The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-03-12

Inc headquarters or the OT1nocC
rubber gatherers is San Fernando de
J 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.
| Representative 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 inhabit-
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-
vastation, but the people seem per
fectly happy. If there is any high
within reach, the men may
cut timber and collect copaiba oil or
hunt for various kinds of gums. The
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
luts are brought in, and everything is
made shipshape so that there may be
10 delay in beginning the rubber sea-
ION when the water recedes. There
re invariably few men in each
amp who are famed for their PROV
ss with gun and harpoon, and it has
'een my pleasure on several occasions
o accompany these nimrods of the
ropical jungles on their long rambles
n search of meat.
At Calama on the Madeira, just OPP
osite the mouth of the Machado, are
ocated the headquarters of one OF the
est organized rubber companies I
ave found anywhere during my four
ears of explorations. 1t is the estab-
shment of Asensi & Co., who started
usiness Is years ago with eight men;
oday they employ $500 men all told, :
nd produce 700 tons of rubber an +
ually, besides large quantities of
opaiba oil, tobacco, lumber, and other
atural products. Their concessions
achado and Commemoracion, extend
g inland distance of 80 kilometers
l each side of the water. In addi- !.
on, the concern controls large tracts :
! the Madeira. The building at
alama are large and comfortable, and !"
,sides living quarters include mod :
My equipped offices, storerooms, :
carpenter and machine :,
ops, and cattle barns. A resident :
lysician is retained for the care OF = =
e employees, who are brought down =
om the camps and cared for when in r
ed of treatment.