs'ras line from La Paz 10 tine Desua-
| saflefn river. This line would he sixty
III nga hng. and Senior Baiiivian sayJ
vii erohably be begun this summer.
Anosasf scheme Is 20 extend the Central
scsa Argentine railway 20 Sucre. THIS