TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



303 



in Trinidad with the result that he was furnished 

 with a photograph of the borrower and an account of 

 his doings while here. It was then, Colonel Clements 

 having written to Captain Baker his part in the 

 above narrative, that I learned the portion of it rela- 

 ting to him. 



Some time after this, I think in the course of the 

 year, Gray returned to Trinidad to have his claim on 

 the Trinidad Telephone Company adjusted and meet- 

 ing with some difficulty was advised by his friends 

 here to start an opposition Company, which he did 

 with the result that he got many supporters and the 

 first company fearing a rival came to terms with him. 

 It was while Gray was here doing this that he told to 

 Garcia and myself, the remainder of the story which 

 we had not heard from Colonel Clements. 



There was, in the days I allude to no more easily 

 gulled people than the people of Trinidad. If you 

 were a clever adventurer, all you had to do was to 

 wear a signet ring with a crest belonging to some 

 good family, be well dressed, have a good address and 

 pleasant manners, if you could sing a good song so 

 much the better and there you were ; you were put 

 up in the club, where you mixed with pleasant people, 

 and being pleasant and agreeable you were invited 

 to their house and consequently were able to obtain 

 unlimited credit. The man without a name was one 

 of this sort and lived on the acquaintance he thus 

 made for nearly a year. 



I may be told that this sketch of a clever adven- 

 turer has nothing to do with the Trinidad telephone. 



