The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-22

iiy which the United States. because n,
~ size, would not dare do. bue he is no,
airalu OF the consequences and is ready ~
face them. 10 'e""s ~
40 wonder the Venczuelans love thci,
v,upuutry' that fair land with climate
s ehc 'nat OF Southern France. so far
i i US, more foreign than India OF
GIbp ica,, set qs near to New York and
Nnicaso as Liverpool by steamer Onl,
T. ,nlru OF 1t under cultivation. yet Their,
no want. Prosperity smiles on them
IVY pay only per cent in the market,
81 lhe world and they import the mann
lactnres OF Europe and the United States
80 rich ana varied are their products thai
England could blockade their coasts fol
'eurs ana not starve them out while thc
eupltal and government We're afcly in.
tIcnchrd behind the mountains that climb
IRON the seaport town Of La Guayru.
four thousand feet above sea ioveI
ana only nine miles from the coast. earn
Gus nestles among the ranges ON a platenu.
Almost below II spreads the sen in onr
Nhorokeh expanse clear TO Florida and
MeW olieans. Inc great plain is GOV.
ered WIN teathery palms, and far of,
san Sebastian lifts his head clear of
clouds. A perpetual haze lies on the
valley, nut n mist on the mountain mr..
tehds an earthquake. 1t is n benutifnl
city OF Spanish-Amercan character. hnt
with broad boulevards and spacious.
n,a2zas' where. there is always "A statue OF
Bolivar or Washington.
The houses are of one story and buil,
of wood. with Hat roofs and low chin.
h'ys. on account of earthquakes. The
cathedral of stone has huttressed bose.
inent for safety, which gives it "A pyrn.
inidnl appearance. The corner stones.
roots and beams are mortised. .he houses
are built in solid blocks and often girdrd
across the street. If an architect were
To put up II tall chimney. n kcvstonp
arch. or dig "A vault under a house he
would probably he mobhed. A simple
wooden Intel to doors is all that is Der.
mitted
In the houses bed is always put in
the middle of the floor. never near wall.
door or window. and when slight trem-
hung is felt the whole population throngs
the spacious plazns. Every house has an
carlhqnake bell hung from a 7 frame in
the ceiling. The lightly hung bell re-
spends to the most delicate vibration. the
lateral push, like a tidal wave. When
the bells ring violently the inhabitants
rush To the streets. fall on their knees and
cry: "Dios, ten picdad.' and God is gen
orally mcrciful, for there are scarcely as
many deaths caused by falling walls in
Il year MS there are by the trolley and
surface roads in Chicago.
Yet there is scarcely house IN Car
acas that has not been rebuilt at least
II haIf-doZen times. and the city is grad
ualy moving eastward toward the june
ton of the Cutucho river with the La
Guayra. where it is comparatively safe.
Even rs il tx. some streets are immune.
the San Martin district particularly SO
Occasionally II house stands for genera
ton, while those around it topplc and are
rebuilt and have blood on the hearth
stones.
Under these circumstances the real
estate business is n lively one, aud certain
favored spots bring fabulous prices and
rents. There are on the average sixty
ctr NIB lngs" in year, and six structi -
shocks in century. Three tines in 300
years has the city been destroyed, and
n" repairs are estimated at a cost Of
$3uOUu0 annually.
Yet the people 20 ON IN an easy. pros
porous way. They have the opera. rail
roads. electric ears and lights, wine and
cards and old Spanish feudS that survive
dcSpotsm. They swear by Bolivar; they
put him on their notes and stamps. thoir
cents. and they call it a boivarc. They
have twenty statues of him in the city;
they paint medallion portraits of him on
their pink and hlue mud yellow houses
fronting the plazas. lie is "A legend. an
allcgory, and some Of the stories of him
are mixed up with those OF Washington,
whom they almost defy. 1t is to be
doubted if any city in the United States
honors the father of our country as does
Caracas. His name rccurs in statue, tab
let. painting, street, plaza, park.
Meantime the citizens watch the seismic
signs: Low water not preceded by a
drouth-the devil drinks, they say pic
turcsquely "a mist in the afternoon. IL
haze on the wooded heights of San So.
hasiian, unusual waves on the ocean
when thcre is little wind, and low water
in the Cura spring They listen for the
little bell watch the British ships in
the harhor aud say they could do without
English calico better than England could
do without coffee and sugar and copper
and gold And they watch Crcsno. won
derinc what he will do next. ready with
their pistols and knives to march TO the
front with him, 30OO00 strong whore
they are well aware no had rather he
than iu the yellow House"
To one who has been there il looks
not unlsely that the utinatum may
come from Venezuela. This would be u
good time while England is busy in the
Mediterranean and watching Russian en-
croachments in Asia.