Gilpin observer., 1913-07-31
UILDINa a railroad through tn

jungles OF western Brazil is
a strenuous and often highly
dangerous task, calling for
nerves and muscles OF steel.
the patience Of Job, and the best en-
cheering skill. as the constructors OF
the Madeira and Mamore line will tell
you. This railroad will link up the Sc
ries OF cataracts and rapids on the
Madeira and Mamore rivers, the
most important affluents of the mighty
amazon and Madeira rivers below the
Madeira falls with the $500 miles
OF navigation In Bolivia above these
falls, thereby providing a quicker
and cheaper route, via Para. for the
transport to Europe OF valuable ex-
ports.
A. w. Chester, an American civil
engineer who has had considerable
experience in railroad work in tropi-
cal countries. returned from the Ma
deira region recently. after working
almost year with the survey corps
OF the NJ & NJ. He was ordered
home by the doctor in charge of the
hospital after severe attack of black
water fever, and was told that to re-
turn would mean death
Surveying down there is a pretty
hard job says Mr.. Chester. THE
line follows the river bank. never 60
ing more than 10 to 15 miles away
from it,
Monkeys Good Food.
In q party are usually 10 to IL
Americans, two men for each job. SO
that the work is not likely to be held
up by sickness, and about so natives
1t is not possible to use more than
that number of natives. for their bust
ness in cutting away Jungle. and any
more would be superfluous. Some
times the supplies are not forthcom
fng. / have been up there for 9
month at a time with no supplies
coming up, and we had to live on
beans and crushed manioca root
which looks something like a radish
and dried makes a sort Of meal. Then
you can shoot monkeys. which make
good food. especially the little fel
lows trifie smaller than rabbits. II
they are not cooked whole you car
eat them, otherwise you get the feel
ing that you are sort Of cannibal
Monkey meat tastes something like
squirrel.
They you have wild pig and deer
and there is the tapir. or anteater
which is edible. They also have q
beast about the size OF a COW. bu,
which swims in the water. and which
they call the anter down there. 1T
meat is like beef. Then there 10 {
wild turkey that is absolutely black
with red comb, which has an excellent
flavor. There Is another bird tha
they call the jachoo. which Is abou
the size of a hen. Is the color Of {
partridge and has a big bill. but II
rather tough.
We'll, when the trail Is cut thu
next thing is to make camp ant
then you cut trails around in dineren
directions. Exploring the countr,
down there is like feeling in the dark
You cannot get on a hilltop and lool
around. The heat Is intense In thu
Jungle. There Is no sun and the fel
lows come out OF the woods after {
few weeks as white as sheet. Tn,
long walks are the worst featur,
about the work.
"One great annoyance In the Jun
gle Is that you are apt to run out o
tobacco. You can drink littl'
liquor, in fact, the doctors tell you !
is beneficial II not INDUCED in to OF
cess, but II you drink much II Is IA
worse than in this country. In thes'
surveying parties you have to wear I
heavy flannel shirt all the time: /
you don't you will catch a very hart
cold. None of the camps Ii ever at
tackled by Indians. though there hav'
leen cases in which one or two moi
have gone out from camp and neve
been heard off. Sometimes their bonei
are found long afterward with an ar
row beside them"
Afraid Of Guns.
The savages Of this region fgh
with bamboo-headed spears and pol
soned arrows. the latter propelled b,
a powerful bow seven feet long. Tn,
arrowheads. of bone. are dipped II
snake venom, and inflict morta
wound. The venom is said to be pro
cured by boiling snakes heads to ex
tract 1t from the glands, and evaporat
ing the solution to almost dryness
The Indiana are. however. afraid o
anything that will shoot. consequent
ly the constructors of the Madeira an,
Nsmmore line always carried revol