Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-02-28
THE QUEER CUSTOMS OF BRAZIL
PecuIiarities of Funerals and Weddings
The Porterage Business.

anu "
The Porterage Business.
Rio Janeiro Letter in the New York Times.
There are many curious customs observ-
ed by the Brazilians. Funerals are not
able in that for young unmarried lady
coffin, hearse, and the livery of the driver
must be bright scarlet, the four white
horses drawing the hearse must be covered
with scarlet nets. and scarlet pluTnes must
deck the horses heads. No women 60
to the cemeteries. The mother, the
widow, must not exhibit their grief IN
public.
For the swell funeral of a young girl the
coffin, hearse, livery of the driver and
nets and plumes for the horses must De
royal purple. For elderly persons black
and gold are the adornments OF mortuary
trapplngs.
At weddings the bride does not wear
orange blossoms, but orange flowers are
presented by the groom and his bride to
their unmarried friends, and they are sup
posed TO pass them on to their unmarried
acquaintance. This custom has a hidden
meaning dating back to the twilight OF
mans history. The flower is an emblem
of fecundity, and the passing on OF
the gift signifies go thou and do like
wise
The calling Of pOrters-the business Of
porterage-is a regular one, and is divided
into classes. There are pOrters whose
speciality l. handling pianos f. delivering,
transferring them. You never see a piano
on truck or in furniture van. -Four
men bear upright pianos on their heads,
and square and grand pianos are carried
in sings suspended from two poles, resting
IN thA gb1uI doris Of four men
Iron safes are transported by pOrters,
delivered from the warehouses, moved from
one place to another and put in position
all by sheer strength.
If you buy anything furniture, piano,
safe the purchaser must bargain with
the poIters for the delivery. And if you
do not make your bargain to carry and put
in position, the pOrters will leave the artI-
cles at your door, unless you agree TO pay
additional for placing them in your house
or rooms.
In the business streets Of the cIty-ln
the wholesale and warehouse districts
the CarrOs urbanOs-a street-Car line with
nHrow-gaugc track ~ runs up one and
down another Of the harrow ways on al
most every street. In the coffee districts
there are regulur frcight-cars run on these
tracks for the transport Of coffee in bags
to the coffee docks.
The porters who have their habitat in
these streets use hand trucks made to
tract" on the strcetcar rails. As you
walk along the shady sides Of those streets
the pOrters, unOcCupIed, are lOuugIng III
the doOrways or sleeping on their trucks,
which partly obstruct the sidewalks. You
have 10 keep lookout all the time or you
will soil the bottom Of your trOuser.
against the grease-drippng wheels of these
trucks.
The streets in the residence portion OF
the city are infested day AMI night with
peripatctIc vendors, pcddlcrs, and retailers
Of fruits, vegetables, and, in the summer,
of ice. Their discordant cries. claiming
sticks, rIt-;I-tat on tin and IRON pans. make
both day and night hideous.
The BraWlIans are fond Of looking out
upon the passcrs by III the streets. In the
mornings and evenings the windows OF
the houses on the shady side of the streets
are filled with women and children leaning
half ont. They recognize their acquaint-
ances walking, or riding by II the street
cars, with waves of their hanG Fine
places with grounds IN front Of the houses
have raised platforms. where the mem
bers of the family sit IN the evening for
the double purpose Of enjoying the breeze
and Watching the passrrs by
This is the height of the summer sra-
SON and the Thermometer in the shade
stands for several hours Of the daytime at
from - To- - degrees e. the business
part Of the city. with its narrow streets,
tins heat Is at times very oppressive. but,
except IN very extraordinary seasons, there
j. scarcely a day without a breeze, either