The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1901-04-19


IN q Big Forest.
The people of Venezuela this great
osit of asphalt is known as Largo
brea or the Lake OF Pitch, says the
.ago News. The aborigines used
omtnut for pitching the seams Of
canoes and variety of other pur-
:, hut it was comparatively un-
wr to the outside world until about
oors ago, and no attempt was ever
~ to develop its resources until
a "a wears ago, when the New York
permudez company purchased a
cession covering part of this val
10 deposit from Horatio R. Hamil-
an American citizen then residing
venezuela, and by marriage related
be late President Guzman Blanco.
~ vears of toll this American COM
succeeded in establishing small
at a place now called Guanoco,
no a little pile wharf was built,and
|eouently an Insignificant industrial
uav was constructed which con-
cd it with the pitch lake. The
bement of Guanoco, the headquar-
of the New York and Bermudez
nany is a little over 100 miles to
westward of Port of Spain, on the
nd of Trinidad. A narrow-gauge
load. with 22-pound rails, connects
settlement of Guanoco with the
alt lake, a scant six miles north.
railway, dignified by the name of
Guanoco & La Brea railway passes
ugh virgin forest which has
vn I'D on top Of an unfathomable
ass of swamp, and is constantly be-
reballasted to keep the rails in
above the mud. There are few
re huts at the lake, and the ordi-
plant for asphalt mining. The
stretches out for distance Of
t five miles, and, say, three miles
idth; but is divided by narrow
of dry land with a few stunted
on it. The asphalt from the won
ii lake is the finest and purest in
world. The refining of this class
phalt is simply heating it until the
is evaporated, for there is no
dirt or foreign matter in it. The
ly is practically inexhaustible,
should last until the end of the
b or the bottom drops out of it.
rtain seasons of the year this vast
Bit is covered with a tall grass
six or eight feet high, and when
kes fire, as it often does, owing
be Indians being careless with
campfires, the grass will burn for
at time, and when burned over
IS no mark save crusting the as
for perhaps an inch in thickness.
few white men have ever visited
wonderful lake. as it has always
the policy of the resident mana
keep his treasure-trove a sealed
1t is doubtful If one hundred
ners, outside of the employees of
pmpany and the poor Indians who
across the great deposit, have ever
|ot upon it. 1t is impossible to es-
e Its actual value as merchant
commodity, and to say at hazard
t Is worth hundreds of billions of
70 is not putting the figures too
1t is huge black sea of wealth,
Fhing out as far as the eye can
and dig and dig all the year
ID, the excavations fill up as rap
IS the workmen leave them. No
mt of reasonable work in taking
Bphalt can produce visible dimi-
OF the supply. 1t is a well of
that never overf1ows and is al
filled to the brim. Never, under
rolling sun of the dry season or
Peming torrents Of the rainy sea-
Its character or chemical prop
a changed or its commercial value
a. Its upcoming is wrapped in
ry, its birth time is unknown,
an any man in the present time
Vhat its future will be for the
mankind. Although located in
mp and only some four or five
loove sea level. it has proved to
Deen a very healthy locality.
is practically unknown among
|orkmen at these mines. In 12
only two graves are in the bury
|ound of the company. With the
ur doctors at headquarters the
llst" seldom exceeds 4 per cent,
! omprises for the most part mild
plttent fevers, easily cared for
liid cathartics and quinine. The
are gentle, kind hearted and
aiospltable, are quick to learn,
yfhy fond of mechanical work and
od' faithful workers. They are
ciined to be fractions or quarrel
anu with a kindly disposed su
enoent no trouble is ever ex-
ced In working them in large