Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-12
PARA'S GOOD POINTS
Consul kerbey Finds a Good
Deal to Praise on Getting
Better Acquainted.
CULTURE IN THE SUBURBS.
Theaters and Churches and What is
10 be Seen Inside of Them.
ROCKETS As AID TO WORSHIP.
Hottest, Most Unhealthy and Most Ex-
pensi7e Place to Live.
ROCKETS AS AID TO WORSHIP.
VERY GOOD SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS
rcoHREspoNpExcE OF THE p1spArcH,

very tired, hot, and disgusted generally,
leaving with the impression that Para is
something of half-civilized Indian town.
These observations are confined generally
to the narrow streets and narrower side
walks, queer-looking shops and merchants,
and Indian and African servant women
they may chance to meet at midday in the
old portions of the city proper.
have known great many Intelligent
people who get their impressions of Wash
ington from a hasty visit to the Capitol,
Museum, and White House, and who have
no conception of the elegant residence Sec
tions and suburban homes of the Capital
City.
So it is with Para.
There are few wide streets leading out
to the elegant suburbs, on which NAV be
found some strikingly handsome cottages of
various designs nesting picturesqueIy in
the midst of lu1uriant and truly tropical
gardens. The houses are generally on raised
foundations, above the damp, many of them
being supplied with yeranda and convenient
hooks in which to swing hammoeks.
EDUCATED AND REFINED.
These suburban homes are owned bv the
better and wealthier classes OF Brazil1ans,
or are occupied by foreigners who are To-
Gated temporarily as representatives of large
European and American business houses.
The BrazIians are hospitable people and
the select society of this Deichborhood is
said to be exceedingly agreeable. do not
think it an exaggeration to say there NAV
be ound, propor.ionally as much education,
n
in some of our cities and towns of the same
population.
Their customs here are in manner so ex-
elusive that stranger can form no con-
ception OF daily life. They are a most
polite people and never laugh at you when
you make a ridiculous mistake in pro-
nounciation, though their ewes look as
though they would like to. Those 1 have
had the privilege of meeting are as shy az
little children.
A ROW OF STATELY PALMS.
The San Jose avenue leading from the
large Government palace toward the ultra
fashionable suburb, Nazareth, in one re-
spect, at least, cannot be equaled in any
American or European city. On each side
OF this broad thoroughfare is a row of the
finest and largest tropical palm trees. They
are not the diminutive sort of scrub palm
one sees In Florida, but large, stately trees.
with heavy trunks, round, straight, beauti-'
fully tapering and running away up lar
beyond the tops OF the highest houses.
The top Of each palm is a graceful plume
like cluster of leaves from 20 to 30 feet in
diameter, but which, at the height OF so feet
or more from the ground, look so light and
airy as it waves in the breeze, that it in
variably imDresses one as petite. 1t iss
great surprise the first time one encounters
,F Ii;
wrenched off by some violent thunder
storm, and sees that the leaf is from 90 to 2S
feet long by actual measurement
A BEAUTIFUL SUBURB.
The principal street of the beautiful.
aristocratic suburb. Nazareth avenue, is also
lovely place for a stroll, either by night or
by day. Its broad pavements and sidewalks
are perfectly shaded by immense old mango
trees, which, the year round, are a dense
mass of fresh. green foliage, so thick that
not feck OF sunlight reachssthe pavement
through their wide-spreadiug, generously
rounded dome 1t seems to be complete
mingling Of forest and city, in places, some
OF the old country seats still remaining.
with the architecture of former age, and
with many of the DID, untouched forest trees
still growing, with the tangled and twisted
vines draped from their Lofty branches, and
long delicate air roots waving down from
the parasites that fringe the highest limbs
1 attended an opera last night where
saw as many elegant toilets worn by refined
ladies, accompanied by courteous gentlemen
in full dress, as have been accustomed to
see in Washington on like occasions.
THE PARA OPERA HOUSE.
The Opera House is large and com.
nodious, being built by the Government
md is admirably adapted for its purpose.
The building is we'll supplied with large
oillared porticos, grand entrances and
massive looking ROOF. 1t is, however, quite
graceful and pleasing to the eye. The
Interior is quite plain, not having so much
Il the gilded finish that we see in our second
ate theaters.
There are four galleries, which are divided
nto stalls or small boxes, each box seating
tx persons. Those are usually occupied BY
antilles or select parties. In the section
10 our orchestrs, are separate
hairs Tor the bald-headed American and
ther foreign attendants. The stage seemed
ather small In proportion to the immense
ize of the interior. At the front and sides
the auditorium are the large corridors
pening to the square, beneath the lofty
illars of which the gayly dressed assembiage
romenade between the acts. There is also
hole in the wall below stairs, where gentle
len see each other alone, and stimulate
with grain of coffee.
VERY FAIR PERFORMANCE.
The performance was about on a par with
nat of our travelling troupes The two
rincipal singers are Italians, the company
eing trained abroad, and brought from
tally fop this theater by Brazilian con-
actor, who receives a subsidy of $1,000
om the State for the season. The opera
as composed by Paranese, and repre-
,nted in the plot, story of the Haytien in-
direction, written by Victor Hugo, the no
ostumes and tropical scenery being familiar
these people. Certain nights OF each
eek are especially given to the subscribers,
r the elite who have secured season tickets.
here is to be performance on Sunday
light.
The churches, which have until recently
cen in manner subsidized BY the Govern
tent, are also large and enthusiastically SUI
erior to anything we have in the States in
ties of the same size. Indeed, there is not
! Was hington or Philadelphia or Pitts
urg as fue Catholic church as the Cathe-
raj atPara. This has been in restoration
eriod for nearly 10 years, the repairs and
Improvements not being contemplated yet,
.rtists were brought here from Italy 70