Show o 0 0 g 0 0 A Venezuelan V 8 O 8 Rail Railway ay Trip Cleveland Plain D Dealer e T ELLSWORTH ELLWORTH United Unit LUTR L states State St t consul in Venezuela who is visiting friends friend in the te city ct yesterday described d re in an entertaining manner a trip trl that tat he took tok over ove the tle Bolivar BoUa railway in Venezuela just jut te fore returning to this foe country Recently I 1 was surprised surprise by y the te gets gen genial g ial Ia manager of the Bolivar Bolhar Railway company calling and insisting that I r accompany him to his bore home at Area on the line lne of that railway said paid Mr Ellsworth Elsworth and I returned the tle corn com compliment Invitation by immediately latel accepting the We left Puerto Cabello lef Cabelo the follow ing lag day on the railway te steamer arriving in hi Port Tucacas about 7 p m On the wharf of ot the te railway company we met Agent Kilgore and were tendered the te hospitality of his home for tor the te night which we accepted Mrs Ir Kil Ku Kilgore Ki gore received receive us most cordially and soon prepared a fine dinner dinne and the best tea I X had tasted tate since my arrival in Venezuela The following morning after coffee I fruit frit etc I 1 accompanied Manager I Thomas inspecting the property of the railway company and afterward I X vis Is the town The port of Tucacas is the te northern terminal of ot the Bolivar Railway com corn company company pany and that company has ha there a good passenger station freight depot dept shops sho s dwellings for Cor employees wharves etc The Te town suf many anany lany attacks attack during the last revolution and was occupied by both parties partes many times It I was here hee dur due ing the last revolution that General Genel Ramon now minister of oC war was badly wounded and his forces de by Colonel During every battle batte in that tat town during that revolution Mrs Kilgore Kigore remained in her house and it was va In an exposed position and a dangerous one even af after after after ter the te railway company placed It I heavy Iron ties tes It I was wa pierced by b numerous Mauser auser bullets ulet but fortu fortunately fortunately fortunately they did not hit hi its it occupants The Bolivar Railway company is a astock astock astock stock company and its It stock is owned in England by Englishmen It I is owne about miles mies long ong and is managed by Mr Arthur D Thomas Toma assisted a by y the following intelligent gentlemen Major Thomas B Richards cashier chier and ac accountant accountant accountant countant John B Prince traffic man manager manager ager Samuel Hickins superintendent of motive power and shops Boulton Co Puerto Cabello agents The roadbed of this railway is the best and all of its two feet six In h gauge steel track Is laid on iron ties Its switches signals etc differ in pattern from fron those used in the United States but they have given ex cx excellent satisfaction to the management Its water tanks of boiler plate iron set twenty feet above the rail are iU sup supported ported by cast Iron posts Its stand standpipes standpipes pipes and tank spouts are satisfactory but entirely different from those In use by railways in the United States Its bridges bridge are iron truss resting on solid masonry ItS It shanties shops Offices houses for employees etc are r frame and finished with matched pine have J good masonry foundations and corrugated iron roofs The rolling stock passenger coaches freight cars engines etc ate are well made and present presenta a good appearance Then the company h has a concession along its line of some 1 acres of virgin soil in one of the i most luxurious valleys of Yeas Vene Venezuela zuela ii S About S a m the train departed from Tucacas station and soon we were rushing through a a genuine trop ial forest the sight of beggars description and my view of it from the observatory of the private car var of Manager Thomas was perfect The rapid change from scene to scene the grandeur of nature beautiful flowers trees plants bright plumage of un unrecognizable unrecognizable recognizable birds wild animals na natives natives tives and things too numerous to men mention mention tion made this the most enjoyable rail railway way trip I ever experienced At Quebra Vara the train stopped and I accompanied Manager Thomas Thomasin in his Inspection of the work he had under way on an immense culvert At Alambique I had time to view some native architecture that would interest the most critical At Palma Sola one of the most Im Important important stations along the railway I saw huge piles of coffee cocoa hides skins fine woods etc that had ar as ri rived ed by wagons from the celebrated city of San Felipe and its vicinity for exportation via Tucacas and Puerto Cabello The city of San Feli the capital of the state of Yaracuy found founded founded ed by the Spaniards in 1551 and some of the structures erected at that time still remain and are in a state that ren renders ders them habitable Today it is a beautiful city with a cultured population 1 tion of over persons and pos possesses possesses specimens of architecture Q which any city might be proud among which are the municipal buildings sol diets diers quarters police station federal college building In which are located the press telegraph and telephone of flees ancient aqueduct for water sup supply ply gardens ani ann ana nay many real really really ly beautiful residences At the station agent brought us excellent coffee bread and butter and at the station I sound found much that interested me El Hacha is the terminal terminal nal of the Great Southwestern railway also an English corporation and it Is at this station that the Interchanging of cars passengers and freight takes place between the two railways Traffic fic Manager John Prince of the Bolivar railway has his office at El Hacha S 8 3 Aroa station Is but two hours ride from El Hacha all up grade The scenery looking down on to the valley is perfect and quite a change from that experienced In the forest passed through therefore the time flies as It were and we reached