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im mm storm JohQ Week in a Busy World HE death of Former President Ben Jamln Harrison removes a man who has won the admiration of the American people by pure statesmanship and who gained the esteem of his opponents by the honesty with which he practiced his policy. His career as a soldier and a statesman was remarkable and the story of his life Is one of interest. His mar riage late in life caused an estrangement with, his children, and his son. Major Russell B. Harrison had not spoken to his father since the wedding. Former President Benjamin Harrison was the twenty.third chief executive of the United States, and was born at North Bend. O., August 20, 1833. and was in the sixty-eighth year of his life at the time of his death. He was the son of John Scott Harrison and the grandson of President William Henry Harrison, who was the third son of Ben jamin Harrison, a signer of the declara tion of independence. He was brought up on his father’s farm, spent two years at Farmer's College, near Cincinnati, graduated at Miami Univer sity In 1852. was admitted to the bar and settled in Indianapolis to practice in 1834. In 1800 he was elected reporter of the Indiana supreme court, and while holding the office assisted In raising the Seven tieth regiment of Infantry volunteers, of which he was appointed colonel by Gov ernor Morton In 1862. His gallantry induced General Hooker to recommend to the secretary of war his promotion to brigadier general. In Sep- lember-November, 1864. he was on recruit ing service in Indiana; during the winter of 1864-5, in Tennessee, he was with Gen eral Thomas; in the spring of 1865 he re sumed command of his brigade, and June 8th was mustered out of service with the rank of brevet brigadier general. In 1876 he was defeated by the demo cratic candidate for governor of Indiana. He was appointed a member of the Mis sissippi river commission in 1879, was chairman of the Indiana delegation In the national republican convention of 1880, de clined a cabinet appointment tendered by President Garfield and was elected United States senator for the term March 4. 1881, to March 3. 188f. In 1884 he was delegate, at large from Indiana to the republican national con vention, and in the convention of 1888 he received the presidential nomination on the eighth ballet. In the ensuing elec tion ho received a popular vote of 5,441,- 923 and an electoral vote of 233, against a popular vote for Cleveland of 6,536,923 and electoral 168. In, June, 1892, he was re nominated bv Ids pal-ty by a vote of 53514 to 183 1-6 for James G. Blaine, 179 for William McKinley and four for Thomaj^'V Reed. Ejjfnd i*/ 1 F en t Harrison was defeated for r.A by Mr. Cleveland in 1892. Since. th’ 8 ^ 8 ^ busied himself with the prac- RecenfTjjhe was appointed a member of the International arbitration commis sion by President McKinley. He went to Washington about a month ago as a member of the Presbyterian eommlttpj which had under consideration the pro* j- sition for a revision of the creed. - * The discovery In Berlin of a nrjw ele ment or ray has caused almost as, great a stir In the scientific world the dis covery of the Roentgen ray. /By the use of the newly discovered ray all trans parent substances can be Shade to slilne in the dark and with itstf' aid it is pos sible to distinguish between genuine and artificial diamonds in jfhe dark. The official report qft the ne.tr discovery follows: f "A new technical journal, Kirchloff’s Technische Blae#ter, to be issued within a few days, trifil contain an Interesting article conceding the latest rays. "In 1895 a/French chemist discovered A s ’ emanating from the element ura- Wjii|ch possessed properties similar .. the Roentgen rays. They were called Becquerel rays, after their discoverer. But while the discovery of Roentgen aroused great interest in the whole civil ized world and led to radical changes in medical diagnosis, the Becquerel rays were employed only In a minor way Vi physical laboratories, and an assertion by the French scientist, Demarcays, that they were not emitted from uranium, but from a new element, made no Impression. “Recent experiments by the. Berlin High School of Technology have proven this assertion—that a new element is re sponsible for the Becquerel rays—and the interesting fact has been observed that these rays render almost every transpa rent substance luminous in the. darkness. "These rays make it possible to tell genuine diamonds from artificial ones in the dark. This will prove of great prac tical Importance in testing. The experi ments have also resulted in obtaining for the first time larger quantities of the new element, which has demonstrated that rays emanating from a larger quan tity make the air