VENEZUELA 
133 
Venezuela, due to its vast grassy, well- 
watered plains, is destined to become one of the 
world’s greatest cattle-producing countries, 
and is capable of supporting many million 
heads. It is estimated that there are more 
than 2,000,000 goats and 3,000,000 head of beef 
cattle in this land to-day. Four slaughter 
houses adapted to ship frozen meat to Europe 
were opened and seemed to be on the verge 
of success when governmental interference 
closed them. 
Hides to the extent of $1,010,636 and goat 
skins to the value of $363,447, came to the 
United States from this country in 1913. 
Feathers, horns, wild animal skins, deer skins 
and fish-sounds are also large items of export. 
The extent of the mineral wealth of Vene 
zuela is unknown, but the chances are that it is 
exceedingly rich in such deposits. It is cer 
tain that there is gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, 
sulphur, asphalt, coal, lead, petroleum, phos 
phates, manganese and caolin. One gold mine 
between the years 1871-1890 yielded $23,000,- 
000. I have seen many Indians bring bottles