The Coolidge examiner., 1934-08-17
Fr-g,rsl y NalI.-al o..9,.alle ss.ls'J.

wass..sfa-. - r-wNf service
nARA. Brasil. NJ tbv mouth of
the Amazon river. - the
II threshold % tie ,asi Amazon
VALLEY and rcgions as set uuscea BY
explorers
Il Is a colorful city Tae mar
ket square where thrunss % house
wives and servants come 20 select
the days menu from gorgeous piles
of fruits and vegetables. TIE cal
c.mlDcd walls. the outdoor murals
and even the rpots % the city. as-
sail the eye % The visitor from the
sombs-r North Colo~s may scuam.
but never clash 60 Para. A house
o. shell plnk may abui a nclghbor
% orange OF % cobalt blue, and the
result. under magic skies. = har.
mouy.
Pounded in 1918. Para looks
every day o, her 3poo3d years. and
bellies her looks Aside from n few
churchas. q Is doubtful whether
there are many buildings really old
Guzscs and weeds llfi defiant heads
from thc crcyiccs % roof tiles and
the cobblcs ~ the streets and
bl0;ches o. mold and llchefs creep
lncxorahly over the walls Bui
these hesIcak the ezubcrance o. the
Tropics rather than senilsty. The
mellowing effect. however. Is tie
same.
Notwithstanding her age and her
population o, morc than $4,000
Para Is stlll beleagucrrd by the
jungle. She Is ai once In and %
the Jungle while she mus nght
ccaseicssly % prevent recap,ure OF
her streets. even her houses II Is
TO the forest that her noulndustrsaI.
nonagrlculiural people owe their ex.
iSgcnce.
Wild rubber FOR a time made
Para's name q household word In
the Industrial world. Rubber has
since fallen upon lean days. but the
people have merely turned 20 other
gifts % the forest. though less efec-
,ively. Warehouses that once recked
% crudely smoked latex now are
heavy with the sickly sweet. copra-
Ike oior o. Brazil nuts. or are
piled high with conIcal bales of
piasSlba.
Clean City; Poor Water supply.
The city Ia clean. neatly ordered.
and upto-daie. despite an economic
depression that has endured FOR
more than - years. since 1910.
when the rubber boom burst ike an
over dlsiended toy balloon. There
are tramways. motor cars. tele-
phones. m0tion-picture theaters. and
parks that are a delight TO the soul
Yet there must needs be a ny in
the ointment. The water supply
stili Irlbbles inadequately from
three old tanks set together on an
iron tower halfway up from the
docks Only he who. soaped from
head 10 heel. has had the bath
shower suddenly slcken and die can
justly appreciate the joyful spurt
from n faucet with IS pounds pres
sure behind iti
Here the traveller takes a twin
screw triple-decker. blunt.nosed and
square of stern. perfectly designed
In the Netherlands for the comfort
of the Amazon tourist. A crowd
packs Der decks n blast from the
whistle starts an epidemic OF back.
pattlng. some tears. and a general
rush FOR the Eangplank; and when
the confusion subsidies there are left
mere handful Of passengers. Here.
as at home. the bon voyage is a fet-
ish. though with more reason In
region where all travel Is by wa
ter and cities are days Instead OF
hours apart-where the Journey
from Para 10 Manaos. for example.
requires more time than the passage
% the North Atlantic.
Cool Cabins on the Steamer
Wherever privacy Is not essential.
solid wood Is replaced by wire
screen In the construction OF the
cabins 10 permit n maximum OF
ventilation while assuring protec-
ton against mosquitoes. Even dur
ing the day. therefore. the state
rooms are comfortable unless struck
by the sun. However. most OF the ma.
tive passengers use them merely as
dressing rooms and spend much of
the day as well as the night In their
hammocks. which are sluug In a
place especially provided on the top
deck
This custom may account tn part
for the fact that a passenger in pa
5amas Is considered fully dressed.
Eut II he appears in shirt sleeves.
no matter how immaculate. he Is
thourhf ili-bred.