The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-08-01


tungles Of western Brazil II
q strenuous and often highly
dangerous task, calling for
nerves and muscles Of steel,
the patience Of Job. and the best en-
cheering skill. a. the constructors OF
the Madeira and Mamore line will tell
you. This railroad will link up the ~
ries Of cataracts and rapids ON the
Madeira and Mamore rivers. the
most important afauents Of the mighty
amazon and Madeira rivers below the
Madeira falls with the $500 miles
Of navigation in Bolivia above these
falls, thereby providing q quicker
and cheaper route, via Para, for tho
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 M & M. 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 pretty
hard job" says Mr.. Chester. THE
line follows the river bank, never 60
Ing more than 10 to Is miles away
from t.
Monkeys Good Food.
In a party are usually 10 to Il
Americans, two men for each Job, 70
that the work 10 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 superfuous. Some.
times the supplies are not forthcom.
ing. I have been up there for ,
month at q time with no supplies
coming up, and we had to live on
beans and crushed mani0ca root
which looks something like radish
and dried makes . sort Of meal. Then
you can shoot monkeys. which make
good food, especially the little fel.
lows Z tribe smaller than rabbits. II
they are not cooked whole you can
eat them. otherwise you get the feel.
ing that you are sort Of cannibal.
Monkey meat tastes something Ike
squirrel. ''' 3-.2t. y
They you have wild pig and deer.
and there 10 the tapir. or anteater,
which Is edible. They also have q
beast about the size Of q COW. but
which swims in the water, and which
they call the anter down there. It's
meat is like beef. Then there Is q
wild turkey that Is absolutely black,
with red comb. which has an excellent
flavor. There is another bird that
they call the jachoo, which is about
the size of a hen. is the color Of q
partridge and has q big bill, but is
rather tough.
We'll, when the trail IL cut the
next thing is to make a camp and
then you cut trails around in different
directions. Exploring the country
down there Is like feeling in the dark
You cannot get on q hilltop and look
around. The heat Is intense in the
jungle. There Ii no sun and the fel.
lows come out Of the woods after q
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 tell you 1t
is beneficial II not INDUCED In to ex-
cess, but II you drink much It Is far
worse than In this country. In these
surveying parties you have to wear q
heavy flannel shirt all the time; II
you don't you will catch very hard
cold. None of the camps is ever 1t.
tackled by Indians. though there have
been cases In which one or two men
have gone out from camp and never
been heard off. Sometimes their bones
are found long afterward with an ar
row beside them"
Afraid Of Guns.
The savages Of this region fight
with bamboo-headed spears and poi
soned arrows, the latter propelled by
powerful bow seven feet long. The
arrowheads. of bone, are dipped in
snake venom, and infiict q mortal
wound. The venom is said to be pro-
cured by boiling snakes heads to ex.
tract it from the glands, and evaporat.
Ing the solution to almost dryness.
The Indians are. however, afraid of
anything that will shoot, consequent.
" the constructors Of the Madeira and
Msmmore line always carried . revol.