Aroa before I V expected expect At this station are the pas pan passenger and freight station shops for the repair and renewal of locomotives cars etc and several hundred feet al almost a ameet most meet straight up a high mountain are the residence of Manager Thomas t cot ot of the railway employees and of flees of the company A prettier luxa Icea tion Itoh for a residence cannot be imag toed ined and the house is a grand south southern era ern style building w with ith up upper upper per and lower verandas that extend around the same and la is finished with narrow matched fine woods its rooms I Iare are large and elegant Its size is about feet The lower bath is so large that one can enjoy a swim in it and the upper one IB Is supplied with a beau tit ul tub The whole house is lighted by electricity from the plant of the railway company therefore it presents an attractive appearance at night and r from its veranda a beautiful view of the tha town valley and mountains can be ob oh obtained tamed The town of Area Aroa is Spanish built having the traditional narrow streets and peculiar buildings and stores with 1 tile roofs and it had to be ought for several times during the revolution V V When the rebels entered the town be the houses house of the railway company on the mountain presented too nice an appearance to be left lat alone and very soon afterward Mrs Thomas disco red ired a number of them trying to get ge I at her pet horses cows sheep and deer The English in her constitution arose In a minute and she deliberately walked to where they were and ordered them hem off the premises She quietly and yet et firmly gave them to understand that the animate animals they were molesting were ere her property and that she was a subject of Great Britain Their arguments masts ments availed them nothing with this determined lady and they finally gave gavet it t up as a bad job Her move was a serious and dangerous one and she de deserves deserves serves great credit for her bravery and diplomatic ability for those rebels were not of the best families of the a country and were fully armed arsne with ri si I lies fles machetes and revolvers 7 ke d dA k A branch o of the Bolivar railway extends from Ares Aroa station to I Ithe the copper mines of the Quebrado Gop Cop Copper i per Mining company which are sev sey several eral miles up the mountain but that company an English corporation for I financial reasons is not operating the a mines at the present time and con considerable VI work must now be done on them before they can be worked again as a part of the tunnels have fallen in The electric light plant of the rail railway railway way located at Aroa is excellently equipped and the light U It furnishes is the best The shops of the tho company at the same station are supplied with modern machinery have competent men and cover a large territory ana their store houses near the shops have havea a complete supply of the materials tools etc so necessary for the repairs It was my pleasure to attract the In Interest terest of the brilliant pleasant bach bachelor bachelor elor Major Thomas Bennetts Richards 1 V D cashier and accountant of the Bolivar Railway company who resides in a pretty cottage on the mountain at Area Aroa which he has decorated in a very tasteful manner with oil paintings cab cabinets mets and photos of kings queens pain prin princes I Ices ces and princesses presidents admirals als notable generals and celebrated men and women of the past and pros pres ont all elegantly framed in fine woods and who keeps In stock the flag of every great nation which he unfurls on their national holidays The people of Area roa were advised of my arrival by bythe bythe the American flag on one of the poles at the majors and that flag remained in position during my stay title was given him while in the her majesty the queen of Great Brit Belt Britain ain aim and he Is rightfully proud of it itHe itHe He has served this railway company for about fourteen years and the past and present management recommend him highly And I can add to his lau Ian laurels scia by giving him an enviable repute reputation lion tion as a a mixer of delicious beverages one of which he vulgarly calls each Deck tail after the drink indulged in by a afew afew few of the people in Ia the United States S S The everyday home life of my host and hostess Is an innovation for this country for they really take pleasure in carrying out in their daily experience the custom of excellent society in good old England and their hospitality could not een excelled as everything was done for tor my enjoyment that could be thought of to make my stay pleas pleasant pleasant ant Every afternoon we rode about the country visiting many places of great interest to me had picnics way up the V river got caught in rainstorms had awful times trying to start fires with wet leaves and twigs and once OR on the way home we were obliged to ride for our lives to escape a wild bull that ills dis discovered covered our encroachment upon his ter territory territory During that wild ride Mrs Thomas led the pace allowing her horse to leap over logs and rocks and other obstacles encountered and taking chances that gave proof evident of her ability as an equestrienne Then there were the many visits to the town calls of the people most en enjoyable enjoyable evenings at home cool moun mountain tale tain air circulating through my room at cit night all having a tendency to cause me to realize that this was one of the most perfect outings I ever ex em experienced and when the time came to leave it was with real regret that I Isaid Isaid said goodbye to these excellent people My return to Puerto was un ua uneventful eventful but full of enjoyment for I encountered at El Hacha station the secretary of the state of Lara Lasa and a number of the officers of the Yen Vene Venezuelan army all of whom were old friends of mine and the waves of the Gulf of Triste were so quiet that we were enabled to have a jolly time alt all the way over I arrived at the con consulate consulate at 10 p m oC of the day I left Area Aroa |