Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-02

asphalt, on the day Of the marriage the
lux de Morny's mistress killed herself.
But now we come TO another romantic
personality, Ambrose Garner. When Ham
ilton showed that he was better fitted for
amusing himself in Caracas than for de-
v~eloping the asphalt region of Bermudez,
the company sent Ambrose Garner to take
his place. A very able man, this newcomer
in the asphalt melodrama. The rights OF
his case are tangled up, too, but his career
is we'll known and interesting. Garner
was a good business man and the COM
pany appreciated the way he went to wo[k
and dug asphalt out. Of that queer lake In
Bermudez. He was interested in his job
as no one ever accused Hamilton of being.
In fact, he is accused of being so much
Interested that he is willing to do anything
to keep 1t.
Castro Versus the Company.
There has been a tremendous fight be-
tween the General Asphalt company and
Castro, a fight big enough to bring this ma
ton to the verge Of war. Garner worked
first in the interest of the company that had
sent him to Venezuela, and now the com
pany's rights nave been cancelled by Cas-
tro, but Garner Is still digging asphalt. Only
he is working for the other man. Garner,
the General Asphalt company's representa-
tive In Venezuela, was named by Castro as
receiver for the Company when its conces-
sions were annulled. Other men connected
with the melodrama are found, prosperous
or penniless, all over the globe but the
only one who has never stirred from enc
zuela, who has managed always to be dig
ging asphalt at a profit, is Mr.. Garner.
His example was followed to a certain
extent by A. l.. Barber, who was chair
man OF the board OF directors OF the
Asphalt Company of America and the
National Asphalt company when they failed
in 1901. There was a capital of $58, 000,OOo
| involved, and the companies paid 20 per
cent. Again did ruin and desolation fol-
low the asphalt. Fortunes were lost. fam
lilies used to luxury were brought TO want.
That strange lake had again sent out
it's miasma OF wretchedness and despair.
II may be interesting to note that the
first report OF Garner, the receiver Of his
former company, sets forth that 10000
tons of asphalt had been sold for 1898. 900.
but only 5000 was turned In to the Vene-
zuela treasury. The remaining $4s5,OOO is
charged to expenses and improvements"
In this last phase OF the asphalt romance
Castro plays the leading part. Some people
say that Castro Is an accident. II he is'
he is a pretty serious one. Nobody paid
much hAteullOn - Nun NJ HS
Then he started a revolution nine years
ago and made himself president. And II
the asphalt workers had troubles before
they faded into insignifcance when Castro
took hold.
Castro's slogan is South America for the
South Americans" He never looked with
a favorable eye upon the stranger within
his gates. He was pretty hard on the
asphaiters, and when Matos, Blanco's
brother-in-law, started a revolution, there
we're a good many people who thought he
would be preferable to Castro as president.
Castro says that this appreciation Of Matos
took a very practical financial form, and
he said that the Americans Interested in
the asphalt trust barring Barber and Car
ner) were flibusters. He said so to the
state department, and Senator Cullom said
he should be spanked" But he hasn't
been spanked yet.
He has cancelled the concessions made
for asphalt digging on the ground that
the Bermudez company had failed 10 carry
out the terms OF the concession. The
Revolutionary suit" was an after-thought,
but an embarraEsingiy clever one. TIL
asphalt people say that they gave money
to MAtos because at the time OF his revo-
luton he absolutely controlled the Province
OF Bermudez. and Castro could not protect
them and their property. They do not
deny the episode OF the money.
The upshot Of Il Is that Castro Is I'm