New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-12
LIFE IN CARACAS.
HOW THE VENEZUELAN CAPITAL GAINED
ITS TITLE OF LITTLE PARIS"

coMP1IsHED BEFORE HIS BANIsHMENr-
THE VENEZUELAN HOUSEHOLD. EsPE-
cIAILY ITS YOUNG LADY. AND
HOW SHE Is coURrED.
Caracas. Nov. 7.-Richard Harding Davis has
called Caracas the Little Paris" OF South
America. and one comes to the gay little city
prepared to see It from his point OF view
Frenchmen shrug their shoulders and make
wry face when their attention is called 10 the
fact that this is lie petit Paris. but then French-
men generally are disagreeabe. Now MT briggs'
who ia a young North American. an optimist.
and a newspaper correspondent thinks that
Caracas Is the living image OF Paris. IL IS true
that Mr.. ar;ggs has never seen Paris, but Rich
ord Harding Davis has, and who wouldn't back
tho on,r,ous of two North Americans against
those Of any number of Frenchmen?
Mr. Briggs says from his youth up the fact
.a. Nan IMPRESSED upon him that Paris was a
c,tv Of bridges Now Caracas teens with
bridges This Is the main point Of resemblance.
In 1912 the city. or, at any rate the greater
mart Of Il was destroyed by an earthquake
This ia now an almost entirely forgotten dis
aster But It left It's ineradicable mark. A huge
crevice some fifty feet IT. depth, cuts across the
valley. and over this inpumerable bridges nave
been built There is no barren. cracked appear
ance to the landscape. and II is not at all the
narrow little hole Of the geography pictures. but
Wide and deep. like the bed Of river. On each
side are wine gardens. where the tables are set
out under palm trees. and the earthquake hoie
itself is all overgrown with trailing vines ana
bamboo
The iron bridge puente de hero. is the most
imposing Of all the Caracas bridges. II was
erected by that "illustrious American" Guzman
B,anco. and spans the earthquake chasm at the
point which has become. In way. the pleasure
grounds Of the people. Here everybody comes OF
an afternoon to drive or promenade TO nirt or
ar,nk wine find amusement or otherwise. Here
are the wine gardens. innumerabe palm trees
and gas lights. and here on a moonlight night
the tinkIe of the guitar mingles with the wall OF
the donkey in a neighboring field
TRACES OF GUzMAN BLANco.
In Caracas one runs up against traces OF Guz-
man Blanco at every turn. 1t Is true that ne
Is an exile now, and In disgrace. but there is no
doubt that lie was an important parsonage in his
time and did more for the appearance OF his
native town than any other Industrious Amer
lean" who came after him.
Ten years ago Guzman Blanco was BORT
Of combination Of President, Dictator ana Irano
Mogul. He appointed Senators and Congress
men, and, If they 80 much as breathed IN opPo
sition to any Of his little plans. he sent thelr
bag and baggage. out Of the country. ne Duil'
ornate bridges and laid out public squares with
flowers and fountains. and erected magnihceh'
public buildings; and wherever ne ala any Oh
these things Of which he was very PROUD ne hao
a statue of himself made and set UP IN COM
memoranon. He was handsome mah['ho
handsomest in all venezuela-and was tono o.
.ee,ne bronze and marble images Of himself
standing around. He lived In nnagnihcence' had
,own.houses and villas and coffee plantations
and his wife. who was as beautiful as he was
handsome. had her own especial church ana
rr,e.t. ana no ordinary mortal was allowed 10
an,.r. there But even with all this power ana
,orv cu,man suffered from ennui; Caracas In
hi. on,nion. was slow. and. looking around 10
And a remedy for this state OF afairs' MS eye
fell upon the Roman Church. The country ne
said was priest ridden. the women were HI 'oo
re,ieious TO be interesting, and the eternai Jahs
ling Of church bells annoyed him. ano ne pfo-
ceeded TO arrange matters to suit himseH.
He nut a stop to all parading OF Cnurch
images through the streets. TO women was iof
hidden the privilege Of wearing mantiiias' anu
they were forced to wear bonnets anu mas
The cathedral bells were removed anu III '".''
n,oca chime. imported from England. were SUD-
.,,trte6 These chimes were most comforting
% home,ick foreigners. They played Lily
Dale" There Is a Happy Land ana HOMO
Sweet Home in the most cheer1ui Hihh"e'
imaginable.
Then Guzman decided that he did not IKE inc
pctures OF st. Paul in the churches. d. lau' ~
seems. was his patron saint, ana 'hs P''.'
~. MT sutacient,y good looking. so he had his
xhA Ga nj
even then he was not satisfied. He craved
arsnt and excitement. He built huge
vr.noh theatre which he called "Teatro Guz-
p,anco" and imported italian OPERA
which the Government supported In magnincen'
s,vIs s,x months IN the year. He had puii-nsh'-
,no entertainments and sent all the way 10
M.dr,d for his toreadors. He had music ia 'he
nuh,ic squares In the city. and forced the peop'e
% habits of gayety which they have never Ieih-
outshed After all, he found the little farlS Oh
~, crea,,on too small and dull, 30 he substituted
:. p-o.,aent 10 act for him in his absence. ana
.ert himself az Minister to France
THE WORM TURNe.
u,., n. was we'll out Of sight the worm
4. wa,srreIa began 10 turn The women went
h.ot 10 their early mass and beloved mantiiias'
tn, Co.hsdraI bells tinkled out toyously one
ere aav the University students went forth IN
a body. pulled down all the statues OF the IL
ustrious American" and dragged them igno-
mintousiy through the streets, shouting "Loer-
tad! The priests mounted stepiadoefs sno
painted out the face OF st. Paui In al 'n'
churches The chimes were packed UP ano sen.
back to their native soil, and Guzman received
a letter from the "Gobierno Municipal advising
him to stay away from Venezuela
And now he is a man we'll advanced In years.
He still lives In gay Paris. He 10 very rich.
enormously. even suspiciously rich-and there
are some prophetic old women here In Caracas
who say that some day he VIII return. and Lit
tie Paris will become denoralzed second
time.
There Is a gayety about the appearance OF