The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1911-04-29

HSA\%IS l5OiI Ol all South America 10
e>As La Guaira in Venezuela. 1t
fIH\S is not the worst place III the
kYSJN world, yet a gentleman sent
out by a department OF the
united States government to collect
information recently arrived just in
time. by running, to make connections
with the train for Caracas, and de-
parting went out with the same speed.
In response to the question as to his
object in hesletting commercial con-
ditions of this port, he said he was
told to avoid La Guaira, because no
man could endure its heat; it was pes
tilential." Many people live in La
Guaira all their lives, and know a
number who are not dead yet. The
poetry former American consul once
dropped into" entitled "Adios to thee.
La Guaira," is yet famous text OF
those who do not really know the
place, and may be 1t was worse when
Consul Bird Topped his wings" about
its GALES" and 'pulperas."
1t is common among commercial
travellers, especially from the United
States, to rant and rave at La Guaira's
climate and conditions. But the eli
mate of La Guaira is fully as agree
able as one finds at any port OF the
same latitude. They speak from
days experience; ! write from over
years continuous residence, and it is
misrepresented. 1t is an enervatlng
hn cak
too long, but 1t is delicious at times.
and rarely severe.
With a market offering surprising
variety of fruits and vegetables, many
of them not usually found in troH cal
ports: with delicious fresh fish daily.
and other commodities not formerly
to be had, life is not altogether In-
pleasant, as many seem to think.
Situated at the base and on the
jagged edges of cliffs Of high. rugged
mountains which rise almost directly
from the breaking surf OF the Carlb-
bean Sea ~ an elevation of from 1000
to 5000 feet, its location is extremely
picturesque. The town is divided into
three or four villages, of which La
Guaira proper is the center; stretch
ing along the narrow shelf at the base
of the hills for a distance of four or
five miles, encompassing Maiquetia on
the west and the Venezuelan, Baden
Baden. yclept Macuto. on the east.
II 1t were Out West" 1t would surely
be nicknamed "Stringtown." but 1t
gives homes and employment to ten
or twelve thousand souls.
The towns of La Guaira and Nal
quetia differ but little from other
Spanish towns, with cobblestone
paved streets, opening out at uHex-
pected corners into cool-looking parks
as surprising and welcome as GASES
In a desert. The streets are flanked
by brick or adobe succeed houses of
one or two stories; the front rooms
frequently serving as shops. stores. or
"pulperias" for the sale Of fruits,
vegetables, matches, beer. wines,
liquors, and highly colored cottons
and alparagatas, the rear rooms and
second stories being the living rooms
of the families.
La Guaara is the principal port OF
northern Venezuela, and the port Of
ingress and egress for the capital,
Caracas, the Paris of South Amer
ica," with which it is connected with
wonderfully scenic and picturesque
railway 1t enjoys large import and
export trade, with an average Of 20
ships engaged in international COM
merce making 1t port of call month
ly, while the coastwise sailing craft,
many with this as their home port,
are innumerable. 1t is dull day in
deed in La Guaira harbor that finds
less than Is or 20 small sloops and
schooners loading or unloading cargo
from the coast towns or the adjacent
islands.
The approach from the sea is pic
turesque in the extreme, and the sight
as one steams into the harbor (Or
out of IT. is one not soon to be for
gotten. 1t gives curious inter-
mingling idea of the villages along the
Italian shores of the Mediterranean
and Of the Hopi cliff dwellers.
The streets wind and weave up the
gullies from the seashore. and narrow
trails and stairways zigzag along the
steep hillsides to where little white
washed huts break the monotony OF
the red iron stain Of the barren
declivities.
The old story OF narrow streets Of
medieval Spanish towns repeats It.
self here. Laid out In the centuries