such a conductor of electricity that it is hoped this property can be utilized in wireless telegraphy. "Experiments for this purpose are be ing made in the Berlin institution, but the deepest secrecy is maintained con cerning them. It is stated that the re sults will soon be laid before the em peror. which seems to indicate that the discovery is regarded as one of great importance.” . From the seat of England’s long-drawn- out struggle in South Africa comes the announcement that General Botha, one of the Boer commanders, is (Considering the advisability of surrender. A week's armistice has been granted, during which General Botha; it is said, will confer with General Dewet and Mr. Steyn, suggesting that they take advantage of the terms the British will offer, and also surrender. Dispatches declare that Botha will sur render even should Dewet and Steyn de cline to do so. Dewet's admirers—and he has them in all parts of the world, even in England— do not believe he can be induced to sur render, and he is looked to as the only hope of the cause of the Boers. Dewet’s career In the South African war has has been a remarkable one, and he has teen the author of a series of surprises that brought glgdness to Boer sympathiz ers and disappointment to the British. The English troops have .chased him mile mile, and just when he seemed about become a prisoner he would escape In unexpected manner and appear in ers a The 1 after 1C fighting trim in some quarter where ho was entirely unlooked for. A dozen times his capture has seemed certain to over confident British commanders, but by forced marches and ingenious tactics he has succeeded in eluding them, until now it is announced that he is marching north ward free and unmolested. * Mrs. Nation has come to the fore in a new role, that of newspaper owner anl editor. Her paper is known as The Smasher's Mail, and is an interesting sheet. It is a four-column sixteen-page paper, of neat appearance, and the first copy contained several half-tone Illus trations of scenes during a recent smash ing expedition. Oddly enough, the pub lisher of the paper is Nick Chiles, a negro publisher. In her salutatory Mrs. Nation says; "I have no apologies to make in having Nick Chiles for the publisher of Tho Smasher’s Mail. Our Savior ate with publicans and sinners to do them good... The servant is not above his lord. This paper shall be as Its name. The Smasher’s Mall. I shall put into the columns the letters I get from all over, even those I get from across the water. Those wishing to say anything through the columns of The Smasher's Mail must put it In the form of a letter, and must use brevity, the soul of wit." The departments under which the let ters are published in The Smasher’s Mail are: ’’Letters from Hell," "Letters from Hcnest People,” "Appeals for Help," “Some Poetry,” "Notes and Comments,” "Snapshots” and “Answers to Corres pondents.” * United States Minister Conger, who has been oqe, of the prominent figures in the eastern complications, left Pekin last Monday for the United States. It la ex pected that his personal report on the events of the past year in China will throw considerable light on the situation and may have a strong bearing on <he future policy of the United States in that land. Russia's attitude in Manchuria, and Japan's rush orders for warships has again caused China to become the center of public interest and has made it neces sary for the diplomats of the powers to work overtime. The latest clash in the east is between England and Russia, and arose over the claim of Russia and of an English rail road of a small strip of land near Tien Tsin. The manager of the road had be gun work on a new siding, but was stop ped by the Russian authorities. He ap pealed to the British authorities and was given permission to proceed ttith the word, whereupon the Russians de clared the thing would not have been don© if the Russians had had as many troops ns the British. Vie has appealed to the Russian minister at Pekin. Thus the matter stands. * The fight for the George F. Gilman millions has attracted considerable at tention thrr/ughout the south, owing to the part -.'taken by Frazier Gilman, of Georgia-, a half-brother to the deceased millionaire. TJie claim of Frazier Gilman is ba^ed op! events of years ago and his statements reflect little credit on the millionaire. He declares George Gilman took charge of $5,000,000 left by their father and would not let his half-brothers share in the fortune. Frazier Gilman says he starved and walked the streets, while George Gilman lived like a prince. What he now wants, he says, is Justice. Mrs. Blakely Hall, to whom Gilman left his millions, declares her claim is unassailable and does not seem at all uneasy about the claims of the legal