The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-23
FIGHTING FOR ASPHALT
IN VEEEZUEEA
- 90 JournaI0

concession covers about 1000 acres, on
Bermudez lake
The Asphalt trust has put in charge
OF the claim, which it refuses to sur
render Captain Malcolm Rafferty,, for
merry of the Seventy-frst regiment
who did brave service at San Juan
He IS arming andsdTilling the en-
pioyees OF the trust and preparing to
MAKE desperate resistance to the
troops of the republic.
The Asphalt trust is also trying To
procure mosquito navy TO help il
maintain possession of the claim
winch the government. by decree of
PRESIDENT Castro, declared was not in
the territory controlled by the trust.
The trust has made an offer to Can
tam NJ. p. BrOWard of Jacksonville,
Fla, TO charter the famous filibuster-
ing steamer Three Friends. which he
owns, and two other tugs suitable for
filibustering purposes.
captain BrOWdrd who was in con-
slant trouble with this government and
spain while the Three Friends was
landing arms for the Cubans. refuses to
lease the boats without proper security
for indemnity in case they are de-
stroyed or captured by the Venezue-
lanS, whose navy consists chiefly of
the yacht Atlanta, owned BY the late
Jay Gould, which has been fitted out
as warship.
The corporate name of the Asphalt
trust subsidiary company, which is
having trouble with Venezuela, is the
New York & Bermudez company.
The Venezuelan government has
granted the concession for the Felici-
dad claim to r. NJ. Warner and c. p.
Quinlan of this state. Mr.. Quinlan
sailed for the scene Of the dispute last
week and was due there yesterday He
went to take possession Of the asphalt
mines.
He talked r,,r,J,., +;-,l1,- ~ - -
plans, and his friends declare that if
the Asphalt trust makes any resistance
to the Venezuelan troops, if they move
upon the claim TO Gust them, they Will
be wiped out
Captain Rafferty,. il is said. has only
geo men at his command. He is a
brave and brainy man. and he has
drilled them and is prepared to resist
Mr.. Quinlan, through his counsel
former Senator HiscOck. has notified
the Asphalt trust that MS men will
shortly begin operations Upon the dis
puted claim. If they are fired upon by
the men Of the Asphalt trust, the
Warner-Quinlan syndicate will appeal
to the Venezuelan government for pro-
lection.
While the dispute was in progress
matters were complicated by the
breaking out of one OF the constant
venezuelan revolutions. Minister Loom
is asked the government for three
warships to protect American interests,
and the Lancaster and the Scorpion
were ordered to the scene of the trou-
bic to reinforce the Hartford, already
there.
The Scorpion was ordered to Guam
oco, seventy-two miles up the San Juan
river and fifteen miles from the Felici-
dad claim. She threatened to land ma
rines and blue Jackets to protect the
property Of the Asphalt trust. TIE
NenezUelans. who are a hot tempered
people, declared that if any were land
ed, even for police duty. battle would
in all probability occur. None were
landed, the order 20 the Scorpion to
proceed to GuanOcO being counter
mapded.
Ministe. LOOMS, it is understood,
notified President Castro that the forci-
bic seizure of the land claimed by the
Asphalt trust viii not be favOrably
looked upon, perhaps not tolerated by
the United States government.
This brought on q deadlock, the Ven
ezuelan government hesitating to do
anything. 1t is thought, however, that
Mr. Quinlan viii spur up President
Castro to definite action, and that a
crisis viii be reached in a few days.
General Francis V Greene is the
president Of the New York & Berntu-
dez company. He was once colonel OF
the Seventy f1rst, and later chairman
Of the Republican county committee
until after the election, and. of course
had great influence with the admins
tration. It is said that he expected to
be able to use the United States army
navy and diplomatic service in the in
terest of The asDhalt trust. and that
when he found certain obstacles in the
way OF such an employment of them
he resigned from the county committee
III disgust
Former Senator Hiscock says that the
present apparently strained relations
between this country and Venezuela
were cooked up by the asphalt trust,
which desired to embroil the two ma
tons. He thinks that the trust work
ed upon the nerves of our minister, Mr..
LOOMS, until he telegraphed excited
reports to the government that an at
tack was to be made on the trusts en-
trenchments at the disputed claim, and
demanding waTships
Mr.. HiscOck declared that the Quin-
Ian syndicate VIII set to work upon its
mines, and that if there is interference
by the trust, the courts will be ap-
peaIed to.
he does not anticipate anything like
a battle, but in the face of his prophe-
cies comes the information that the
trust is drilling its men under Captain
Rafferty,, who is spoken of as a fire
eater and is attempting to gather to-
gether navy of filibusteTing steam
ers.
The Venezuelans feel the need of a
navy at this time. At the outbreak of
the trouble they seized two steamers
belonging to the OrinOcO company to
use as warshiDs. They sailed under
the Venezuelan flag although owned
largely by Englishmen and Americans
The asphalt trust, which is a SIS. 900,
600 concern, calls itself the National
Asphalt company. It's owners, besides
General T. Y. Greene, include John NJ
Mack, George D. Widener. George w
Elkins, Avery d. Andrews, John D
Crimmins and General Howard Car
roll
It would have a monop6ly ef the
asphalt mines were it not for ti:e sLa
Felicidad' claim of the Quinlan synGi-
cate This deposit cost the syndicate
only $4,000 It is probable that it is
worth several millions.
The QUinlan syndicate. ii Es&under-
stood, was squeezed" not long ago BY
the asphalt trust in a large deal. and
in their present course they are actuat-
ed not only by financial considerations
but by the desire to get even
The 'Felicidad' claim was originally
conceded to the asphalt trust by the
Venezuelan government but it revert
ed to the state because of the failure
of the company TO perform the require
ments under which the land was given.
The trust bound itself to carry cut pub
lie Improvements, such as building rail
roads and digging canals in the state
of Bermudez. A clause in the contract
provided that the concessions should
revert to the. government in case of the
nOn-fulfillment Of the conditions i'm
posed. The conditions were not full