Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-24
KING RIVERS, OF ORCHILLA.
Baltimore Mariner Lord OF All
He Surveys. 400 ~
A heavilybuilt man, above medium
baltimore Erening Newsl

baltimore Evening Newsl - e.
A heavilybuilt man, above medium
height, with large, well.sbaped
head, rugged features and an express
sion that denotes determination, hair
and moustaohe of silvery wbiteress,
a manner that is cordial and fran kL
such is Capt. G. G. Rivers, autocrat
of all the 0rchillas, King, Poteu tate,
Emperor, Dictator Prince, Premier,
Chancellor Of the Exchequer, burd
High Chief Justice, Governor Geher-
al, Secretary of War, Postmaster Ged-
eral, Secretary of the Navy, Com
manding General of the Orchillau
Army, Admiral of the OrchiIan
Navy, etc, now on a visit to his
family in Baltimore. 81 broua.l a1
When reporter for the News
found Captain Rivers at his home
last night, the Captain King and
ruler of Greater and Lesser Orchillas
was suffering from a cold caused by
the change from the salubrious
breezes of the Caribbean to the biting
blasts of this latitude. sI.- bloc
"They tell me you are king down
at Orchilla," said the reporter as the
potentate clasped his hand. r.
"No, not exactly king" said the
Captain, "but l guess I'm about all
the ruler there is on that island"
The Captain comes by his title
fairly. he sailed for nearly forty
years, and as the captaiu of sailing
vessels made many voyages to aud
from this port on the good ship
Stephen Bishop. which brought phos-
phate from the OrchilIas. In that
way be became well acqpsinted with
the island, and when-,abont. fifteen
years ago the Boston capitalists, who.
were working the phosphate deposits
on the island wanted a7mau to9 take
charge of the work they secured the
services of the Baltimorean, who had,
grown tired of the sea. For 10 years
he reigned and worked for the Bos-
tonians, and three years ago, when
the deposits on the island passed to
the control of the Woodbridge Or.
chilla Company of Baltimore, he con-
sented to reign ON aud cearfy ! forward
the work that heihad long lsuperin-
tended. aa ~r. gtHea o..
The business that brings the Cap
tain King to Baltimore at this time
is to arrange for beginning work on
two other concessions that the Balu-
more Company has secured. The
island of ofchilla is in the Domain,
of Castro, bnt the Company has ar
ranged with the Government of the
Dutch island of Curacao to open
mines on that island and also on
Little Curacao. These miues are ex
pected to prove of greater value than
those on 0rchilla, and lis desired
to start work at once. 1t is probable
that the Captain may take out with
him on his return an assistant gu per-
intendent who will take personal
direction of the work on Orchilla,
while the Captain directs the opera
tion of the new enterprise in the
Dutch possessions. .-------------.-....-.
In response to a request for inforz
nation about his domain, Captain
Rivers said: ,,.~.EFoW
"Orchilla island is about seven
miles long and two or three miles
wide. titles off the coast of Nene-
zuela about so mileso mot so far
away are number of islands that
belong to the Dutch. The island is
uninhabited save for, the force of men
working the deposits, and is almost
barren. There is little cactus, and
that is about all the vegetation The
only living things that 4 ohass seen
that we did not oyerselyes, take. there
are the big lizards that We some r :
times come across. They are as large
as small alligators, and have a comb
on their backs.sS Where weare work,
ing is not on the main island ,1ba on
one of the keys-the northest key
where the deposit Of phosphate is of
the greatest value" e,ro~- -,
SHOW large a force of men have.
you? N .ssyss,ag ba,
"Thirty. They are all black, or
nearly 50. We bring them from the
island Of Bonaire, one of the peteb.
possessions. They work under cossl
tract for six months. and ssesy .thsee,
months | make a trip to carry half