heirs to the property. What promised to be a bitter legal battle has been set tled. each claimant to shate equally in the estate. * Instead of the modest $800,000 a year re ported as his remuneration for presiding over the affairs of the United -States Steel Corporation, Charles M. Schwab will draw a salary of $1,000,000. When the matter was under discussion on February 24th, at the Waldorf-Astoria, an objecting voice was answered by an officer of the National Tube Company, in which J. P. Morgan was largely inter ested. “Mr. Schwab will earn every cent of it for the corporation,” said Morgan. “The amount sounds large, and is large, but the price paid for anything is but rela tive, and if you can buy several millions for one million you are getting them cheap." Mr. Schwab’s contract Is for live years. * Andrew Carnegie, the endower of public libraries, has made offers to five cities during the past week, and the Indications are that the name of Carnegie will pass down to posterity on five more public buildings. To the city of Montgomery, Ala., he has offered $50,000 if the city will guarantee an appropriation of $5,000 per year for the maintenance of the institu tion. To Janesville, Wis., he has offered $30,000; to Ashtabula, O., he has offered $15,000; to St. Joseph. Mo., $25,000, and to Lawrence, Kas., $25,000; and to Atlanta he donated this week, in addition to the sum of $125,000 given some months ago, $20,000 to furnish the new building. The excommunication of Count Leo Tolstoi by the orthodox church has been a matter of considerable discussion in lit erary and ecclesiastical circles. It is de clared in the. announcement of the formal •excommunication that Count Tolstoi, “to the grief and horror of the whole ortho dox world, has. by spqpch and writing, unceasingly striven to separate himself from all communion with the orthodox church, and this not only clandestinely, hut openly, and in the knowledge of all persons. All attempts to dissuade him from his conduct have proved without avail. Consequently the orthodox church no longer considers him to be one of its members." i? All Europe was excited last week over the attempt on the life of Emperor Wil liam. It was believed at first that the blow had been struck by an assassin, but investigation proved that the guilty man was an unfortunate epileptic who could give only confused answers as to his rea sons for striking the kaiser. Emperor William was slightly wounded on the cheek, but the injury was not of suffi cient severity to interrupt the Journey of the emperor. It has not yet been an nounced whether or not the wound will in any manner mar the Imperial beauty. Since the accession of King Edward to the throne of England four warships have been added to the Tjlnglish navy, the vessels having been launched during the past two weeks. They are the Montaug, first-class battleship of 14.000 tons; the Albermafle, first-class battleship of 14,000 tons; the Drake, armored cruiser of 9,400 tons; the Kent, armored cruiser of 9,800 tons. The ship building plans of the British government for 1901 and 1902 shows an increase of $2,000,000. * A strange phenemenon was witnessed In southern Italy last Sunday. A heavy cloud, deep red In color, extended over the country. The rain that fell resembled drops of coagulated blood. The phe nomenon. which was called “the bloody rain,” is attributed to dust from the Afri can deserts, transported by a heavy wind. * Li Hung Chang, who has probably been the most conspicuous of Chinese officials during the varying stages of the troubles through which his country has passed, is now declared to be at the point of death. His advanced age is said to cause his illness to be of a serious nature and there seems to be considerable doubt as to his recovery. Congressman Lon Livingston, of Geor gia, senior member of the house appro priation committee, in a report to the fifty-sixth congress on its expenditures, declares that the Spanish and Filipino wars have cost the United States $400,000,- 000. This was the total Increase over the appropriations of the fifty-fourth con gress, which was the last one before the war. * In the Philippines the United States government through General MacArthur is offering one Filipino prisoner for every rifle surrendered, provided there is no particular reason why the prisoner should be held. An insurgent who surrenders his gun will be permitted to name the pris oner he desires to be released. Benjamin J Scooille: Gamin, Actor, Sailor, Preacher BY A C HaeselbartH MONG the men who do missionary work in our cities, there are many who have led strange lives. Men who have been gamblers. card sharpers, prize fighters, thugs, corner loafers, and even professional criminals, as well as the reclaimed wrecks of many honorable