258 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



with money or influence, and, as I could do neither, 

 I can only relate what I have been able to ob- 

 serve. Let other people say what they will, this 

 much I can say, that Mr. Rust must be given the cre- 

 dit of being the real pioneer of the Trinidad Oil In- 

 dustry, now, I hope, beginning to take a substantial 

 shape. He ascertained beyond doubt that there is 

 abundance of oil at Guayaguayare and that it was 

 more than an empty dream. He met with rebuffs ; 

 he met with discouragement ; he met with calamny \ 

 he met with ridicule ; and, worst of all he, for many 

 years met with disappointment. He, however, had 

 the pluck to persevere, till I believe he is now on the 

 verge of a huge success. 



The London Financial News of Thursday, July 

 18th, publishes an interesting interview with Mr. 

 Randolph Rust. It clearly shows that Mr. Rust is 

 still fighting for Trinidad and especially on oil indus- 

 try. The following passage occurs in the report : — 



66 Then Trinidad has a priceless asset in its oil- 

 fields. I am speaking here from my own knowledge. 

 I have spent the last twelve years of my life, to a 

 great extent, in prospecting for oil, which was known 

 to exist in Trinidad, though its importance was in 

 former days derided by those who had never taken 

 the trouble to go near the oilfields of Guayaguayare. 

 Briefly our borings have revealed the existence of 

 inexhaustible reservoirs of petroleum oil of the first 

 quality. We have illuminating oil second to none, 

 while of fuel for the oil engines, which are bound to 

 revolutionize both the mercantile and war marines o'f 



