The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-03-05
FLOATING RUBBER RATS DOWN THE RIO MACHADO

rubber gatherers is San Fernando de
Atabapo, containing about 100 huts,
which is the only settlement above
the Cataract of Maipures. In Febru.
airy the town was almost deserted. In
May it was full of life. Numbers of
people were arriving daily; there was
dancing and gaming, eating and drink
ing, day and night, and many a man
spent his entire seasons earnings in
a few evenings. The sight was not
unlike that formerly seen in the west
ern mining camps of our own country.
Representatives of the big houses in
Ciudad Bolivar, which had made ad-
vances to the concessioners, were
there to see that they received all the
rubber collected by their debtors.
The governor Of the department (Alto
Orinoco) made his home farther down
the river, on the Rio Cataniapo, near
the Rapids Of Atures.
On the Machado the rubber camps
are not abandoned during the rainy
season but as the floods advance stand
isolated above the muddy water,
crowded with their human iphabit-
ants, chickens, pigs and dogs. Many
of the houses are built on piles, and
the water comes up until it touches
the floor. Cooking and washing are
done on the front porch and canoes
are tied to the posts In readiness for
instant flight if necessary, or to use
In gathering wood or visiting the
neighbors. Behind the huts, banana
palms bend and bow gracefully as the
current tugs at their bases, and a few
vultures are usually perched on the
roof.
Happy, Busy People.
The whole presents a scene of de-
VISITATION, but the people seem per
fectly happy. If there is any high
country within reach, the men may
cut timber and collect copaiba oil or
hunt for various kinds of gums. The
gathering of Brazil nuts forms one of
the chief occupations, and thousands
of tons are brought down the various
rivers annually. Canoes are followed
out, palm leaves and poles for new
huts are brought in, and everything is
made shipshape so that there may be
no delay in beginning the rubber sea-
son when the water recedes. There
are invariably a few men in each
camp who are famed for their Prov
ess with gun and harpoon, and it has
been my pleasure on several occasions
to accompany these nimrods of the
tropical jungles on their long rambles
in search of meat.
At CaIama on the Madeira, just op-
posite the mouth of the Machado, are
located the headquarters of one of the
best organized rubber companies
have found anywhere during my four
years of explorations. 1t is the estab-
lishment of Asensi c Co., who started
business IS years ago with eight men;
today they employ $500 men all told,
and produce 700 tons of rubber an.
nually, besides large quantities of
copaiba oil, tobacco, lumber, and other
natural products Their concessions
cover the entire country bordering the
Machado and Commemoracion, extend
ing inland a distance of 80 kilometers
on each side Of the water. In addi-
ton, the concern controls large tracts
on the Madeira. The building at
Calama are large and comfortable, and
besides living quarters include mod.
ernly equipped Offices, storerooms,
warehouses, carpenter and machine
shops, and cattle barns. A resident
physician is retained for the care OF
the employees, who are brought down
from the camps and cared for when in
need Of treatment.