trades and professions may be found doing the work of the missions. In the whole list, however, there will hardly be one whose life story is stranger than that of Ben J. Scovllle, who is now preparing at the Christian Alliance School in Nyack, N. Y., for spe- boy out. There was an altercation and loud oaths and the boy was struck. As he shrieked with pain Captain Hughes lifted him from the deck, carried him to the rail and hurled him into the sea. There was one piercing setream and then all was still. Een and his fellow witness of the crime said nothing, but when they reached Lon don. Ben promptly informed the murdered lad's guardians. Hughes and the mate were arrested, tried, convicted upon Ben’s testimony, and were * sentenced to be hanged. On the night before his execu tion in Newgate prison Hughes confessed that he had acted as principal or acces sory in the murder of more than thirty bc-ys in the same way. Most of them were feeble minded and generally the guard ians paid £100 for having them taken to sea. Once more Ben returned to the ocean. He endured many hardships and on his last voyage as a sailer was shipwrecked. He drifted ten days in an open boat, sub sisting on a biscuit and a gill of water a day. After his rescue he underwent a BEN J SCOVILLE cial missionary work among stage folk. Scoville Eas been in his thirty years of life street gamin, cabin boy, ship's cook, tramp, chore boy, actor, reciter, teacher of elocution, and at one time assistant stage manager for Sir Henry Irving. In his experience on the seas he was a chief witness for the conviction of Hughes, one of the most brutal murderers in the his tory of crime. Scoville was born in London, England, thirty years ago. His father, an officer in the British army, was killed in the Zulu war. leaving a widow and two chil dren, Ben and baby sister. The mother, through elocutionary and'musical talent, supported the children in comparative comfort until she suddenly died. On the day of her burial, while a salute of honor was being fired over her grave, the chil dren were deserted by their guardian, who left them penniless and friendless in Lon don. They drifted into the White Chapel district and managed during warm weather to eke out a precarious living, Ben earning a few pennies a day as a newsboy, street sweeper and Bootblack. At night they slept in alleys, under wag ons, or wEerever shelter offered. Then came the winter days and on the night of the first snow storm of the sea son the homeless waifs crawled into a hogshead, which stood in the shadow of the Nelson monument, in Trafalgar Square. Ben wrapped his sister with his thin coat to keep her warm. The snow drifted in upon them and the next morn- iLg -when Ben, benumbed, awoke, his lit tle companion was dead. The next day ■-he was buried in the public burial field, Tout newsboys acting as bearers, and Ben made the first great resolution of h-is life, that he would earn enough some day to have the body exhumed and laid to rest beside their mother. The sea had an attraction for him. He visited the wharves until he secured a place as cabin boy with Captain Hoyle, on the ship Vanguard. On this vessel he remained several years and was promoted to be cook’s assistant. The captain's daughter, Mary, helped him with his Studies, and he grew very fond of her. One day. while she was playing ball on the deck, a sudden lurch of the ship tnrew her overboard. Ben plunged after her and with considerable difficulty kept her afloat until both were hauled on board. For this bravery, on his retuA to London, be was presented with five pounds by the Royal Humane Society. He had saved two pounds out of his wages and at once proceeded to gratify his long cherished de-tire He had his sister's body removed from the public burial field and buried bv her mother. He then returned to the «ea, this time as steward’s assistant on the steamer Priscilla, Captain William Hughest, from Rio de Janeiro to Lopdon. On the Priscilla was a feeble-minded bey whom Hughes had taken to sea in return for £100 paid by the lad's guard ians. This boy. from the time he left London, was subjected to gross indigni ties and cruelties inflicted by the captain and his mate. On Christmas day the out rages approached the climax. The boy was brought to mes3 and given only the bones which tho ship's dog had gnawed. Wl-en the little fellow reached out his hand for some plum duff the mate struck him a blow with a carving knife, cutting a deep gash in his hand. The blood spurt ed on Ben. who tore up his only white shirt to stanch the flow and make ban dages. On New Year’s eve, as Ben and a companion were on deck, they saw C'v ntain Hushes and the mate bring the long illness in the Marine hospital, Lon don. , On being discharged from the hospital he