Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1901-03-14
AN ASPHALT LAKE.
HUGE DEPOSIT OF PITCH IN
VENEZUELA.
foreigners Not Welcome-DevelOped by
Americana, but Natives Are Jealous of
the Black Sea Of Inexhaustiblo Wealth
In y BIG Forest. .

To the people of Venezuela this great
deposit of asphalt is known as Largo
la Brea, or the Lake of Pitch, says the
Chicago News. The aborigines used
its output Tor pitching the seams Of
their canoes and variety of other pur-
poses, but it was comparatively un-
known to the outside world until about
20 years ago. and no attempt was ever
made to develop its resources until
some IL years ago. when the New York
and Bermudez company purchased a
concession covering part OF this val
liable deposit from Horatio r. Hamil-
ton an American citizen then residing
in Venezuela, and by marriage related
After years of toll this American COM
pany succeeded in establishing small
plant at place now called GuanOco,
where little pile wharf was built and
subsequently, an insignificant industrial
railway was constructed which con-
nected it with the pitch lake. The
settlement of Guanoco, the headquar-
ters of the New York and Bermudez
company, is a little over 100 miles to
the westward of Port Of Spain, on the
Island of Trinidad. A narrow-gauge
railroad, with 22-pound rails, connects
the settlement of Guanoco with the
asphalt lake. a scant six miles north.
This railway, dignified by the name of
the GuanOco & La Brea railway passes
through a virgin forest which has
grown up on top of an unfathOmable
morass of swamp, and is constantly be-
ing reballasted to keep the rails in
sight above the mud. There are few
native huts at the lake. and the ordi-
nary plant for asphalt mining. The
lake stretches out for a distance Of
about five miles, and, say, three miles
in width; but is divided by a narrow
ridge of dry land with a few stunted
trees on it. The asphalt from the won
derful lake is the finest and purest in
the world. The refining of this class
of asphalt is simply heating it until the
water is eyapOrated, for there is no
scum, dirt or foreign matter in it. The
supply is practically inexhaustible,
and should last until the end of the
world or the bottom drops out of it.
At certain seasons of the year this vast
deposit is covered with a tall grass
often six or eight feet high, and when
it takes fire, as it often does, owing
to the Indians being careless with
their campfires, the grass will burn for
II OF fvoNn
leaves no mark save crusting the as
phalt for perhaps an inch in thickness,
Very few white men have ever visited
this wonderful lake. as it has always
been the policy of the resident mana
ger to keep his treasure-trove sealed
book. 1t is doubtful if one hundred
foreigners, outside Of the employees of
the company and the poor Indians who
trail across the great deposit, have ever
set loot upon it, 1t is impossible to es-
innate its actual value as merchant
able commodity. and to say at hazard
that it is worth hundreds of billions of
dollars is not putting the figures too
high. 1t is huge black sea of wealth
stretching out as far as the eye can
reach, and dig and dig all the year
around, the excavations fill up as rap
idly as the WOrkmen leave them. No
amount of reasonable work in taking
out asphalt can produce visible dimi-
mutton of the supply. 1t is well of
wealth that never Overfiows and is al
ways filled to the brim. Never, under
the broiling sun of the dry season or
the teeming torrents OF the rainy sea-
son, is its character or chemical prop
critics changed or its commercial value
altered. Its upcoming is wrapped in
mystery, it's birth time is unknown.
nor can any man in the present time
tell what it's future will be for the
use of mankind. Although located in
a swamp and only some four or five
feet above sea level. it has proved to
nave been very healthy locality.
Death is practically unknown among
the Workmen at these mines. In II
years only two graves are in the bury
ing ground of the company. With the
amateur doctors at headquarters the
sick list" seldom exceeds 4 per cent
and comprises for the most part mild
intermittent fevers, easily cared for
with mild cathartics and quinine. The
natives are gentle. kind hearted and
most hospitable, are quick to learn
especially fond of mechanical work and
are good, faithful workers. They are
not inclined to be fractions or quarrel
some, and with a kindly disposed SUI
perintendent no trouble is ever ex-
perienced in working them in large
gangs