Williston graphic., 1903-12-24
BRAZILIAN TOWN WIPED OUT.

BRAZILIAN TOWN WIPED CUT.
Diamartino, That Once Furnishes
the world with Diamonds,
Ruined Two Years Ago.
Many of the inner parts of South
America are less known to-day than
any portion of Africa. These regions
of widespread forests and swamps, in
habited by wild Indians, are almost
unknown to the outside world; even
in southern Brazil large districts Of
the big state of Matto-Grosso may well
be said to be on the edge of the most
remote corners of civilization, states
the New York Sun.
Capt. Ludwig Jerrmann has just
been telling in Petermann's Nit
teilungen of the destruction of Dia-
mantino in that state during the in
surrection of November, 1901. The
world has scarcely heard of Diaman-
tino for many years, though it was
once a fourishing little place inhab-
| tied by Brazilians who were rich in
slaves and in the diamonds they
washed from the stream. i.
The district once had population
of about 1900, mostly negroes and half
breeds. The people who still live there
speak a very corrupt dialect of Portu-
guese, but the town was in decline
before it's final destruction. Slavery
and diamond washing were at an end
and the well-to-do had departed. The
town had q schoolhouse, but not
soul in that region was competent to
teach school. It had a church, but
for years no priest had been seen in
the town.
No good roads connected it with
| other settlements and it's population
had dwindled to about 900 souls. Only
the plastered' houses along the three
streets and the substantial stone resi-
dences of the former diamond washers
remained to testify to the old-time
prosperity of place that was once the
center from which the world derived
most of it's diamonds.
The insurrection of 1901, when a
large dissatisfied element in Matto-
Crosse arose against the central gov
ernment at Rio de Janeiro, completed
the ruin of Diamantino. The govern
ment hurried large number of troops
into the state, and in few weeks they
laid the disaffected districts in ruins.
The frantic inhabitants of the little
town heard on November that the SOL
diers we're coming, and at once began to
abandon. their homes. They heard that
the soldiers were not sparing even wom-
en- or children; and SO, with bundles OF
household effects under their arms. they
hurried in wild flight into the dense for
ests to hide from the advancing enemies.
On the evening of November S, Capt.
Jerrmann, sick, old man, and a black
washerwoman were the only human be-
ings left in the town.
The next morning the infantry and
cavalry of Brazil, a wild, ruff1an crowd,
barefooted, dressed in ragged trousers,
without coats or hats, poured into the
place. They swarmed through the aban-
doned houses, plundering right and left,
and after removing their booty to the
ueighboring fields, began the work OF
levelling the town.
They knocked down the buildings with
axes and timbers, an arduous task that
occupied day. Then they set fire to
the ruins in dozen places and took their
departure.
It was ten days later before the flames
died out. There was nothing left but
ashes and blackened stones and ruins
to mark the place where Diamantino
had stood.
Last year only few of the inhabitants
had returned to begin the difficult work
of rebuilding their town. Some of them
had been murdered by the soldiers, many
had fled further south to begin life again
among settlements that had escaped
destruction and others had gone to
Paraguay and Bolivia.
Capt. Jerrmann believes 1t will be
many years before this region will re-
cover from the utter ruin which has
overwhelmed it. In time, however, he
thinks that various industries will be es-
tablished, for there are good prospects
for gold and diamond washing, rubber
trees flourish in the neighboring for
ssts, and the agricultural lands are very
fertile. 80.
It is a curious fact that nearly
two years elapsed before any detailed
information reached the outer world
of the utter destruction of the little
town that had once been famous. It
shows how utterly isolated is this part
of Brazil from the foreign interests that
are impe]ling all the northern white
races to send thousands of representa-