LOVELY CARACAS.
tT5!fEZtjfct,AS CAPIfAti AID
1."
l SOMK OP IIS ATntAClIOSS.
ItdrHM hi (lilt !nhnbltants-An tm
pressl ve Cnpltol A Famous Coffee
Reaion Statues of Wash'
jjngtn and Bolivar,,
-
TY ABACAS, for three hnnflrod
I ( years the capital of Venezuela,
presents itself to view with en
chanting dramatio effect,
writes Almont Barnes in the Washing
too Star. One goon by mil or other
road up from the edge of the 10a at
La Gnayrs, winding among the curves
and lifts of the mountains until he is
five thousand feet Above that city, be
yond which the Caribbean looks like
a mill pond, and its fleets like "painted
ship; on a pninte ocean," but five or
is miles away. The peak of NaUrnita
and La SilU Mountain tower above
Metraollos three thousand feet.
But ha winds along through the di
vide, amid shrubbery and forests of
THE UMYEK81TV
perfect growth and lovclinesi, and a
bewildoring profusion of wild dowers,
in view of a plantation, protected on
one side by a sheer deolivity of 1500
feet, and with flocks of swift parrots
nd more brilliant birds above his
bead, and all at once at his feet, a
thousand feet bolow, lies Caracas,
spread ont in a basin of which all
ides are apparently mountains to the
oath, hazy, golden, far-away, as in
dreams, bnt hold and dominantjwhere
yon are passing and along to the nine
mile distant const. What a city that
is for a now world a mosaic of white
TftB CiriTOU
wbIIb and red roofs, with patohes of
trees in the p(uzas, palms beyond tho
city edges, ulid outlined against the
clearest of skies the spires and towers
of pnblio bnilding9 and churches, and
then again, beyond the city, coffee
grows on tho mountain side and
emerald green crops of alfalfa and oane
upon the plain the city antique as
the crusades, its setting new and fresh
as the youngest babe of time,
t Santiago de Leon de Caracas (St.
James of the Lion of Caracas) has its
last name worthily from an Indian
chief. It ii a oity of romantio history.
(While the buccaneers swept the South
ern seas it never had a carriage road
to it from the coast, yet it was cap-
A STREET
tared and aaoked by Sir Francis
Drake. Then, in 1811, on the 5th of
July, the revolutionary assembly there
. passed its declaration of independence
'of Spain.
i . xnere uoiivar was born, liberated
his slaves, was President, Diotator and
'aiter aohieving the independence of
iVenezuola, Colombia, Eouador, Bo
livia and Peru, and dying in exile and
j poverty, there his bones are gathered
in tho Pantheon, and his bronze statue
tAornesthe prtuoipal plaza. Above
Mid extending down into the newer
'city are the ruins of the old one, de
stroyed in 1812 in an earthquake of a
few, moments' duration, with twelve
.thousand or more .of its people. The
(earthquake delayed independence, as
the people were taught that thus deity
' enUested His displeasure. .
Ihe importation of the Spanish
rc.5ih.od of domMtio Mobiteoturt into
I ifpp ' 73 " "ill
Map 5B
ifflM
ifopicAl America was manifestly wle,
No style of dwellings can be more
comfortable and healthy ontsMe
snowy none. High and commodious
rooms built around a large open cen
tral court or patio secure privaoy,
shade, open air and light, with room
for plants and (lowers, where women
and children are nt home out of doors,
Caracas is full of suoh homes, usually
neatly plain outside, bnt elegant and
inviting within. They are eminently
social homes, suited to the inhab
itants. The cnpitol is a massive building of
stone and stucco, the legislative part
being one grand story, the part for
olHees of two, and all the building,
inclosing a large open square, of equal
height. The style of architecture is
Grecian. From" the impressive front
entrance, or from an immense salon
to its left, which contains portraits in
oil of all tho most distinguished
citizens of the country, . mostly by
native artists, yon may look out upon
a statue of Washington, while still
farther to the lef., in the beautiful
pliiza fronting the Casa Ainarilla (yel
low house) of the President, on one
OF I'AKACAS.
side, and pnblio offices of large pro
portions on another, you may see the
splendid equestrian statue of Bolivar.
The 5th of July is celebrated in
Venezuela officially in each oity with
orations in the legislative or mnnioipal
chambers, processions headed by the
chief oflloials and foroign representa
tives, to the churches, ending with a
mass and fireworks. The writer can
never forget one such celebration, in
which the orator, as is usual, landed
Washington and Bolivar as the great
liberators, and in which, aide by side
with Goncral Carabano, he aided in
officially representing the two Be-
pub'ios. We of the older Bepublio
d not sufficiently appreciate how the
best people of the new ones love the
liberties they cave and the ancient
difficulties they have to combat in
sustaining them.
