The Coolidge examiner., 1935-06-07
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f'rrr--sf sr vaste=as u~~-ats.r saosetr
WasE.e .eEs.e. D C-WNr trfstrs
~ ANCu ufe Ia the w!ids o.
r Ecuador was ,the dream ol
L - an adventurous American
clalas. Together they have created
"a dell<hfful hon3e In the middle 81
an equatorial Jungle. The Had
en5a Rio Negre - located on ths
eastern slopes - the Andes. about
tuo degrees south ~ the cquginr
ai an altitude - some BOO feet
ou the north side ~ The Pas,sra
valley.
The site Itself is a tropical para
dise 4 truad. beautifully wood
ci valley ries 10 range after range
80 hills on each side of the falling
IHsfaEa 10 scyles % iRhlesands
The most delightful feature ~
this equatorial Eden IS the fact that
there are no mosquitoes. and oil
uaxiaus Insects seem 20 be reduced
20 minimum.
The nearest town. post Office.
aad general supply depot Is Ba-
ups. where whlte-wallesi. red-roofed
houses cling with a stolcal, and sew.
srnl times misplaced. trust 20 the
i,ase - the Black Giant. Tungurahua.
n beautifully shaped volcano.
Leaving the lava-swepi base 81
Tunsuahna AZ Banos and the semi.
ariiness of the Andcan cradle. one
n~nErr-sses down the valley 81 the
paefnza. pas; the Falls of AEoysn.
higher than Niagara. and ends one.
~eif getting gradually deeper and
drruer into the jungle fringe.
81 last. descending from r. Mira.
tar. where one sees 4 large sec.
Tim - the PastnEa river valley
s~rvad out. partly occupied By the
hacienda. one eucrgcs from the cor.
reansiy orchld-nncd trails into open
pasfures
Years before. an Ecuadorian bad
rar'ially cleared some % the land
md had built a four-roomed house
in what he proudly called the
American style" The heavy tile
r'af bad fallen IN: the rotten tim.
t-ers which supported Il. sasrlng
with fatigue. bad finally given up
the struggle. A bamboo shack At
sarhed 20 one end % the house was
alive with cockroaches. A feeble
attempt hy the former owner 20
match tho interstlces with mud plas-
fer merely served 20 make coxy
home FOR more of the Objectionable
Snsecfs.
During the FIRST few days os their
adventure. the new owners lived
as well as they could In this tumble
Gown structure. choosing the driest
corner - the four rooms FOR their
camp beds.
Keep In Touch by Radio.
Everything had 10 be done with
what resources were NJ hand. I'M
mediate purchases were impossible.
for there we're no convenient shops.
Consequently they learned 20 I'm
prnvlsc. even when II was n ques-
fion ~ creating snch things rs n
fnr-e. blower. an efficient water
hra'er and pressure tank. a wa
Ter wheel 20 run the dynamo 70
charge the radio battery. a power.
Transmission helt. dressing for the
welt. or kitchen dralnhoards out ~
fhe roofing zinc. The whole haci-
enda. with It's house and furnish
ings. may be put down as one
large improvisation.
Radio links the jungle clearing
with remote world During one
small political uprising IN Guaya.
enll thy heard the news broadcast
rom New York before the news
uaners IN the mountains bad pub
llShea II.
The natives regarded the set
With superstitlous awe: but were
more Impressed BY being able 70
hear programs from the mountain
cities ~ Riohamba and Quito than
thsv were hy European or North
American programs
Fortunately the special osIer fber
known as mimbre was found grow
sr- near the ranch. II was readily
aaspie-i 10 the making OF wicker
furniture. In an Incredibly short
time strongly built comfortable
chairs. = chalse Tongue. and a table
were fashioned By a native cabinet
maker.
Passing Indians brought sacks OF
kapok. which made soft cushions
for the chairs. mattresses for the
beds. and pack blankets for the
mules. The scarflike shawls.
woven by the Indian women OF the
mountain region are used as cush.
ION covers and curtains. These
Shawls. hand-woven OF white cot.
ton with a geonetric. design In In
di.o last indefinitely and can be
washed as often as necessary.
There Is no glass In the house