The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1903-08-22
IN CIUDAD BOLIVAR.
NOT AN IDEAL SPOT FOR TIC
NERVOUS INDIVIDUAL.
Inhabitants of Venezuelan Town clcv.
er at Loss for Excitement-Eve:y
House Easily Turned irto For:rcc-.

Ciudad Bolivar, the scene of the
Venezuelan revolutionists'' last stand
against >Castros army, is an exciting
place to live in,. even at the best Of
times.
1T is a semi-civilized spot on the
verge of the unknown Jungle" said a
New Yorker, who has been there. Il
was condemned for my sins, to spend
week there shortly before the town
fell into the hands of the revolution
lists last year.
81 noticed that if anybody went out
after dark he always stuck his revolv-
er in his belt, and was warned by
several friendly citizens not to stay
out late in the streets unless l wished
to be held up and perhaps murdered.
1T was a paradise for the adventur-
Gus. One day saw a rum-shop keeper
chase the local barber down the street
with loaded pistol in one hand and
a machete in tho other. l offered up
prayer for the tonsorial artist, be-
cause had no razor and he was the
only one. Luckily he escaped.
Inc LIOuU1S was dUOuI Oh oNOA uuS
account. The purveyor of liquid joy
was simply trying to collect his money
according to the approved local Gus
tom.
Another day an imprisoned revolu-
zionist escaped from the Quartet, or
barracks, and couple of soldiers ran
out to stop him with bullets. He got
one in the leg and pulled up bowling
The people thought the revolutionists
had come, so in a trice shops were
shut, doors bolted, and everybody dis
appeared off the streets like magic.
1.-THE doors and shutters of the mer-
chants stores are made Of sheet iron.
When they are closed the stores be-
come verttable fortresses.
Most of the private houses are sim
ilarly protected, and have little grilles
through which the inmates can spy
out to see whether visitors are ene-
mics or friends. Truly, a soothing
place for a nervous man to live in.
when the shots were fired at the
runaway l happened to be in the Brit
ish consulate, spinning yarns with the
Vice-Consul Immediately he heard the
shots he locked his safe, the clerk shut
and barred the steel doors, and then
I'VE ger ear reviewers and went eEts en
the balcony to see the fun. But it
was all over in a moment, and the
poor wounded wretch was dragged.
roughly along the street back to the
Quartet.
"Ciudad Bolivar is probably the hot
test place on earth. 1t is built on SOL
id black rock which retains the days.
heat far into the night, so there is
practically no respite New York's re
cent heat wave would have been wei
coined as a cool spell by the inhabl-
tants of the Orinoco hades.
All day long one is plagued by myr
lads of mosquitoes more aggressive.
even, than those which have made
New Jersey famous; and ct night lat
talions of frogs croak horribly and
murder sleep.
"The walls of the houses are badly
pitted with bullet marks-g1im relics
in ruins. Ciudad Bolivar has often
been battlefield before to-day.
"The streets are unpaved, and in
the center of each there is a green.
stagnant ditch. Where streets inter
sect, a plank is thrown across to
bridge these bitches.
There are no vehicles, and indeed
very little civilization of any kind. Tae
place is always swarming with nickel
plated generals and bandit soldiers.
who fatten on the unfortunate inhab-
itants, sip aguadiente, smoke their
eternal brown cigarettes and discuss
the glorious victories they are going to
win."-New York Sun.