Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-11-12

undertook and accomplished the lib
Grafton Of the people. In July, 1911, the
declaration Of independence was signed
in Caracas, the capital, distant some ten
miles from La Guayra, the port of en-
try, but the maintenance of the indie
pendence SO declared involved con-
tinuous war for ten years. Finally, at
the battle of Carabobo, the Bolivar
forces completely routed the royalist
army, and the freedom of the republic
of Venezuela, bought With the blood of
patriots, was assured. 1t was not until
the year 1915, however, that the Span
ish government acknowledged Venezu-
elias independence. a treaty of peace
being that year signed at Madrid.
The city Of Caracas has been twice
entirely destroyed by earthquakes. On
the Goth of March, 1872, two successive
upheavals occurred, each of ten Sec
onds' duration. The city was totally de-
molished, and more than 10000 people
We're buried In the ruins. The greater
number of those who survived perlshed
from hunger or from the pestllence
which followed.
1t SCENE wonderful that a people
would have the courage to rebuild on
such spot, but the population today
exceeds 10000. In many respects 1t Is
Il beautiful place. The streets are wide
and many buildings artistic In architec,
ture, not few being of imposing size.
Numerous squares are planted with
rare southern flowers, whose perfume
and beauty add n decided charm to the
city as place of residence.
The chief product of Venezuela Is
coffee. Its cultivation is limited to the
mountainous district, 1t being impossi
bic to grow 1t profitably below an alti,
tude Of 1000 feet. The llanos, or plains
below are devoted to the cattle indus
try. The richness Of these lands rem
ders them exceedingly profitable and
vast herds roam over them at will.
The southern portion of Venezuela Is
drained by the Orinoco River, the moutl
of which is nine miles wide. The coas
is a level stretch of land covered will
| forests of mangroves. These trees arc
peculiar In having the greater portion
of their roots above earth; the rain.
wash down the river millions of tons Of
loose earth and leave the mangrove tire,
standing with precarious hold on til,
burning sand. The shores of the rive
are ut all times covered with grea
flocks of flamingoes. Here, also, is til,
/ Of tho al tnr nd MT times
shores are black with the repulsiv,
saurians.
Only few savages live In this part O
| Venezuela--tlle Caribs of the Orinoc,
delta-creatures not a great deal abov,
the alligator in intelligence and indus
try. They lead a careless, easy life, and
when not sleeping, spend their time II
| fishing from crude canoes, or trappin,
| wild birds. Their roof Is the sky, AM
| their bed is in the tree branches. Lik
savage people everywhere, they ar
| superstitious; their rites and forms ar
fantastic and morbid. When one o
the tribe dies they place his bod.
in canoe suspended upon high pole
| or swung from the tops of trees, talk
| their departure, and ever afterwart
avoid the place as though it held SOM
| evil influence powerful enough to worl
their destruction.
The Orinoco is navigable by oceal
steamships for 16O miles, and at tn
| point where the stream begins to mar
row stands the city Of Ciudad Bolivar
named in honor of the liberator. TIL
| frequent and sudden rises of the Grin
oco convert the lower streets of the cit.
I into waterways where small boats ma.
be navigated. During one great flood Il
recent years the river rose ninety feet
coming up so rapidly and unexpected.
that 1900 lives were lost.
Venezuela takes It's name from tn
discovery by the early voyagers Of al
Indian people who lived In huts con
structed on piles driven into the shall
!. low water along the shore of the grea
Lake Maracaybo. To this aboriginal vii
lage they gave the name of Little Ven
| ice, or Venezuela, as 1t Is rendered IL
| Spanish. In time the name spread to TIL,
whole of the upper coast. 1t is interest
/ ing, as a measure of conditions sine,
] then, to note that cave dwellers still liv,
along the shore of Lake Maracaybo
much the same as in the days of Colum
bus.
We are not very particular. but wei
hate to live with a hero. Ordinary plu: