Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1921-04-07
LETTER SENT
FROM BRAZIL
Son-in-Law and Daughter Of
Prairie du Sac Folk Engaged in
Mission Work

Mr.. and Mrs. Carroll Carnahan, the
latter a daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. n.
w. Stephens of Prairie du Sac, have
been for some time engaged as mis-
sionaries in Brazil. Mrs. Carnahan
writes very interesting letters con-
corning their work there, one of
which appeared in a recent issue Of
the Prairie du Sac News. Excerpts
from the letter follow:
after prolonged 'good-byes', al
ways necessary in Brazil, we took
leave of Ponte Nova about IL a. m.
Thursday, January 13. We were
three in number Mr.. Carnahan and
and faithful camarada, by name
jSalu Of animals we had eight, two
our own, the others Mr.. Anderson's.
There were three mounts, three car
gas, and two extras. About half way
between Ponte Nova and Lencoes we
stopped at little spring and had our
lunch of cheese sandwiches, cookies,
and manages. Leaving there at p m.
we still had four leagues to make be-
fore reaching our destination for the
night With cargas one can make
about league an hour. Good mounts
can make a league easily in 40 to so
minutes The saddle animals in this
country are all trained to a steady,
easy pace, very practical for the long
hard journeys which must be made
here. So you see we were destined to
reach Sr. America do Fontenelle's
house about eight O'Clock, which we
did. To get to the house, well-shelter-
ed among the hill one, must needs
ford the San Jose river twice. At the
second crossing (horses ond mules
are wise old creatures in this country
but Sr. America was looking for us,
heard our voices, and came and pilot
ed us safely across. Carroll had been
in their house before but this was
the first time for me to meet the fam
lily of one of the fine boys at Ponte
Nova. The father, Sr. America, the
mother, and daughter were at home
the elder son being away at the time.
They are just fine family of ''crent-
es''; and what a pleasant, honey
place theirs is Fruit raising is the
fathers chief delight.
"The next day we reached And
arahy about p. m. and, as there are
no centers in said town, we put up at
a hotel. Now Andarahy has an alti-
tude of $50 meters and Mucuge, the
place we were headed for to spend
Sunday has 1000 meters. Thus it was
that we climbed mountasn MS and $50
meters. And such sceneryi The
rock formation is most peculiar. It
looks just like SO many boulders
and pebbles tumbled into huge piles.
Torrents, springs rapids have cut
their way through the sandstone max
ing deep guleys in places Many
times it seems that all that holds
huge rock in place is the air and a
little pebble. And then to look back
from height and see the broad ex-
pause of river valley and the blue
mountains in the haze leagues
away. It makes the climb worthwhile.
The first somewhat unusual exper-
fence of this day was the fording of
the river at Passage gem. Here the water
is sometimes deep enough to warrent
passage by ferry. When we crossed it
was safe to ford although the bottom
of our large trunks dragged on the
surface of the water as the biggest
mule, Ferreira, waded through. This
old mule is in love w tn the horse
was riding and wants always to be
near. So in crossing she put her nose
on said horses hip and together we
got across alright. Then came three
or four leagues of real climbing. We
saw folks living in caves underneath
the rocks and went right over the top
of the peoples houses. Reached Chi
one Clique about midday. This little
mountain town naturally has no clay
out Of which to make adobes and the
houses are built of stones most of
them without mortar of any sort. We
breakfasted there with the wealthy
man of the town This because we had
letters from Andarahy to deliver TO
him and if YOU ride up to place and
do not .dismount you are very impo
lite indeed. As they were just ready
to breakfast nothing would do but
that we must Join them. In such
homes as this one, where they are not
accustomed to US, Americanos, we are
always offered beer, and now when
we refuse they think it is because
our country has gone dry.
The day we left Mucuge another
town we passed through, we rode all
day out on the open "geraes" or
lakeland and night found us eight
leagues farther on. We put up for the
night at an open ranchhouse called
Estive. Here Carroll and / had our
first experience Of camping out in the