Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16

them never saw that much money In O year,
and in the jungle, where ones needs are simple
and inexpensive, such an income was actual
opulence
Great as their incomes were, however these
nouveaux riches benefited little from it. Ex-
travagance and lavish waste marked the lives Of
every one on the Javary. Lack of experience in
controlling funds and the ease with which
money was earned caused most of them to
throw it away with the utmost careleSsneSs. Lit
tie was spent on necessities Those who had
always lived in the wretched novels mounted on
piles, continued to live in them. Their
matched roofs continued to protect them from
the elements. Their bamboo beds remained
just as they were, draped. sometimes with q
dirty blanket or two Their cooking apparatus
remained as it had always been. The fire was
established in one corner Of the room that
served as q Kitchen dining room, bed room and
parlor, and with three stones to support them
the Soot-blackened enameled ware pots and
kettles still served the purposes for which they
had originally been purchased. The smoke from
the fire. lacking nue., still percolated through
the thatch Of the roofs and the cracks Of the
walls, leaving q black and sticky covering of
SCOT on everything within doors.
GTML, silk gowns adorned the women though
lack of practice prevented them from
wearing the shoes they bought. Rings set
with real, precious stones adorned work-wurn
and unkempt hands. Musical instruments and
other such alien luxuries We'd with ramshackle
beds and smoking flres in creating an atmoS-
phere Of home-like comfort, or were permitted
to stand unprotected when the tropical down.
pours set the roofs to leaking like the sleeves
they often were.
Nor must It be supposed that only the ma
tives were thus affected by the sudden influx
of easy money. ALI Of us felt it to some extent
and NJ the MI Oft Aa
were almost as foolish In their expenditures a.
were the most inexperienced Of the natives
themselves.
There was, near Remate de Males at this
time q most amusing French company called
the Compton Colonial Francois. This concern
seemed to be very similar to most of the French
companies doing business in tropical America.
It was very, very strong on luxurieS and dis
play, and correspondingly weak on administra-
ton and other necessities One Of the em.
ployes. however. was man Of great ingenuity
and resource. He bore the name of Schwartz,
it is true. but he was Frenchman to the very
medulla Of his bones.
It SO happened that director of the COM
pany unknown to the representatives ut the
company's jungle headquarters, was travelling
in South America, and he suddenly put in his
unannounced appearance on the Amazon Word
managed to get to the local manager Of the
Compton Colonial Francois, however, a short
time before the director actually arrived at the
stations with the result that he had time to be
duly Mustered over the difficulties that faced
him.
The storehouse Of the company was filled
with wines Of the finest vintages But. alas.
there was no ice, and any one-a Frenchmau
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES that champagne at q tenn
perature OF 80 degrees, Is hardly palatable
Still, 1t was obviously essential that the direc-
tor be given some champagne. The ques-
ton OF cooling 1t therefore Immediately arose
Schwartz the ingenious employe to whom
have referred, was called in and the matter was
discussed, whereupon Schwartz announced that
with carte blanche 30 far as expenditure was
concerned, he could cool q little of the cham
pagne-a couple Of bottles, at least-and could
thereby save the day. The necessary authority
was promptly given him, and Schwartz busily
set himself the task Of gathering together what
chemicals he could find that would, when prop
erly manipulated, produce q sharply lowered
course, and requested dozen different chemi-
Gals, none Of which had was able how
ever, to send him to q trader who had few
OF the various things he wanted, and from that
beginning he went still farther afield.
What he obtained never learned, but he
spent 5000, whereupon he rugged himself up q
weird sort of refrigerator in steel oil drum
and triumphantly chilled two bottles of cham.
payne. which were served with q flourish at the
formal dinner given upon the arrival Of the
director. ,,,
Schwartz's difficulties, however, did not end
there.
The director. in looking over the property
saw motor boat that belonged to the station.
and asked to be taken for ride on the Javary
The manager was set all afiutter at this request
for due to an oversight, no gasoline had been
ordered and the motor boat had not been used
Tor two solid months. Schwartz, however, again
stepped into the breach. 'sl ''t''@fp p IS.