The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-23
TITS 10 SMALL COUNTRY
Ie1alaIak Bisgsr Than Both
$4,000 efmaiv-aad France.
HARBoR A MENACEToFLEETs
The Nation shook Spain Off Her BACK
Only to Fall Into Great Britain's
Clutches evUiutionary Outbreaks
Are Common Qccurrences-Educ a-
tiOnal system Is Il Model One.

ANY man who has had to knock around
TOT week or so Eetting into the port OF
~LaguayrA Knows that it is not much fun
making first acquaintance with Venezuela.
fIa2payra Is the seaport OF Caracas, the
capital OF Venezuela. 1t is not much of a
seaport and stili less or "a town. A famous
traveller once said of it that il the whole
coast Of South America had been explored
for the worst place in 200. 900 miles to
build city a worse site than the site OF
Laguayra could not possibly have been
found. The cftyfIoOks as II II were hang
ing like some great barnacie to the mount
sea.
'H "' DANGEROUS BARBoR.
The harbor,. while beautiful, is much
more unsafe ina storm than the open ocean.
Atthe first sight Of storm every vessel
in port ups anchor and clears out.
LII IL comes to fighting, Laguayra will
probably be the scene OF most OF the dis
turbance in Venezuela, asserts a writer
in the New York Press. 1t is hardly ex-
pected that there VIII be any grat en-
ever, be naval demonstrations there. The
town, like all other Venezuelan towns, has
one long, dusty street, and the houses
straggle along IL Tor two miles, as il time
Laguayra boasts or a twO-stOried custom
house and the Hotel Neptune. The hotel Is
turesque as dirt and disorder can make 1t,
and Is about as uncomfortable as IL is dirty.
II has many doors, all OF them disa gree
able, a nj on Its registry books are the n Ames
OF men from every country. The business
houses are two and three stories in height.
So are the residences OF the white people.
The negroes live in huts.
597 $50 SQUARE NILES.
Venezuela is not a small country. II en-
braces a territory of about 597 $3.50 square
miles. 1t is larger than France, Germany
and the Low Countries together or the
States OF Texas, Colorado, luaho and Cal
irornia. The total population of the coun
try according to tine census OF 1891 is g.
323,521-llttle more than the population of
New York city. They have about .O47 riv
s5s IN The So%nry The is
out Is fertile and offers advantages to the
einigrant.
the soil is divided into three sections.
which are called agricultural, grazing and
wooded lands. The first division comprises
the farms for coffee, cocoa and sugar cane.
The cultivation OF these lands does not ex-
for clearing and blowing 1880 square
miles, which would increase at least seventy
times the actual production. The grazing
section is covered with rich graminaceous
plants. The woods yield rubber. vanilla.
sarapia, copaiba, sarsaparilla, timber and
precious woods.
miles, is washed by the Caribbean Sea and
the Atlantic and has thirty-two harbors,
fifty bays and numerous inIets. The lakes
Of Maracaibo and Valencia have several in
terror ports, and near the Outfalls OF the
large rivers safe aDchorages are to be found.
The country is rich in mines. The more
valua BILE deposits are found in the Yuruari
region. There is located the Callao mine.
its gold output in the last ten years having
made It renowned. Gold is also found In the
mountainous region watered by the Yaracui
River and the cities of San Felipe and Mir
qua. X ich mines of gold are at Carupano,
and are orked with New York capital, and
have produced three ounces per ton. Silver
copper and lead mines are a lso found in the
same country.
Schools NUMEROUS.
The country is not much behind the United
States in the education of its people. The
public schools are divided into TWO classes,
popular instruction and scientific schools.
the first is Compulsory and gratituous. On
January 1, 1889, the schools were a, tended
by 1OO.026 children of both sexes. The Fed
cral popular schools numbered ], 41bin 1891.
The scientific schools comprise two univer-
sites, eight Federal colleges of the first
order, fourteen of the second, fourteen Ma
tional colleges for females. one normal school
for females. one seminary of fine arts, one
school for singing and elocution. one poly
tenic schools. twenty-six private colleges,
one naval school and one school OF teleg-
raphy.
IL was the first country discovered on the
South American continent by Christopher
Columbus. twas on August l, 4SS, when
he was on his third voyage. The Spaniards
had to fight the natives for forty years be-
fore they subjugated them. The captaincy-
general of Venezuela continued for 24O
country was governed by capiain-generals
appointed by the Spanish kings.
LONG TROUBLE WITH BRITAIN.
In 1906 Gen. Francisco Miranda, at the
head of patriotic group, landed in COro
and raised the flag of independence. After
several bloody encounters the independents
were vanGuished. On April19 1 $40, theCity
Of Caracas witnessed daring movement
for-mtional freedom. On July 8, 81, the
Act of Declaration of Independence was
signed in the same city, and by it the United
Provinces OF Venezuela erected themselvs
into an independent republic. During the
next ten years an inCeSsant war ragged. In
1921 the home armies conquered, and the
republic of the United States OF Venezuela
was established. BY the treaty OF peace
signed at Madrid in lS45, the government
of Spain formally acknowledged the indie
pendence of the republic.
1T is not out of place." wrote the
president of the republic in 1892, ito state
that for long time there has existed be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela a dis
pute about territorial limits. Venezuela
has not ceased to ask for the arbitration
of friendly powers to settle satisfactorily
for both nations this protracted contrO-
versy. Though no solution has SO far been
arrived at, 1t Is certainly to be hoped that
it will come with honor and Justice to both
parties, because their reciprocal rights re.
pos; on 9., hssSrcai facts which may be
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