worked his way on a cattle steamer to this country and struck out for Buffa lo, thinking from the name of that city that the biggest cattle ranges must be there. He learned differently, but sub sisted awhile by doing odd jobs and by dancing hornpipes in saloons. He then went to Cleveland, O., where he engaged with a doctor to do chores for $1 a week and his board, with the great added priv ilege of attending school. Ben cared for two horses, waited on the doctor’s wife and daughters, and did a lot of other menial work; but he stuck it out until he graduated from the Cleveland High school. Then he went to Birmingham, Ala., and paid his way for a year In Howard college by ringing the college bell, acting as agent for a laundry and doing chores. From Alabama to went to Colorado and secured, work in Strat ton’s great Independence mine, in Crip ple Creek, earning enough to enable him to progress in his studies in* Colorado college, Colorado Springs. Then came a miner’s strike and he lost his job. Scoville went next to Chicago, where he failed to find employment and sold his watch to pay his railroad fare to Cleve land. From Cleveland he walked to Ba tavia. N. Y., where he earned enough by washing the windows of the Young Men's Christian Association building to carry him to Lyons. At Lyons the Rev. Mr. Os trander became interested in him and se cured him a church collection. Similar assistance was given him in Port Byron, and from there he went to Boston. Full of hope, Ben then applied to Man ager Frank W. Hale, of the New England Conservatory, and begged admission as a student in elocution and oratory. An arangement was made whereby he could earn his tuition fees and expenses by working six to ten hours a day in the model machine shops and printing depart ment. He applied himself closely and was graduated with honors in December, 1896. He then began his professional career. For a time he supported himself in Syra cuse as a reciter, then traveled about the country until he met the "Sign of the Cross’’ company, at Peoria, and joined it. Wilson Barrett took him to England with his English company, and Scoville had a wide stage experience on the other side, playing such diverse parts as Tubal, in "The Merchant of Venice;” Duncan, in "Macbeth;” Jacques, In "As You Like It;” Nero,. in "The Sign of the Cross;” Sir Joseph Porter.in "Pinafore;” Queen of Fairies, in "Jack aid the Beanstalk.” He was for a time assistant stage man ager for "Robespiere,” with Henry Irv ing’s company. In Manchester, Scoville met and fell in love with a girl, whom he married at the termination of his engage ment with Irving’3 company. They came to this country and he got a position as professor of elocution in the high school at Galveston, Tex. On the day of the flood he was in the high school building and with others was penned there by the water. All the next day he searched for his wife and in the evening he found her body in the ruins. Grief stunned and without ambition, Scoville came to New York and wandered aimlessly about the city. By chance he went into a missionary meeting, where a former opera singer was holding spe cial meetings, and decided to Join the missionary work. He is now taking the regular course and Intends to work not only among stage folk. But among those who have failed to establish themselves on the stage and are drifting or haw drifted into dissolute ways of life. Of New York, the mecca of the stage struck, he recently wrote to a friend: "New York is full of poor, ambitious young men and women, who think it great sport to go upon the stage. These become sadly ‘left,’ and stroll about the city streets, going from bad to worse. It would not be so bad if this host were only from New York, but they are from ad parts of Canada and the United States. If a man Is tall he stands some little show, providing he has a degree of tal ent. A woman must be a 'good-looker, have an attractive shape, and if she has money, or a ‘friend’ who has plenty of dust—happy woman. Otherwise she Is •N G ’ A woman is subjected to all the slander and abuse the managers and state managers see fit to bestow upon her. This is drawing it mild. ’Alf-and- •alf, don’t you know. You may draw it as you like. “I believe that a great work can be done among actors and actresses, espe cially among those that have been disap pointed In the life of the stage and want to make something of themselves and get into a respectable way of living before they graduate down on the Bowery and Water street. I hope that God will open up the way for me to stajt this neglected good work. And now. If you know any young men or women who are starting in on the stage, tell them to stay out of New York city, for it Is overrun; but If they must seek the metropolis, let them be sure and