The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-13
BY WILLIAM THoRP.
Extraordinary Man.

Yt was high noon on Christmas Day at La Victoria, a town perched away up In the mountains of Venezuela CiprtanO I Castro. Citizens President of the "Esta- Sos Unidos of that country, was having the time of his life at an open-air fiesta. Half Europe was besieging his coasts, I and America. England, Germany and Italy were bombarding him with cable grams every half hour or so to ask what he was going to do about 1t. He didn't worry It was Christmas Day, and he danced.
 Under the spreading palm trees he frol' licked in very lively fashion with the peasant girls of the neighborhOod and some women whom he had brought with him from Caracas. his capital
 4 military band, dressed in most gor' xeous uniforms of yellow and red and blue and white and silver and gold and A few other colors, played dance music
 which sounded susplciously like rag time A number of little iron tables were
 placed upon the lawn, which served as
 the ballroom. and they were heaped with
 bottles of champagne. aguardiente, whis-
 key and American lager beer. Most oi the bottles were empty
 Suddenly an American newspaper cor respondent broke in upon this pastor al
 scene and buttonholed President Castro's eactotum.
 Y must talk with His Excellency al once," he exclaimed, excitedly. T have
 most important news for him. Europe
 insists that he must apologize. It Is here
 in a cablegram from Washington"
 The factotum threw up his hands Ir
 despair
 Tt Is impossible, senor. You cannot talk with the President. He does nc
 business. He dances. He has danced fol week"
 But my cablegram-" Here are fifty unopened cablegrams I cannot show them to the President. A: you participating to the merry group who were doing the Venezuelan |s equivalent of the cakewalk-"he dances And when will he stop dancing?" The factotum shrugged his shoulders "Quien sabe, senor!"
 The music stopped. Castro saw the cor. respondent with the agonized expression on his face and the open cablegram 1T
 his hand. Ever curious, he walked over with his pretty partner on his arm. and
 asked what 1t was all about He wal
 told that Europe wanted him to apolo
 gize.
 Immediately he struck Napoleonic at titude. waven his arms excltedly In tht air. and exclaimed:
 Not while life repains! General Gas tro never apologizes He demands ar apology from Europe"
 The girl hanging on his arm clapped hin on the back and shouted 'Bravissima Cipriano" The dancers took up the cry whlrling their partners around in an ex
 cited fandango and beating the empt, bottles on the iron tables, Affairs of state having been thus stren uously settled His Excellency the Cit gen President was at liberty to devot, himself to pleasure for the rest of tn, lday, and he very kindly volunteered tt show the American around the town. The day being a fiesta" the street. ! were full of merrymakers enjoying them selves to the top of their bent in thu Might hearted Latin way. In one of tn, streets the Presidential party encounter
 ed an immense crowd-immense, at least flor La Victoria-and stroled up to SCI what was doing.
 It was simply a gang of boys playing
 one of the favorite juvenile games O
 venezueIa. A triumphal arch had beer erected across the street. and a big bas get was swinging from it about ten fee above the ground This basket was filled
 with cakes, candies, fruit. nuts, smal
 nickle coins, and other things dear to tn,
 hoyish heart all the world over. Tht