The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-12-28
'HE OVIDOR."
Rios Broadway and the People
Who Frequent 1t.
The Greatest Street on the
American Continent.

| Inc Ovluor Is narrow street. blu
the grandest on this continent, and TO
some things the grandest in the West
ern Hemisphere, says a Rio Janeirt
(BraziD correspondent of the Charleston
News and Courier. No vehicle or brute
creature is allowed on it. From stor,
across to store the street is full. /
looks queer to see people in the middle,
but it is not adway. There is NJ
rush. Every one has leisure. The mer
in elegant broadcloth, silk hats and dia,
monds puff their cigarettes, stand in
groups, stare and talk.
Ovidor means car trumpct. and the
name is appropriate. Here politics is
talked from morn till night and, for al.
! know, from night till morn. Here
students and artists knot together, and
here society men gossip. Every body
goes to the Ovidor for the news.
Here one buys the finest of every.
thing: diamonds, silks, millinery,
feather flowers, stuffed birds, laces, etc.
This is the best place for seeing the
grand ladies' They shop in costumes
which are almost full evening dress. A
bonnet or hat of exquisite materials,
fashioned direct from Paris, slippers,
fan, elegant kids and plenty of jewelry,
all make something startling to plain
folks. The ladies are pretty, only al
most all are too fat. Even young girls
are so. These are always attended by
chaperons.
There arc two distinct classes, ire
spective of color-the rich, and the
poor working people. The Americans
and English are the middle class, and,
as far as dress goes, when see plain,
neat dress, straw hat, kid gloves, etc, /
know the wearcr is foreigner. The
The working women, black and native
Brazilians, all wear dark skirts, one or
two frills. with sacques, shawl or
cloak, and absolutely nothing on the
head. No matter how hot every one
wears wrap, and, if the sun be scorch-
ing, they go barehcaded, except occa-
sionally plain parasol.
The fine ladies do not go out much,
except on the Ovidor. One sees them
mostly late in the afternoon or at night.
Their dress is silk, lace or some elegant
wool, always light weight and generally
light color, except that now there is a
sad amount of black for the recent
scourage. They follow our idea of
French styles, much trimming. tight
lacing, perfect fitting and such COM
binations that no dress can be easily
inflated. They cling to bustles, pointed
toes, and hat with the most elegant
flowers eve. saw.
Diamonds are quite common. Brace
lets of gold are heavy enough to be
burden; and gloves arc so fresh, long
and perfect that one could die of envy
without half trying, if she were envious
of fine dressing in every detail.
Next to the noun tains and the bay
the lovcl;est things are the flower yards.
Every house has a flower yard, no mat
ter bow small. Generally there are
palms and large, bright foliage plants
and roses. The beds are all fanciiul,
the walks are perfectly kept, and every
thing is as neat as possible.
There is very little turing; often
there are statues. srottocs, pavilions,
etc. But every Louise is fortress Of
itself. Generally the wall of stone is
surmounted by an iron railing with top
of spikes. the whole from eight to
twelve feet high, or perhaps more. The
massive iron gate is locked, and one
stands on the pavement and rings to
know if the sonora is in. It does not
look very hospitable. Through the
gateway we get view of tho lovely