The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-03-03
A WAR OF THEIR OWN.
California Capitalists to Send an srns,
TO Venezuela.

TO venezuela
New YoRx, Feb. 25.-The World this
morning says the clarion tones of the
trumpet of war are at this moment, if
report is to be believed, awakening re-
sponsiye echoes in the martial breasts of
at least 100 hitherto peaceful New York
ers, and Of 4, 800 other American citizens
scattered through various parts of the
United States, noticeRbly in the
South. II is FROM the window Of
an office on Broadway that the
bugle call to arms is being sounded and
Col. George w. Gibbons IS said 10 be at
the little end of the trumpet. He has
not, however, begun TO make the noise
which will be made when, at the con-
clusion of great commercial confer
enca which Is 10 be held in New York
within the next sixty days. II Is found las
1t no doubt VIII be- that the American
government refuses to take UP the war
trumpet and blow it on its own account.
1t means that American industries in
Venezuela must be protected from Brit
!sh interference whether President
Cleveland and his cabinet say so or not.
1t may not, perhaps, be generally
known that an American syndicate, rep
resenting at least $40, ,0o0.00 and head
ed by the weil-to-dO Californian banking
firm of Mackay, Flood 4 O 0'Brien, hav-
Ing had its eye for many years on the
trail running between the OriuOCo
River and the absurdly rich mineral
district Of Caratal, Venezuela, Just as
Jacob Sharp used to have his eye on
Broadway, attempted some time ago to
establish steamship line between New
York and the mouth Of the Orinoco
River, with a rail connection of 400
miles thence to Caratal.
The difficulty about the little railroad
and semi-monthly steamer scheme
arose, SAYS Col. Gibbons, through the
objections of the British government,
whose policy of aggrandizemeut is clear
~ and plainly labeled in Venezuelan af
fairs Associated with Messrs. MaCkay,
Flood and O'Brien III the above-men-
toned proposed enterprise were
such comfortably fixed landlords
as R. w. Taylor, of California;
George W. Roche, of Savannah, Ga.
3. A. Whitman, PeterC Doremus, Hen
ry Seifke and Peter Ashton, OF New
York; Charles L. Bull, of Charleston, :.
c., and several others. In connection
with the steamship and railroad these
gentlemen also organized land and
emigration company. All those inter-
ested in the scheme were Americans
the syndicate large concessions.
There are now 1900 Americans in the
mining district of Venezuela of
them from New York-who were sent
thither by this syndicate. They think
that the United States ought to protect
them and their interests and if it does
not they propose to fight. There Is
about SI0,000,000 of New York capital
invested in Venezuela and it is IN jeop-
ardy If England persists IN her scheme
OF territorial aggrandizement.
That Col. Gibbons is satisfied with the
va-like outlook is abundantly proved
by his own statements. eff it were
necessary" said he, Il would raise an
army Of 100000 Trishmen in this coun-
try to resist Great Britain. They are
ready at all times to strike blow at the
English government and are heartily in
sympathy with US IN this Venezuela
movement" He says that he has re-
cruited 5000 Americans Of undoubted
courage who viii proceed to Venezuela
under his leadership and take positions
as commissioners and non-commissioned
officers in the inevitable conflict with
Great Britain. And when they get there
they Will not, according to his state
ments, be IN a defenseless condition,
for within the past month, 50 600 stand
of improved firearms have been
purchased by the California syn
dicate and shipped to Venezuela
to be uaed in the war
The same syndicate, by the way, will
also guarantee, so the Colonel says, all
soldiers who go from this country $40 a
month during their term Of service. To
evade the neutrality laws, the army
lbig or small, as the case may be- will
be shipped South, labeled, every
mothers son Of them, as emigrants; but
their kits viii consist of Colt revoIvers
and other likewise peaceful agricultural
implements.
It must not by any means be supposed
that the Venezuelans are sitting idly by
waiting for Col. Gibbons and bis warlike
| companions To arrive. If this govern
| ment refuses to interfere, an army Of de-
/ termined Fenezuelans, $1,000 strong,
| which was organized and has been
| drilled for the past year under the lead
ership Of Gen. Millen, an old soldier OF
/ fortune and former New York Journal
! ist, and Gen. Gordon, South Carolini-
| an, late Of the Confederate army, will be
/ put IN the field TO resist Great Britain /.
/ tanoTlIataf anaroap bv1apt