Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-29
BRAZIL WANTS IMMIGRANTS.
Her Natives and Slaves Laxy-Chancex
fer American Neebanics-CendisIo
OF the Slavery Question.
New York Commercial Advert

New York Commercial Advertiser.
Senior Jose Mcndes, coffee planter,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, says: 1.-The
development of the interior of Brazil
IL agriculture and mining is steadily
on the increase. The population
grows at the rate of 2 per cent. year,
and e7erythings points to a future of
unequaled prosperity. The r1ain thing
that Brazil wants is a number of i'm
migrants from the United States,
tradesmen principally, who would as
sist us in making internal improve
ments. The natives Of Brazil are in
clined to take things as they come,
and dislnclined to effort They prefer
to jog along Ia their own lazy way.
and allow foreigners TO make the i'm
prevements and to reap the benefits.
We prefer American settlers to aey
others because they push an enterprise
to a rapid completion. The railways
are now almost entirely in the posses
sion of English capitalists who are
not inclined to extend them, being
entirely satisfied with present profits.
Our railway system is inadequate
to the demands of the planters ia the
interior, VINO are hampered consider
ably in sending their produce to the
coast. The expense Of transportation
is excessive. and the profits of the
planters are reduced to the minimum.
There is little or no competition
among the railways, and consequently
the country, so far as travelling is CON
cerned, is completely y at their mercy
cl n RI
with considerable vehemsnce IN the
cham bers, when | left Brazil for New
York, a few weeks ago. The larger
planters desire to add to the number
of their slaves, but the government
refuses to allow them. The law is in
tended to stop the growth of slavery,
and to permit it to die of inanition. A
child bora to parents in slavery is
free. and cannot be bought. If any
sales of slaves are made, families are
never divided. The number of per
sons owned by each planter is known
to the government, and he is not al
lowed to add TO them by purchase
Should he DO so, he is liable to heavy
fine and to Imprisonment. II he
needs more workmen, he may hire
them; or his slaves, after the limit of
their time of scrvitude is passed, may
be employed as worknaen. The Brazil
ian negroes are fearfully lazy, and it
is sometimes almost ina possible to get
any work out of them fer a week after
they are paid off. Tney are passion
ateIy fond OF loadns, and consequent
~ it requires double the namser of
negroes to work a plantation than it
would were the workmen white There
is decidedly good chance for in
telligent mechanics to make money ia
Brazil. At present we have but few
men who can properly build house.
OF course planters houses are not
built of stone, but they like to live IN
nice houses and are willing to pay for
them.
1.-The growth of coffee is increasing
every year as are also the values of
the plantations. The wide range ia
the quality of the Brazilian coffee
makes it suitable for any market, and
hence the sale Of it is much greater
than coffee of any ether growth There
are grades of the Brazilian bean as
fine in flavor as either the Mocha or
Java coffee"