The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-10
NAVEL LIEUTENANT TALKS OF
cAsTRo's COUNTRY.
ARE POOR SHOTS
A Railroad That It Is Worth Your
Life to Ride Over-owned
by Germans.

l
the recruiting that commenced here
yesterday for the navy, has seer con-
siderable of the seaport towns Of
Venezuela, the little South American
country upo which the eyes of the
world are now centered, says the
Butte Inter Mountain. The lieuten-
ant spent about two months of last
summer in Venezuelan harbors and
loc ality upon a United States cruiser.
and gained a fair knowledge of the
country and the people.
He is not disposed to talk for pub
lication about the present trouble be-
tween Venezuela and Germany and
England over the claims of the last
two named, a difficulty that may
draw the United States into the South
American imbroglio. He says that
the rules of the navy do not permit
officers talking for publication about
international matters. From the tone
OF his remarks, however, it is plain
that the sea dogs who enlist to fight
Uncle Sans battles upon the high
seas are not worrying over. the out
come of a conflict with Germany or
any other old power.
mo, l would not feel that it would
be right for me to discuss in the
press what might be my opinion of
the origin of the trouble. OF course,
we all know that the failure of the
Venezuelans to pay their English
and German obligations is the main
trouble.
1.-THE country has been in the throes
of a revolution for some time, but for
all that the army would probably
put up quite a fight. l was on the
Cincinnati in Venezuelan waters last
summer and saw considerable of the
people and learned something of their
habits. They are naturally opposed
to all foreigners because the latter
manage to get the cream of the trade.
"They have a wonderful country
if the natural were fully
developed. The leading products Of
the country are coffee, cocoa, lumber,
asphalt and the various tropical fruits.
There are some immense beds of
coal practically un~developed. Con-
ditions have been so unsettled that
the foreigners who have thus far
played the most important part in the
development of the. country have been
money into the country. When all
Of this war excitement has cooled
off and the matters become tranquil
in Venezuela again mark my word
the country will BOOM"
Lieutenant Miller has been at Ca
racas, the capital, which is only seven
miles in an air line from La Guayra,
the leading seaport town. The dis
lance by rail, however, is about %
miles, as Caracas lies in the noun
tains and the railroad pursues a cir
cuitous course in reaching it. The
railroad is so crooked and the grade
so steep that the trains do not have
more than three or four cars and
rates are very high. 1t costs almost
as much to ship freight from La
Cua~ra to Caracas as from European
ports to La Guayra. The road is
owned by an English company.
Lieutenant Miller had a thrilling
experience on the railroad that he
says he will not forget very soon
He desired to go from Caracas tc
La Guayra before the train made
the regular trip and Superintendent
Almond of the road said he could
ride on a small Car with the roadmas
ter. 1t is all down grade and they
travelled at a rapid rate through the
mountains, across gorges and along
side of yawning precipices, 1000 o.
1000 feet in height. The roadmaste1
made little effort to control the speet
II the car with the brakes and l
fairly flew over the track, whirlet
around the sharp curves, dove int
tunnels, Numbered across high bridge
and finally landed the two in l.;
Guayra, having made the % miles il
a. little over half an hour.
Once, while riding on a train OF
this railroad, Lieutenant Miller say
that he and the other passengers Wer'
held up by a band of guerrillas VIII
called themselves insurgents. The,
were looking for some one. The,
did not harm the passengers, espe
cially after the latter laughed at then
for their nerve in stopping the trair
The affair ended in passengers an