THE MADEIRA-MAMORI RAILWAY 
has so far been conveyed to Manaos by a great detour, 
involving much expense and time. In the future, I think, 
when Itaquatiara has developed into a big city, and proper 
arrangements are made for landing and storing cargoes, 
it is certain to become a most important centre of com¬ 
merce. Land is already going up in value tremendously, 
although Manaos has waged war against the growth of a 
town at that spot, which will be inimical to her own 
interests. 
As is well known, the Madeira-Mamori Railway was 
built from Porto Velho, on the Madeira River, around 
and along a series of rapids and waterfalls which rendered 
navigation most difficult, as far as Guajara Merim, on 
the river Mamori, a mere continuation of the Madeira 
River. The construction of the railway had long been 
contemplated by the Brazilian and Bolivian governments, 
but it was a difficult matter, owing to the dense forest 
and the unhealthy climate, which equals, if it does not 
even surpass, the deadliness of Panama in the time of the 
French. The works of the railway were begun as long 
ago as 1878 by Codings Brothers, who were then con¬ 
tractors, but nothing effective was done until the Bra¬ 
zilian Government, fully realizing the necessity of opening 
up that rich country, especially after the purchase from 
Bolivia of the Acre Territory, perhaps one of the richest 
regions on earth as far as rubber is concerned, entered 
into a contract with a Brazilian engineer named Cat ambry, 
to build a railway. The Brazilian engineer transferred 
the contract to Mr. Percival Farquahar, who, in his turn, 
organized the Madeira-Mamori Company, entrusting the 
actual construction of the railway to Messrs. May, Jeckill 
& Randolph. 
They started work in July, 1907, with preliminary 
engineering, the actual construction not beginning until 
January, 1908. Work began with one engine, a Baldwin 
locomotive rebuilt, which had been there since 1878. 
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