On the western edge of the city of
Caracas is a round hill of considerable
extent, upon which is located tho dis
tributing reservoir of tho city water
works, and a fine publio garden,
adorned with flowers and shrubbery
along open and shaded walks, center
ing at a horoio statue of Guzman
Blanco, the self-styled and to some ex
tent real "ill net re Americano" and
"regoncrodor" of his oountry. He
certainly gave it a vigorous forward
impulse, and took his pay as he went
along. From the hill, which is reached
by beautiful carriage ways and walks,
one may study at leisure nearly the
whole city spread bolow, tho greater
extent of the plain, and the surround
ing monntain masses. The view is one
of mingled loveliness and grandeur,
and when the bells from tho nnmorous
churches ring out their chimes and
the mnsio oomes back iu softened
echoes, repeated from the mountains,
until the air is saturated with softest
and almost saddest melody, the un
reality of it all becomes intense. And
ther, beneath it all, sleeps the earth
quake and the possible ruin. This
thought returns and makes paradise
imported.
IN CARACAS
Toward the capitol is the splendid
ohuroh of Santa Ana, and the face of
its piotured irgin is as the face of the
wife of Guzman Blanco. Nearer is
the new theater, the finest in South
America. Far to the front is the
Masonio Temple, with its twisted and
ungraoeful coIuuiub, and on ground
near the foothills of La Silla (the
saddle) where the earthquake made
havoc, stands the Pantheon, where the
bones ot heroes of the indepeudenoe
are enshrined. In removals there of
the remains of General Paez, once
President, and Admiral Brion, com
patriots of Bolivar, the writer was
privileged to take part and to hear
noble orations in honor of liberty and
republican institutions, worthy of any
land. If . Washington Oity knew
Caracas as Caracas does Washington
Oity, the latter would be always a
sfjrt interested ana waling neigubor.
Caracas has street cat lines for' its
80,000 people ( railways reaching in'
land, and to its aeaport at La Guaira
and its bathing resort at MaontoJ
eleotrio light and telephone servioe,
gkkeraTj bomvau a btattp.
and the telegraph, of coarse. Its pnb
Ho and National schools, inoluding the
University of Caracas, are of woll
known excellence. It has a large' pub
lic library, and its book stores nnd
current publications are woll patron
ized. Its people are highly cultivat
ed, intelligent, active, honorable, hos
pitable and have a genius and destiny
of their own.
Caracas is flanked nnd baoked by a
famous cofToe and caoao region, and as
these products are the principal ones
ot the country's so called agriculture,
the city becomes the only point of
convergence for them before they are
shot down the seaward side of the
mountain, through Ltt Guaira, into
the export steamer. Caracas caoao is
second only to that of Eouador in the
foreign market, though the Mexican
is perhaps as good ; and "La Guaira"
coffee was famous before it became
simply false Mocba and Java.
In 1877 coffee was so cheap in all
markets four cents and less per pound
in La Guaira that large numbers of
plantations were destroyed and' reset
with cacao trees. But since the use of
coffee now increases faster than the
production, ootlee raising has become
profitable beyond most products, ami
Venezuela is gaining greatly in pros
perity, and Caracas planters in easily
earned wealth, many citizens having
country plantations, and taking lite
more without caro than the old cotton
planters.
The enchanting Venezuelan capital
would be, with the sanitary care of
this capital oity, one ot the healthiest
cities of the world. At presont it is
one of the safest of South American
oities, seldom being troubled even
with yellow fever, and then in mild
form. Latterly more care has been
given to sanitation, with obvious ben
efit. Bat usually it is a safe as well as
a delightful city to visit, where "Eng
lish is spoke" as woll as Spauish, aud
an American mar chance to meet sev
eral of his countrywomen married and
happy there, among them Mrs. San
tana, a daughter ot Josh Billings,
who, with her family, sometimes
makes a visit "home."
A Great Chinese Beauty.
Here is a curious and quite authen
tic portrait of one of the most cele
brated actresses in China. In Fekin
CONSIDERED A BEACTT K CHINA,
she is considered to be very besutifal.
It would seem that Eastern and West
ern notions as to what constitutes
beauty differ even more widely than
one wonld have thought.
Another Mammoth Care.
