Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-02


a strenuous and often hlghly |
dangerous task. calling TOT
~ nerves and muscles OF Steel
the patience OF Job, and the best en-
cheering skill, as the constructors vi
the Madeira and Mamore line VIII zen
Won. This railroad will link up the Sc
ries of cataracts and rapids on the
Madeira and Mamore rivers INC
most important affluents OF the mlgh'y
amazon and Madeira rivers pelo" lhe
Madeira falls with the 2,5O0 miles
OF navigation in Bolivia above theso
falls. thereby providing quickei
and cheaper route, via Para. TOT the
transport to Europe of valuable ex-
ports.
A. w. Chester, an American CIVIL
engineer who has had conslderaoie
experience in railroad work In tropr
cal countries, returned from the Ma
deira region recently, after working
| almost a year with the survey corps
OF the M & NJ. He was ordered
home by the doctor in charge OF the
hospital after a severe attack OF placK
water fever. and was told that TO re-
turn would mean death.
Surveying down there Is a pretty
hard Job" says Mr.. Chester INC
line follows the river bank, never go
ING mora than 10 to Is miles away
from It,
Monkeys Good Food.
"ln a party are usually 10 to IL
Americans, two men for each )oD' 30
that the work is not likely to be held
I'M by sickness, and about 90 natives
It is not possible to use more than
that number OF natives, for their busl
ness in cutting away jungle. and any
more would be superfluous. Some
times the supplies are not forthcom
, ing. / have been up there TOT
month at a time with no supplies
coming up, and we had to live OF
beans and crushed manioca ROOT
which looks something like a radisl
and dried makes a sort OF meal The'
Won can shoot monkeys, which max
;, good food. especially the little lie
lows n trifie smaller than rabbits. J
they are not cooked whole you ca
eat them. otherwise you get the Zee
ing that you are a sort OF Gambia
r Monkey meat tastes something Tx
. squirrel.
. They you have wild pig and dee
. and there is the tapir. or anteate
. which Is edible. They also nave
"a beast about the size Of a COW. b'
: which swims in the water, and whic
they call the anter down there.
~ meat is like beef. Then there Is
wild turkey that is absolutely blac
with red comb, which has an excelie
&c flavor. There is another bird tn
they call the jachoo, which Is ADO
40 the size of a hen. Is the color OF
." nartridge and has a big bill. but
rather tough.
We'll, when the trail Is cut
next thing Is to make camp a.
-. then you cut trails around In dinere
=. directions. Exploring the count
down there is like feeling In the dal
You cannot get on a hilltop and 10
around. The heat is intense In
oo Jungle. There Is no sun and the !
lows come out of the woods after
~. few weeks as white as a sheet i
'Sa long walks are the worst featl
q, about the work
., One great annoyance in the j
,ha gle is that you are apt to run out
90 tobacco. You can drink III
liquor, in fact. the doctors .ell you
IA beneficial II not INDUCED In to
cess. but II you drink mucl 1t Is
,.a worse than in this country. In III
Ill surveying parties you have to wea
49, heavy flannel shirt all the time,
~ YOU don't you will catch very n
~. cold. None o; the camps Is ever
W tackled by Indians. though here h
cen cases In which one or two
have gone out from camp and ne
been heard off. Sometimes their DO
'en are found long afterward with aD
pc" row beside them"