secure a return ticket and take good care of it.” STORY OF OUR TROUBLES WITH VENEZUELA GENERAL VIEW of CARACAS HE recent trouble be tween the United States and Venezuela seems to be about to reach an unexpected climax. The latest dispatches from Caracas, Venezu ela, are of such a na ture as to cause fear of diplomatic trouble of a serious nature between the United States and the little South Ameri can republic. It appears that in Caracas a campaign Is going on against the United States In the press, and Mr. Loomis Is charged by the opposition press with sending out ex aggerated reports about the fight between the sailors of the Lancaster and the po lice -at La Guayra. Mr- Loomis, acting apparently on instructions from Wash ington, has declined to be drawn into a newspaper controversy and makes no de nial. no ihatter how much the abuse. It is believed that, after having worked up bitter feeling against the United States, the government will give Minister Loomis his passports. In times gone by both a French and an American minister have been given their passports, and France has never reopened diplomatic relations with Venezuela. Threats of expelling foreign newspaper correspondents at Caracas -are gaining in strength. Commander Sargent; of the Scorpion, has reecntly made an impor tant report to Minister Loomis, in which it is shown that hostile feeling toward Americans is evident in many places and that the dislike of foreigners is general. Threats to burn the general offices of the Oronoco company at Santa Catalina have been frequent. Beginning of the Trouble The present trouble with Venezuela grew out of a controversy over asphalt concessions granted six or eight years ago to the Oronoco company, Manoa company and the Bermudez company, all lying in eastern Venezuela and in what was then the state of Bermudez. The comprehensive grant of the old Oro noco company, in a strict legal construc tion, embodied literally an empire, includ ing not only asphalt, but mahogany and other valuable privileges, both north and south of the Oronoco river. Under the acftninistration of General Grespo, the Manoa company was formed and accord ed a concession, which led to an imme diate legal controversy with the Oronoco company. In the meantime the Bermu dez Lake Asphalt Company had com menced work, developing their conces sion at Guanaco, deepening the river, building railways, wharves and tramways and had taken out considerable asphalt- ntn. Their work, however, suddenly stopped, and for several years all their operations were apparently stopped, lead ing to the rumor that they had consoli dated with some more powerful competi tor. General Grespo, lending some cre dence to this report, while anxious to encourago the development of the in dustry, granted another concession to several capitalists in Caracas composed of Henrique Alamo and Emile J. Mauri and other associates to 600 hectares around Padernales, on the shore of thq gulf of Paria. where the boring process for the liquid bitumen was first inau gurated. After spending a large sum of money and practically demonstrating that paying quantities could be taken out in this way, this work was also sud denly stopped and the large plant was allowed to fall into decay—supposedly from sinister influences which did not appear on the surface. At any rate, the brilliant prospects for taking out large quantities of Venezuelan asphalt, which had for a time threatened to eclipse, if not to materially injure the great enterprise of Trinidad, had come to a complete halt and very little was done to revive it until within the past two years. The Manoa and the old Oro noco companies in the meantime evident ly came to an amicable understanding, as the former corporation was apparently merged into the latter and this result was accomplished by President Grespo shortly before his term of office expired in 1898. The Bermudez company had evi dently gone quietly ahead and acquired a large additional tract in the Colorado region about Lake Felicidad, which had many advantages in the way of trans portation over their old concession. The revolution of 1898 demoralized for a time ali public enterprise, and it was not until the success of General Castro that the legacy of asphalt controversies were re opened with the facts now known to the general public. As a rule, every new president in Venezuela enters office with a prejudice or an invidious demeanor to ward any important concessions that may have been granted by predecessors. The reasonsdfor this is manifest to every one familiar with the politics of that unfortunate country, where the legisla tive body and the judiciary are wholly subordinate to the executive. If the prerogatives of the president are limited A Warning—To feel tired before exertion