The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-27

more complicated; but in the dry season
il looks for all the world like vast
baseball diamond covered with an ele-
plant hide This seems the one and only
smile which covers the case In some
places the asphalt is firm and hard, in
Others the foot sinks to the instep, ana in
the center of the lake the pitch bubbles
sulphurous fumes arise, and threatening
Sizing hiss botOkens the existence of sub
terranean fires Many of the natives be-
lieve that here is the capital of his satanic
majesty's dominions, q superstition which
makes them, perhaps the most ar
dent and devoted Bible-reading and
hymn-singing community of its size in
the world Give the average negro at
lie Brea a bottle of rum or a pair of old
trousers and he will thank you; give him
Bible and he will raise up and call you
blessed. 1t is a fact that many skip
pers in the asphalt trade take out a large
stock of cheap Bibles with which to bride
the ltghtermen and stevedores of lie Brea
to serve their vessels with ardor and dis
patch. If the pitch did not bubble and
smell of birthstone it is just possible that
the blood and thunder dime novels would
find ready sale in Trinidad but that is
merely an ungenerous hypothesis.
The lessees of the lake take advantage
of dull periods to cart pitch from the lake
and deposit it close to the wharf where
lighters are loaded. Thus a vessel re-
ceives ashphalt which to the casual OBJ
server does not come direct from the
lake, as most contracts between the
Trinidad Company and city governments
stipulate it shall; but the company insists
that the casual observer must be troubled
with defective eyesight. 1t is none the
less fact, however, that much of the
asphalt brought to the United States
from Trinidad never saw the lake 1t
certainly seems reasonable that If the
company can dig the same quality of
pitch within fifty yards of the loading
wharf, it would be extremely blind to its
own interests if it went mile after it to
the lake. However, this is point that
has set several of the rival companies a
fighting, and that seems the only bearing
it can have uron the interests of any one
As long as the cities are furnished with
good streets it is a small matter whether
lake or shore supplies the wherewithal.
As has been said, when the pitch Is
brought alongside the receiving vessel it
forms compact, spongy mass that resists
everything but pick. Baskets holding a
quarter Of a ton are passed up and down
over the vessels side, filled by the light
ermen and emptied into the hold, the
asphalt then appearing in irregular blocks
about the size of an adult watermelon
1t presents assures and holes like those in
a sponge. Once in the vessel the asphalt
again forms a compact mass and becomes
a by no means popular cargo with the av-
erage skipper. A vessel loaded deep with
asphalt may hold the fine trade wind for
four or five days during which time she
Of course lists to leeward. Then it is
that asphalt ''li5ts,' too, and when the
trade wind is gone 50 also is the vessels
perfect balance. Such a cargo is great
strain upon the timbers, and knowing
mariners would think twice before they
would willingly breast cape Hatteras
gale in an any way old vessel carrying
''pitchn