Another mammoth cave has been
discovered in Kentnoky. James Hoar-
ino, E. N. Ingram and John H. Hurst
made an exploration of a oave at the
limestone quarry near Pineville. They
report going into the earth half a mile
and finding a small lake some eight
een or twenty feet square, of ioe
water. They brought out with them
some stalactites and other peouliar
formations. It is at present wet and
muddy, and after leaving the entrance
and going back about one hundred
feet, one oomes to a precipice about
twenty-five or thirty feet high, and
down whioh people must let them
selves with a rope or ladder. It is not
yet known how far baok the oave ex
tends, nor it it will beoome popular as
a plaoe of resort. Atlanta Constitu
tion. '
A Station Juiliratur,
The introduction of advertisements
on the walls ot the railroad stations
in London has made it necessary for
the Metropolitan Hailway to introduce
a station indicator to annoanee to the
passengers the name of the station
whioh the train he is riding in is ap-protohing.
Wis. v J
AN fJCEAit FEEAK,
The Deep Sea Fish Known as the
"Black Shallower."
The chtasmodon is one of the rarest
creatures known to science. Only
three speoimens of it have ever been
seen, so far as naturalists have any
record. And of these none was taken
alive. The chiasmodon is generally
known as the "black swallower." It
is not understood that he has any mis
sion on earth except to swallow, and
the only reason be ever comes to die is
that he does his work too well. This
"black swallower" is a doep sea flub,
dwelling, when he is at home, in about
1500 fathoms of water. The only
specimens that have been obtained
have nil been picked up in the North
Atlantic, not far from the Newfound
land coast. They are built for their
business. In color they are inky
black, ns the name indicates, save on
the stomach. The body is long and
of almost uniform thickness. The
taper of the tail is very abrupt. They
nre devoid of scales. The skin is per
fectly smooth, A scaly coat would
interfere with perfect elasticity, and
that is the "black ewallower's" neces
sarily strong point. He must stretch
or his job is gone.
Of course, this fish, swallowing the
monsters that he does, must have a
mouth constructed especially for the
purpose. His head is subconio in
shape, narrowing forward, and this
egregions, all swallowing mouth is
deeply cleft. It runs away back of
his eyes and is filled with teeth, which
aro long and movable so as to be got
ten ont of the war if need be. Fur
thermore, they point backward, like
the teeth of a snake, bo that onoo bav-
fit tC '-'r-WtlhU-t -.
TnB CttlASMODOX WF1EH OOROED.
Ing seized the tail of another fish he
Ban never let go. He must go the
whole figure, engorge his victim or
fail and be trailed along open-mouthed
until ne dies.
When dinner time oomes and the
chiasmodon is very huagty he selects
a fish about twice his own length and
of almost tiny bulk. He approaches
his prey cautiously from behind and
seizes him firmly in that giant mouth.
After the first brief flight and struggle
are over the real job of swallowing be
gins. The jaws are unhinged and
steadily the swallower climbs over his
victim. This is the time when the
elastio skin is called into play. Up to
this stage of the proceeding the chias
modon has been a long, lean fish, but
as the prey disappears inch by inch
within those horrid jaws it is crowded
down into the stomach, which distends
to accommodate it.
Tito Bed Man and thn lllcj clo.
"The noblo red man may yet be civi
tized by means of bicycles," said A.
L. Bartlott, ot Beatrice, Neb., at the
Ilcgont. "Tho Otoe tribe Lave steadily
resided all efforts to induce them to
becomo citizens, nnd their numbers
have dwindled until but few of thorn
remain. In fact, there aro few more
Indians iu Nobraslia now thaA in Now
York nnd Indiana. A few days ago
one ot tho chiefs of the Otoe Uibe vis
ited Beatrice and became much inter
ested in bicycles. The owner thought
it would be fun to let the old Indian
learn to ride, and it was not long be
fore the chief had mastered tho art.
Then he must have a wheel of his own,
and not having Kany money he traded
four ponies for one. He rode it to
the reservation and next day halt a
dozen Indians came to town, bringing
penies to trade for bicycles. 'Bide
faster. No feed,' thsy say, and when
the bicycle manufacturers learn this
new field it is probable that they will
reap a harvest, and the Indians will
lay aside their primitive customs and
join the L. A. W. in a body." Wash
ington Star.
Noble Charities.
The will of the late Nathan F.
Graves, of Syracuse, N. T., provides
for the ereotion of a home in that city
for indigent aged people. Mr. Graves's
estate is estimated at 8500,000, and
about 100,000 ot this is bequeathed
to tho homo. The will also makes
Syracuse University a beneficiary to
the amount of 810,000, the income ol
whioh is to be applied to a lectureship
on missions, and whioh will perpetuatt
the course to whiah Mr. Graves annu
ally for some years had given $500.
