Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13
NOTES FROM BRAZIL.
Beautiful Situation of Its Capital
City, Rio de Janeiro.
LOVELY SCENERY ABOUNDS.
II IL . CIsanly City, Too-Peculiarities Of Its
Horse Car system-street Vendors and How
They Cry Their ware.--The Policemsn's
War Whoop and What IL Means.
pecial Correspondence Of The Evening star.


RIO JASEIRo. November 10.
7 IKE AN UNDULATING. curving ribbon of
Avhite jewels between the emerald green of
the forest-cOyered mountains and the deep
blue waters of the bay lies the city of Rio de
Janeiro- Surely never had a city so lovely a
site before; the glorious sweep of magnificent
mountains around its bav with farther
ranges showing behind them until the pipe-like
peaks of the organ range show blue and
shsdowy in the far distance. Everywhere that
your eye turns. whether you on the blue
bay or ashore, u lovely picture Of mountains
forest, blue waters and cleaning white houses
greets you. And the forests that cover
these mountains2 They ideal, not only
because of their beauties. their strangeness and
rich colorinS. but also because of their accesi-
bility; because ore can walk about In them.
enjoy The trees, flowers, ferns and numberless
strange growths well as those that are famil-
lar to us and bring a Ireath of homesie,ness
with their forIas. reminding of the distance
we have come ana the tIma of exile before us
H.ppiest when warmCst, have always longed
for and dreamed of the tropics. but never
found the ideal tropics antil We arrived in Rio
No wonder that imperialism fingered there its
last stronghold oi this continent. No where
else had il such city. such a crown of noun
tains, and sUch convenient harbor to sail
from when the day Of reckoning came.
O1r first evening ashore spent in the
large fine tneater Of Dom Pedro III listening 10
Hamlet given by an excellent Italian dramatic
troupe. ..-.
CLEANLINESS OF THE CRY.
Twas surprised at the cleanliness of the CITY.
It nav not be properly severed, but it is clean
and great many Of the streets are wide. All
are well paved with good sidewalks and there
Is 4 most excellent street car service There
are three kinds OF street cars-the opens ones
nicely painted and appointed. in which one
paws 10 cents fOr q ride. and must have shoes
and stockings on The second-class or bare
foot ears. which are closed. have e tariff of
cents for a ride. These cars run on regular
routes and follow the rails laid down In the
streets. The horses and mules are good and
there are enough of them to draw the cars. so
II Is not necessary fO- the drivers to beat them
and the company does not allow the men to
have whips CrOwding il not allowed and
when car Is full II viii not stop for any one.
The third class Is a kind of open car mounted
on big wheels and they all seem to start from
the large market down on the wharves at one
side o. the Prslca da Marinhas. They have a
destination which il announced on little
board which the conductor hangs on to the
roof before starting. They also seem to have
regular routes, but leave them at the request
Of any passenger. These carry the lowest
classes. chiefly slaves and street vendors with
their heavy packages or baskets.
These street vendors are ii great institution
ana suppose the street traffic grew up when
women were strictly confined to their
houses. and row these peddlers are almost en-
tFely depended upon for household supplies.
1t IL l11te the proper thing to hang out Of the
window or lean over the edge of your balccny
AL the afternoon To watch the passers-by We
took 10 /: most kindly. aud As strangers took q
certain amount of latitude and spent nearly all
day on our balconies, enjoying the soft warm
AIR, the view Of Corcovado mountain and lie IN
the streets
STREET VENDORS.
When merchandise is carried in baskets thew
are hung by ropes to either end of pole and
the pole balanced Oh one SHOULDER. Meat is car
ned either in these a shallow trav, fish in
baskets and vegetables the same. The different
sized hsh are put IN different sized baskets and
these age piled on top of one another in two
ptles before being attached to the pole. The
largest hsh are in the TOP basket. and often
watched vendor separate his baskets until he
reached the bottom one. where the fish were
scarcely more than mirnows. To sell some to an
old Hiaa who had u shop opposite to orr hotel
and bUught fresh fish every morning for
ms two pet cats. Ii Was great fun to watch
MIN do his morning marketing. Such
fuss rs he and the vendor would make over
the purchase of bunch Of turnips n few red
peppers OF some tiny tomatoes. They would
argne. quarrel. scream and pull the contents
OF the baskets all about. He would run down
everything the man had and the man praise
everything, until f:Iall;- bargain would be
struck and the money, which seldom amounted
To more than n few cents. handed over. He
spent quite a. much ON his cats as on himself
Chickens are carried in covered baskets and so
are pigeons. while turkeys are driven in droves
by one or two boys, armed with light bamboo
sticks
PEDDLERs' PECULIAR CRIES.
Each peddler has his own peculiar cry so
that one could tell what was being carried past
without going To the window. There is the tin
man. who strikes an iron spoon against a small
IN basin - he walks and the soap man who
raps the side of box THAI he carries on his
head with a stick and calls ou., Soap, Soar ~
The dry goo'is men have their wares in small
tin trunks that painted bright colors
sometimes they carry three and even four of
them on their backs. bending alrlcst double
beneath the weight IL well 10 do thew have a
sAaye 20 carry their trunks-or at least used to
and walk ahead Of him, calling attention by
Shaping jointed yaId stick together at every
step. Cob5lers go about ard collect shoes that
need mending. stringing them all on piece of
Irvine, and after few days they bring them
back in good order.
NEGRoEs AND CONFECTIONERY
Negroes pass along with trays balanced on
their heads which are filed with candy done up
In tissue paper OF different colors. This candy
Is maize IN private houses-often by the ladies'
anu the negroes must bring back q certain
amount Of money for each piece sold. What
ever they make over that they are allowed to
retain. IL is generally IN the form OF yellow
transparent baIis that have no especial flavor
and are warranted to last a long Will as bitin,
them il impossible. These balls ars ell the
CANDY can get in the city exoep: side i'm
ported French candiet: fruits. = - -, n.'4 =
Instead OF milk wagons cows are a-fver
about the streets. each COW having a muzzloi
calf tied to her tail and q bell ted to
her neck. This latter announces her
approach and brings the servants 70 the doors
and gates with bowls or pitchers. and one little
French baby. that lived near us, ALWAYS came
out 20 zee his COW and SLY good morning to
her. slippers which are far too narrow and
about bali the length Of the foot take the place
OF shoes with the lower and middle classes
There IL no heel piece, and consequently at
every step the heel OF the slipper taps tine side
walk. and this noise, while slight Is so coutip-
uous that the marks IL and IL soon becomes
one Of the familiar sounds that one grows ac-
customed to.
TIE PoLIcENAS's WAR wHooP.
As a sta, Ting diversion, at times there comes
an uneartllly yell from the policeman on guard
outside the station AT first we took ii for the
announcements OF discovered murder but il
proved To be a simple request TO be relieved-a
vocal statement that his time was up and he
was tired of trudging up and down with heavy
gun and bayonet. few moments after the
war whoop sounded another policeman would
saunter out. take q musket from the rack near