The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-19
CAS- RIO And CARACAS.
INTER ESTING PICTURES OF TIE
PRESIDENT AND HIS CAPITOL.
Drawn by Miss Marion Bowen, d Niece
of abe United States Minister, VII"
Has Been Spending Some Time ut the
Center of PresenI Interest.

/
| Has Been Spending Some Time ut sho
Center of F'resent Interest.
General Ctpr!ano Castro, the presi-
dent of Venezuela. IS comparatively
young. being only about forty years of
age. HIS personal appearance is rath-
e. against him. as he is lame, short and
dark yisaeed. being Of decided Indian
tyre. But one cannot look at his face
without reading there an ind0mitab.c
tcHI"ity IT purpose and dogge4 persls-
tenry. His eyes are black and piercing,
and he has every appearance of being
man who has perfect confidence IN his
own power to rule. ana who is bound to
rule with a rod of iron. l think no
power on earth could make him change
his mind after i. was once made up.
Even his enemies will admit that
President Castro is an exceedingly
clever man. I was fortunate enough in
standing near him 1T the reception III
"Mirafores." the presidential palace,
Immediately following his rcinaueura-
tion In March. 1902, ard / could not but
admire the way In which he received
his many callers. He was surrounded
by enemies and gycophants as we'll as
by friends. and, in spite Of his small
size, there was something majestic in
the way in which he carried himself
throughout the entire afternoon
There was a steady stream Of men to
shake hands with him, and he had
different greeting for almost every one
of them. I could almost tell what was
passing through President Castro s
mind as each man approached. Hiah
some he was coldly polite, with others
h. would grasp warmly by the hand
and would throw his arm around their
shoulders, which Is the South American
+ mode Of greeting ones best friends.
His lameness is the result Of wound
received ii the battle of Yocuylto,
where he succeeded in wrestling from
General Ignacio Andrade the presidency
OF Venezuela. Before this wound had
time to heal President Castro Was
awakened one night by the awful
earthquake. 1t was on October %. 1890,
and. thinking the hous" was crumbling
beneath him, he jumped out Of a second
story window In his palace the Casa
ArmariIla" yellow House, and broke
his wounded leg. This ignOminious
jump is not generally given as the
cause of his lameness, for his country
men think it sounds better to say their
president injured his leg in battle.
The Casa Armarilla" was NOT de
stroyed by the earthquake, but it's
foundations were so weakened by the
severe shocks that it was considered
unsafe for occupancy, and the next day
General and Madame tro moved into
their present home, "Miraflores" C'Look
at the FloWersD, which is one Of the
finest buildings in Caracas. A former
president. General Joaquin CrespO,
spent fabulous sum Of money in hay
ing this house built for his own home.
hut he did not remain in power long
enough to occupy it himself. President
Castro has also spent good deal Of
money in addisg to the beauties Of this
attractive house, and 1t is now one Of
the most beautiful places Imaginable,
filled with all manner of valuable paint
ings, tapestries and curios, while the
patio. or 0ren court. around which the
house is built. is fragrant with the per-
fumc of tropical flowers and palms.
which grow in luxuriant profusiOn
around the marble fountain in the CEN
ter. TIE air is filled with the singing
of the brilliantly plumaged native birds
Of South America, which hang between
thc beautifully carved pillars surround
ing the four sides Of the patio. But
what pleasos President Castro most Of
all is his famous earthquake room.
built entirely Of iron and made so that
it can be shut off from the rest of the
house, and which is supposed to be
proof against the most violent earth
quake
There are many squares, or plaZts,
hut the largest and most important one
is the Plaza Bolivar, in the center Of
the city. This is where all the prone
nading is done, and every Thursday
and Sunday evenings the National
band. which would be a credit to any
country. gives an open-air concert.
The children have their concert Satur-
day afternoon and the Plaza IL crowd
ed with pretty children dressed In the
daintest little white dresses and Pari-
sian hats These small tots are never
seen during the week till Saturday af-
Z ternoon. when they come out, every one
! Of them, and show themselves off in
perfect imitation of their pretty doll
/ like mothers,
In the center Of the Plaza is a large
bronze equestrian statue Of General ST.
mon BOLIVAR the LiberatOr II Venezue-
Ia This statue was erected In 1870 by
General Cuzman BlancO. one Of the
abIest presidents that Venezuela has
ever had.
Facing the Plaza Bolivar are the old
cathedral. which was partially de-
stroyed in the earthquake of 1912; the
rost-oflce. a handsome swo-storied
building. and the casa Armarilla,"
which used to be the White House of
Caracas. A few minutes walk from
the Plaza brings us to the museum. the
university the Federal Palace and al
liptical salon, These last two buildings
face each other on a very beautiful
Open square filled with All kinds of
Towering shrubs and tropical trees
Tho government offices, senate cham
Der and house Of representatives are in
the Federal Palace, while in the Ellip-
teal salon, where the president receives
the diplomatic corps after an Inaugural
ton and on all state occasions, is a fire
ceiling painting representing the battle
near Cara babo, one Of the big famous
A. e., s.