is not laziness—it's a sign that the. system lacks vitality, and needs the tonic effect of Hood’s Sarsaprilla. Sufferers should not delay. Get rid of that tired feeling by beginning to take Hood's Sarsaparilla today. Cipriane Castro, President Francis B Loomis, V S Minister by the constitution, his powers are su preme and absolute, nevertheless, often overriding the most unquestioned rights. Merits of the Controversy The merits of the present controversy should of course be properly defined bv judicial investigation, and though full justice under the existing regime may be problematical, it is the only resort of the controvertialists. Certain legal phases of these rival concessionaires were adjudicated by Judge Joaquin Ma chado, at Ciudad Bolivar, and conse quently affirmed by the high federal court at Caracas. There is no doubt an abun dance of able talent in Caracas, whose familiarity with international law would The existence of these beds of mineral tar in different parts of Venezuela have been known since the visit of Humboldt, one century ago. but no practical effort was made to develop it until within the past decade. In fact, the Bermudez com pany was the first to take out and market the product, which was within the past six or seven years. One disadvantage has always offered an impediment to the de velopment of the asphalt industry in Venezuela, and that Is the location of the lakes remote from tide water or easy facilities of transportation. At the west ern line of the G-ulf of Paria, near which most of the discoveries have been made, the -water is very shallow and the rivers emptying into it are equally so. making It almost impossible for vessels of deep draught to enter and load. The principal deposits In the state of Bermudez are In •the Interior about midway between Ma- turin and Cumajja, thirty or forty miles from the coast. The principal one Is near Guanaco, another near Buen Pastor, an other at Eurzera and the one of Lake Felicidad. besides numerous naphtha and aspbailtum springs of minor consequence in the region of the Rio Garapiche and west of Maturin. Discoveries of large deposits of aspholtum and petroleum (which is always present) have been made in the Maracaibo region of the same republic. 800 miles west of Bermu dez. One of these, near the source of the Rio Limon, is said to contain a greater percentage of pure asphaltum than the springs of Bermudez. This lake is the property of Dr. Caezar Urdeneta, of Ca racas, who, with Mr. Pedro Guzman, own other large miperal properties in this region. The great insalubrity of the sur rounding hot and feverish swamps in the Maracaibo district will long remain a bar rier to the proper development of the western deposits. Scene of tae Trouble The scene of the present trouble in Venezuela is in the extreme eastern prov ince. formerly Bermudez, now the state of Sucre, with the capital at Cumana, on the north coast. It is one of the most interesting sections of the new world and enjoys the distinction of being the first landing place of Columbus, the seat of the ancient Oarib empire contains the first city built in the western world (Cumana), has the largest limestotje cavern in the world (Cuevo del Guacharo), manufac tures a rum celebrated throughout Europe Caracas, the Capitol of Venezuela, Could Readily be Bombarded from the Sea enable them to easily suggest a means to President Castro whereby complica tions with this country could be avoided. There are men like Lucio Pulido, Bruzual Serra, Dr. Rojas, Judges Periera and Bustamente and many others who are thoroughly competent to peacefully and equitably adjust all differences without humiliation to that country. Even ambi tious political leaders, but worthy and (Carupano), has the only pearl fishery on the west coast of the continent (Marga rita), the oldest Franciscan mission (Ca- ripe). besides an incomparable richness in asphaltum, naphtha and petroleum, as well as vast, unexplored beds of bitumi nous coal, alum, salt and various other minerals. To the botanist and geologist also it offers a wide and interesting field of virgin research and to the general VVlep, otewy^ ly, thm CutvM V* * gifted men like Munoz Tebar, General Hernandez, Henrique Perez, Ramon Guer ra and Carlos Pumar, as representative men of the republic, would bury their differences to bring about peaceful con ditions for Venezuela. But the actual condition rests with President Cipriano Castro, whose imprudence in the past may lead again to serious difficulties. traveler it unfolds a picture of luxuri vegetation unsurpassed by any other i of the world. BELGIAN HARES—Pedigreed Stock $3.00 pair up. Beet (trains. Faahoda Bov score 9# at head. Fee E . Pure bred Black Minorca Chickens. Eggs for U. C. H. LedfOrd, 33 Sella Avenue, At-