The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-04
A BRAZILIAN CITY
PECULIARITIEs OF THE AN
GENT CITY OF PARA.
Sacred observation-disclosures OPP
Grated to Sustain Hospitals
A Gruesome Cemetery-A
Foundiing's Paradise.

Inc names or Things sacred TO Tree
people are met everywhere in Para,
Brazil. Streets are called st. Paul, st.
Peter and st. John, and sometimes one
is found with the name of Espirito Santo
Holy Ghost. Rue de Vinte e Cinco de
Mayo, the 35th Of May street, also seems
odd to the foreigner. It is sanctified BY
the story of their valor, and commemor-
ates some hardly fought battle. Nany
men and women are named after the
saint whose anniversary is upon the day
on which they are born. Others are
called Domingo Sunday, while many
have the name of Jesus and Of Christ
added to the numerous other names
which every Brazilian bears. Names Of
stores are also noticeable, some being
represented by the sign Bonn Diablo
(good deviD, while others similar in
every respect do business under the di-
rection of The Poor Devil.
Hospital Santa Casa (Holy House) is
the hospital for the poor of the city.
Like all South American hospitals this
one is popularized by the manner in
which the money is raised !; it is sup
ported by public lottery. This finds
favor everywhere. One meets as many
men, women and children on the street
of a Brazilian city selling lottery tickets,
as can be seen on the streets of New
York selling newspapers. There is an
other hospital built and sustained by GER
tain moneyed men of the country, who
were ambitious to wear title; for q
specified sum W hich would endow bed
in said hospital they could obtain the
title of baron, marquis, oriviscount, and
at the same tune Ee extolled for charita-
bleness. The Emperor of Brazil consid-
ers vanity taxable property. 80 y.
So many poor creatures 60 from the
hospital to the cemetery that we must
mention it in passing. It is about three
miles from the city, and is reached BY
horse. cars 1t has forsaken look, for
not blade of grass is allowed to grow,
there and very few flowers are planted.
Achapel stands just inside the gate with
Ornamental dome and marble floor. There
are numerous vaults with glass doors
inside the gates, exposing the little
chapel over the vault; these are full Of
pictures, crucitixes, bead baskets and
ornaments. That part Of, the ground
sacred to the poor is simply.
planted with wooden crosses there are
thousands of graves without a mark OF
any kind but the small cross. They are
only permitted to rest there for the space
of three years when the remains are
evictcd into large pit at the back Of the
ground to make room for others. We
happened into the cemetery on, the even
ing of All Souls day and found the en-.
tire ground one blaze Of light. Many of
the vaults and graves of the rich were
lighted with gas-jets, while Others were
surrounded by candles. Standing near
the main entrance was tall pole, around
which nearly 500 candles were planted in
the sand by loyal friends who knew not
where to find the graves of their loved
ones. ~ f5.
The city, or rather the church, sup
ports a founding asylum for children of
unknown parentage; these are received
without question by means of reyolv-
ing dummy in the side Of the building.
This dummy, when swung around, re-
veals little bed on which the mother can
place her babe under cover of darkness,
and as the trap swings back in place, it
rings a bell which summons the nurse in
charge, who takes the infant to the
nursery, where it is cared for until large
enough to be put at work. When these
children become of age, the girls are
allowed a certain portion of money from
tho governments consideration that
makes them in great demand as wives
among the poorer class.
The carnival is another peculiar pro-
duct of South America. It came from
Southern Europe and in genial soil has
been perfected; it has attained such q
degree of madness that business is nearly
or quite suspended, and people shut
themselves indoors or go in the country.
It produces reign of terror. The tops
of the one.story fat roof houses that
fence in the narrow streets are lined with
men and women whS dash pals of water
over every passer by. Sometimes q
drenched crowd sack a grocery store,
carrying away the eggs, and the battle
is returned. Occasionally maddened
people use their revolvers. The carnival
balls that run on through Lent, instead
of stopping at the beginning, are said to
excuse all the revels Of the lower nature
Strange and fantastic disguises make the
street merry by day and reckless by night.
Detroit Free Press.