Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-13


strongest natural fortress in the country N
one thought for moment that the revolution
lists would be able to take this place, indeed
was never considered a possibility at al
General Tribe, however, undertook it
Having selected about twenty-five pickle,
men to be his companions, he set forth from
camp on his perilous undertaking. In dar
night the little company crawled up the noun
tains by an unknown trail stealthlly crosse,
the crest of the ridge and in the early mornin
descended. still undiscovered, into the hear
of the stronghold
The very difficulty of the task he had Sc
himself to do was now soon to stand him II
good stead When the band of revolutionist
entered the single street of the little mountain
village they began to shout and to cry thei
" IiJas!" and to shuttle their feet in the thicl
dust of the road. and generally managed t.
create considerable disturbance.
General Dominguez, the commander of th
Government troops, was awakened from
sound sleep by the racket, and came to thu
door of his house to find out what the trouble
was about. He was met on the doorstep by
Tribe
After the usual courteous procedure O
introducing themselves had been gone through
"a procedure that was in no ways curtaileC
by the exigencies of the situation. the un
seemly din of the fake army, or the fact that
one OF them was in pajamas,-Uribe said with
quiet assurance
surrender | am here with my whole army
To offer resistance would only result in use
less b1oodshed
The Government General, feeling secure II
his stronghold against anything but an over
whelming force of the enemy, and not being
able to see distinctly on account OF the dark
ness and the dust, naturally took Tribe at hi:
word, and although he could have cheerfuly
hanged him as a rebel, he was compelled by
desertion to surrender the position to the
leader of what he believed to be an enormous
army 1t is said that his disgust when he
learned the truth was beyond even the Gen
erals power to express.
This revolution lasted in all three years but
in spite of this good beginning it proved to be
a failure in the end, and Tribe left his country
and came to New York When President
Reyes was elected the latter said he in
tended to avoid all party differences in the
future The first thing he did was to appoin,
Tribe the Colombian minister to Brazil, al
which post the former revolutionary genera
continues to this day in his country's service
A Philadelphian's Commission
SOME men have become revoutionists out
~ of love of country like Alfaro. Others out
of love of woman, like ParedeS. other:
again out of love of money, like the American
of San Jose; and Others out of pure, unadul
terated love of adventure, like DIR. West the
apothecary of Rivas and the men of Walker:
time. But there was once a young Philadel
phian that became a revolutionist out of pique
He had gone through some kind of military
training before he set out for Venezuela. and
so when he presented himself to the Govern,
ment of that country a man who desired
to serve in its army he was partially justified
in making his claim to a working knowledge
of the art of war. The Venezuelan authori-
ties, however, did not take the young man
seriously. But the South Americans are
proverbially polite In order not to hurt his
feelings they told him he would be given the
command of a battery.
Consequently the Philadelphia installed
himself in lodgings in Caracas, where he waited
in hourly expectation of his commission But
the commission did not come.
In time revolution broke out, and Gov
eminent troops were sent to the scene o!
action Still the young Philadelphia heard
no news of his commission, and began to sus-
pect that he had been trifed with When the
very battery to which he had been told he
would be appointed passed beneath his win
dow on the way to the front without his hav-
ing received word or sign from the authorities
his suspicious were instantly confirmed and
in fit of anger against the Government fo1
its treatment of him, he stole out of the city
at night to join the ranks of the revolutionary
forces.
Once there, he attached himself to Antonio
Ramas, who was the leader of band OF
guerrillas which at the outbreak of every revo-
luton began operations in the mountains be-
tween Caracas and the The Philadel-
phian remained with them throughout the