Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-17
auzmAN BLANco.
The Venezuela Dictator's Experience With.
a Hustler From the North.

The Venezuela Dictator's Experiences With
Hustler From the North.
CHI ago Record.
A gentleman who went to Venezuela
some years ago to secure contract from
the government tells an interesting story
of his experiences with Guzman Blaneo,
who was then the autocrat of that coun-
try. For three or four months he was
kept dangling around the Casa Amarillo
(the yellow house,, in which the presi
dent resides, and finally told Guzman
that he wanted final answer. Guzman
turned to him with some Impotence and
said:
Come to my country house at Anti
mino at o'clock tomorrow morning and
we will close this matter up"
"I'll be on hand, your excellency," was
the reply.
The next morning he was called at 4,
galloped out to Antimino and was at the
dictators residence before the clock In
the parish church struck 6. To his sur
prise he found twenty or thirty people
waiting to be received, and some of them
men of Importance, while the president
sat upon the porch slipping his coffee and
reading the morning paper. 1t was con-
sidered dreadful breach of etiquette to
interrupt the great man when he was
reading and there was not person in
the entire company who dared do 1t.
They simply stood around or sat by
where he could see them and awaited
his summons. But the yankee marched
boldly up to the porch and said:
Good morning, general"
Guzman Blanco looked up in surprise
from his paper. but the yankee, knowing
his temperament and peculiarities, did
not wait for him to speak.
I'm my country, general" he said, at
is not the custom for people to get up so
early, but it is also point of honor to
meet an engagement promptly, and you
see am here on time
"Have you had coffee?" asked Guz-
man.
Eyes. sir; at the hotel few minutes
ago.
ut must have been miserable stuff.
You ought to taste mine. 1 use none
and always carry 1t with me, no matter
| to what part of the world I CO." and.
ringing the bell, he ordered cup of
coffee and roll for his caller.
But the latter did not propose to waste
| time and Immediately said:
You did me the honor to say yester-
day that you would close up that matter
| at our interview this morning and I
have come prepared to do So"
II wish my own people we're as prompt
as you Our great fault as a nation Is
procrastination. If we were as energetic
| as your countrymen Venezuela would be
| a richer and more productive nation"
and with that they went into business.
For an hour the details of the conces-
| sion were discussed, and, after being
| agreed upon, the president dictated TO his
| stenographer the terms of his contract.
Then. turning to his guest. he said:
my secretary will write this out and
I tomorrow we will sign it,"
II would prefer to have the document
| signed now" was the yankees reply.
"You have just said that the fault of
| your people as procrastination and I
propose that we avoid 1t this morning."
The secretary looked up in amazement.
| He had seen men sent to the calaboose
for less, and evidently expected that the
| dictator would call policeman to take
| the yankee In charge. Guzman was q
| little angry at first, but, seeing that his
| guest was not abashed, smiled, and said:
THAT is neat way of applying my
| philosophy to your own interest We
will wait until the document Is written
and sign 1t here
Handing a cigar to the yankee, he Tit
| one himself and sat down for a chat
| while the secretary was writing. In q
| moment or two the director general OF
| the police tapped at the door and said
that he wanted to see the president con-
| corning matter that required his in
| slant attention.
| You will have to wait till I am
| through with this yankee" was the die
| tator's reply. "He Is teaching me the
way they do business In the United
| States"