New Orleans I'toayune.
In Storms Take to the Trolley.
"There are some people who are
mortally afraid during a thunder
storm," said Vice-President Hntcbins,
of the Citizens' Company, the other
day. "They cannot find a safer place
anywhere than on board of an eleotrio
car. Lilgntning oannot strike them,
because they are absolutely protected
against such danger. If they were not,
and the eleotrio fluid should strike one,
it would go to the power house and
burn out the whole plant. Detroit
ree Press.
' What the Father Said.
Funxsutawney young men are ot
careless speeoh, according to a local
paper, whioh says that one of them
taking bis sweetheart home said tc
her on reaohiug the gute, "Just one,"
and was painfully surprised to bear
bar father f voioa throagn a lattice,
saving, "Your watoh is an hour fasti
it isn't more than 11, but it's time you
were taking your sneak."- New York
ban,
STYLISH APPAREL
SOME STRIKING FKATUKrCS OK
WOMAN'S COSTtJMK.
A Handsome Basque of Blue Ktamlne
Cloth for Dressy Occasions
-The Newest TIiIir In
Uloves Is a Mlrr T,
1 OBIN'Segg bine ctamtno cloth
that matched the skirt made
the handsome basque depicted
(jin our largo illustration, the
full vest, collar, revers and belt being
of lemon colored pean-de-soie. The
revers and inside of mediet collar an
covered with black point-de-gene lace
HANDSOME ASD
finished with narrow edging to match.
The fronts and lower edges are faced
with the light silk. Tho mode is a
variation of the Louis XVI basque,
the rippled revers forming a soft and
graceful finish to the jacket fronts.
The full blouse vest, gathered at tho
neok and waist line, is arranged over
linings fitted by double bust darts that
close in centre front. Tho vest is
sewed to the right front lining and
closes with the standing collar at the
left shoulder and undor the left jacket
front. The wrinkled bolt is joined to
the lower edge, and closes with the
drooping front. The jacket fronts are
reversed at the top in largo pointed
revers that are creasod to fall with
graceful rippled effect. Two largo
fancy pearl buttons decorate each
front. The flaring mediot collar Is
finished inside to match revers, meet
ing them at the top. The lower out
line forms short poinls before tho
single darts that are lengthed beyond
and slightly out away over the hips.
Tho glove-fitting bao'.c is adjusted with
the usual seams, each being sprung
below tho waist to form ripplo plaits
with points at every seam. Basques
in this style are sometimes made of
brocade and other fancy silks to con
trast widely with tho skirt. Ihese are
intended for afternoon receptions or
other drossy occasions. For ordinary
wear the matorial should matoh tho
skirt as here Bhown, endless variety
being possiblo by tho introduction of
different vests.
8TVLI3H
The quantity of material forty-four
lnoh.es wide require 1 to make this
basque for a lady in the media n size
is three and one-half yards.
BLACK HATS WITH WHITS DBESSES.
Blaok hats with white dresses are
considered very effeotive. These are
laden with plumes, five or sis being
considered a small number for one
hat A mart ribbon btw on one lid
complete ihs)
mirrors m axons.
k mirror in the palm of a glove" ii
the latest novelty. With its assistance
its owner is enabled to be sure that
her bonnet is on straight and also that
her curls are in perfect order. She
can likewise ascertain if her how is at
the most becoming angle at the prop
er time.
All the?e things and a hundred
others, Important from the feminine
point of view, she can find ont on the
street without attracting the attention
of passers-by, with the aid of this
simple contrivance.
The inventor of this device has so
arranged tho littlo looking glass ia
DRESSY BASQUE.
the palm of the glove as not io inter
fore with the shutting of the hand.
He has likewise taken the precaution
ot putting it in tho left-hand glove, sa
that when its owner shakes hands with
a friend it will not be observed.
MinRon w TnB pals! or a glove.
It is not the fair sex alone that will
find this ingenious contrivance useful.
Men nre quite as vain as women, so
the latter claim, and will bo seen by
any observer to look nt themselves ia
every mirror they pa4 on the streets.
New York Journal.
LADIES' JACKET.
WIDE RINOS,
Bings that oover the finger from the
knuokle to the joint above are the
latest designs in the . matter ot swell
jewelry. Their' only disadvantage
lies in the fact that the number worn
must neoaasarily be limited by the sise
ot'one's finger. Moderate sised dia
monds surrounding some single large
tone, or set just above it in a peat
haped group, form the usual setting.
and a steel buckle
trimming.