Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-18
WORST PLACE on EARTH.
Is Ciudad Bolivar, Scene Of Recent
Venezuelan Battles.

Is Ciudad Bolivar, Scene Of Recent
Venezuelan Battles.
Ciudid Bolivar, the scene Of the Ven
ezuelan 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. u
was condemned for my sins to spend
week there shortly before the town
fell into the hands Of the revolutionists
last year.
II noticed that If anybody went out
after dark he always stuck his re-
volver in his belt, and I was warned
by several friendly citizens not to stay
out late in the streets unless I wished
to be held up and perhaps murdered.
1T was a paradise for the adven-
turous. One day I saw a rumshop
keeper chase the local barber down
the street with loaded pistol in one
hand and a machete in the other. 1
offered up a prayer for the tonsorial
artist, because 1 had no razor and he
was the only one. Luckily, he es-
capped.
THE trouble was about an overdue
account. The purveyor of liquid joy
was simply trying to collect his money
according to the approved local GUS
tom.
Another day an imprisoned revo-
lutionist escaped from the cuartel or
barracks, and a 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 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 veritable fortresses.
Most Of the private houses are sim
llarly protected. and have little grilles
to see whether visitors are enemies or
friends. Truly. a soothing place for a
nervous man to live in.
when the shots were fired at the
runaway, I happened to be in the
British 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 we got our reVolvers and went out
on the balcony to see the fun. But 1t
was all over in a moment, and the poor
wounded wretch was dragged roughly
along the street back to the cuartel.
aEIir5o1 pnlipor q nrOha h1v tho hot T.
test place on earth. 1t is built on solid
black rock, which retains the days heat
far into the night, so that there is
practically no respite. New York's re-
cent heat wave would have been well
coined as a cool spell by the inhabi-
tants of this Orinoco hades.
"All day long one is plagued by
myriads OF mosquitoes more aggressive
even than those which have made
New Jersey famous; and at night bat
talions of frogs croak horribly and
murder sleep.
"The walls of the houses are badly
of former revolutions-and many are
| in ruins. Ciudad Bolivar has often
| been a battlefield before today.
| 1.-The streets are unpaved and In the
center of each there is a green. stag
nant ditch. When streets intersect, q
plank is thrown across TO bridge these
bitches.
| There are no vehicles, and indeed
| very little civilization Of any kind.
| The place is always swarming with
nickel-plated generals and bandit SOL
diers, who fatten on the unfortunate
Inhabitants, sip aguardiente. smoke
their eternal brown cigarettes and dis
cuss the glorious victories they are 60
| ing to Win."-New York Sun.