Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-08-06

jungles of western Brazil Is
a strenuous and often highly
ID 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 win link up the Sc
ries of cataracts and rapids on the
Madeira and Mamore rivers, the
most important aff1uents 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 tropl-
cal countries, returned from the Ma
deira region recently, after working
almost year with the survey corps
OF the M. & M. He was ordered
home by the doctor in charge Of the
hospital after a severe attack Of black
water fever, and was told that to re-
turn would mean death.
Surveying down there is pretty
hard job says Mr.. Chester. The
line follows the river bank, never go
ing more than 10 to Is miles away
from it,
Monkeys Good Food
In a 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
It is not possible to use more than
that number of natives, for their bust
ness in cutting away Jungle. and any
more would be superhuous. Some
times the supplies are not forthcom-
eng. have been up there for a
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 sort Of meal Then
yon can shoot monkeys. which make
good food, especially the little fell
lows a trifie smaller than rabbits. II
they are not cooked whole you can
eat them, otherwise you get the feel
ing that you are a sort OF sannibal.
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 a
beast about the size of a COW, but
which swims in the water, and which
they call the anter down there. Its
:neat is like beef. Then there is a
wild turkey that is absolutely black,
with red comb, which has an excellent
-iavor There is another bird that
;hey call the jachoo. which is about
the size OF hen, is the color Of a
partridge and has a big bill. but is
rather tough.
Well, when the trail is cut the
next thing Is to make camp and
then you cut trails around In different
directions. Exploring the country
down there Ia like feeling in the dark.
You canno: get on hilltop and look
around. The heat is intense in the
jungle. There is no sun and the fell
few weeks as white as a sheet The
long walks are the worst feature
about the work
One great annoyance In the Jun
gle is that you are apt to run out of
tobacco. You can drink a little
liquor, in fact. the doctors .ell you It
ia beneficial IL not INDUCED In to en-
csss but IL you drink much 1t Is FAR
worse than in this country. In these
surveying parties you have to wear a
heavy flannel shirt all the time; II
You dom you will catch very hard
cold. None OF the camps is ever at
tackled by Indians. though there have
teen cases In which one or two men
have gone out from camp and never
been heard off. Sometimes thoir bones
are found long afterward with an ar
row beside them"