Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-10

curves and grades you could look back at
the rear side of the mountain range. Then
suddenly the train glided past some kind
of factory, with few stray goats grazing
on the sunburned grass about the walls.
Then a row of dirty huts with tiled roofs
went by; then series of sidings, where a
few empty cars stood in the sunlight; then
the train stopped.
This is Caracas" said a gentleman sit
ting nearby.
on first entering the town the stranger
might wonder why Caracas had been built
where 1t stands, There is no particular
reason why 1t should not have been built
there; nor any apparent reasons why the
founders should have chosen that site.
Perhaps, as / heard 1t said, IL had been
placed underneath that star"
All roads in Caracas take their beginning
to the Plaza Bolivar. You inquire of the
hotel proprietor, which is the way to the
capitol.
GO to the Plaza Bolivar" he says,
"cross over and then turn to your left"
You ask the shopkeeper how to find the
Pantheon.
at the end OF this street you will come
to the Plaza Bolivar" answers the shop
keeper Then turn to your right walk
past the streets and you are arrived
Thus it is with all given directions in
Caracas, No matter where you are, no
matter where you wish to co. 1t is judged
| always to be the wisest plan to walk first
to the Plaza Bolivar and then make d fresh
start from there.
This plaza, an open park in the very
center OF the city, where there are trees
and richly colored grass, affords a strong
contrast to the narrow, unclean streets. the
blank doorways, the white and barren walls
| the fierce sunlight and the heated smells,
! and In the plaza stands a statue OF the
| patriot Bolivar himself seated on rear
! ing stallion, his barred head turned one side
| toward an imaginary multitude, and with
just such an expression on his face as who
should say, "Wel, what Of it?"
City Needs n New Coat of Paint.
| When viewed from one of the surround
| ing hills the town appears fiat and close
| to the ground-just a level stretch OF
| brown tinted roofs, broken only here and
there by the domes on the opera house and
the capitol, and the spires of the several
churches, but toward where the mountains
begin to rise again are situated the summer
dwellings of some OF the more influential
Venezuelans. Mr.. LOOMS, the United
States minister, resides in one of these
| an old Spanish villa formerly owned by the
| Count de Toro-wherc there are lawns and
| tropical gardens and an avenue of royal
| palms. The city needs a new coat OF paint.
| Even the walls OF the capitol are badly
blistered. Those houses where attempts
have been made to relieve the glaring
whiteness OF the predominant stucco walls
have been painted in light colors, which
have faded-faded brown, faded green and
faded pink. 1t is a pale city which lies
half asleep in the strong sunlight,
A certain period is remembered here dur
! ing which the streets were well paved. II
when out driving at home you come TO a
place where the road Is being repaired, you
know how the carriage bumps and swings,
That is a slight exaggeration of the general
| condition of these streets at present The
| open market which is held every morning,
Is ch ely composed of people. vegetables and
| flies The vendors arrange their vegetables
in little piles in the street the flies ar
| range themselves on the vegetables. II a
vender sells some onions he picks them
| from his stock on the ground, thereby dis
| turb,ng that particular mass Of flies, which
rise up with quick swish and buzzing
| There are flies around the basket OF hard
boile1 eggs when are eaten on the spot
a fringe OF flies about the puddle OF milk
that has been spilled on the sidewalk; fies
crawling over the body Of the cur terrier
asleep in the shade OF an old box. The
| earthquake shock OF last October may ac
count in part for the woru-out appearance