The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-07-27
Tucker Writes
From Bolivia

SoHAieeo from Oklahonla- who Is now
in South america, on a tour Of in
spection ir the interest of a gold min
ing company, has contributed another
interesting letter to the Asher Altruist
regarding bolivia Mr. Tucker writes
as follows.
On Ma H. / started to the Yum
gas district 10 look into its resources
and latens possibilities. The road lies
up and across the great range of the
Cordillera Real. thence down into the
semi-tropioal, mountainous portions Of
the garden Of Bolivia a district which
has been verify vegitatlng for $50
years.
I'm company with an Englishman
who was soing part way. and an In
dian. I left La Paz IN the early morn.
ing with enc mule packed and riding
another The road for 60 miles is very
good for c mountain tail having
been built some years ago by the Yum
gas planters for the easier transpor-
tation OF the cocoa crop. This road
is said to pay now about 100000 gold
per annum in tolls. which are SIS cents
per hundred pounda on cocoa, and
cents each psr animal for saddle and
pack mules or llamas.
After six hours OF steady climbing,
we reached the summit OF the pass. at
an altitude Of $1,000 feet. where we
found sno banks on either side of
the trail, end the air very cold even
in the brieht sun shine. Here on the
summit bl. two weeks before sixteen
Indians, fourteen Of whom were men
! and two women, were caught in a
binding srow storm and frozen to
death A newly erected cross marked
; the spot where they had so miserably
J perished, lut the bodies had been
brought to La Paz to he laid away in
consecratel ground.
"a few oranges. bananas, and q
large banana called plantain or bread
fruit, a littlc coffee. an occasional
piece of corn. and the cocoa bush con
stitute tho total list Of cultivated pro
ducts Even gardens as we know
them at ONE are neglected. and po-
, tatoes. mutton and beef are imported
from the higher attitudes. Even cof-
fee. which / really believe is the fin
est ever tasted, and which sells
wholesale in La Paz at Q cents pei
pound goll to the planter. while the
best Brazilian is now quoted in NeN
York at 8 s-1O cents per poupG. does
not pay as well as cocoa.
"This latter is a small shrub grow
ing to from two to three feet high in
l four years from seed. It has a leai
about as large as the cherry but not
, so thick ard feshy which is picked
! OFF the bush about three or four times
a year. is dried. baled and shipped to
Havre, or Hamburg, where it's chemi
cal properties are extracted.
"A plat Of so yards square costs an
:. average OF 400 gold to bring into
= cultivation and care for until It is il
full hearing at three to four years
), AS the entire country has an average
slope of probably As degrees, stair
step terraces are built out of rocks
or cement all up and down the sid,
Y of the hill, each terrace or bench be
ing about two feet wide. end as high
] running AT a level along the slope
Two feet above this rises another ant
so on. the whole necessitating an i'm
mense aToGnt Of labor On each ter
race or bench. next the bill, a trencl
/. is made and in this the seed is plant
= ed. and Wien a few inches high i
: thinned y 10 inches apart Once
:. planted. Plat is good for from 20 t
= so years without further care thar
cleaning out the crab grass apparent
, ly the same as our Oklahoma pest) a
= occasional intervals After four year
each 50 yards square produces iron
$50 10 $1lE gold net per annum. A
d no other Pant. and no animal. in Bo
livia, can equal this 100 per cent prof
per annam all these are neglected 70
cocoa.
"a Great palms, ferns, and giant cact
b. abound, while vines hang from th'
trees or bushes. but no lumber wood
are seen the timber growth beini
- dense bu. small
}, Morning glories, oleandars OF rich
g, est hue. passion flowers and roses Civ
IS color to tho an pervading green, Will
Of on the mountain tops are Wid
~ stretches OF grass land that would b
Il fortune to the stock grower if ther
we're market for cattle or sheer
But the rosds are rough and danger
GUS. population is sparse, and in tn