The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-10
oHANCEs IN SOUTH AMERICA.
Opportunities for Energetic Young Men
With Some Capital.

South America Is undoubtedly the place
which Just now affords the most inviting
prospects for energetic young men who
republics the Argentine offers the best op-
portunities in this way. Two things are
absolutely requisite, however-some cap
itai and Z knowledge of the language. 1t
h astonishing how few people there are in
the United States who know any Spanish.
The bureau Of the American republics at
Washington not long ago had the great
est difficulty In securing the services
Of q few young men who could read and
write In that tongue. In the Argentine
there are millions of acres unoccupied;
the climate Is delightful, there are no cold
winters, and cattle will live without hous-
ing the year around. If commerce be pre-
ferred TO raising beasts. few thousand
dollars judiciously invested in Yankee
products which are wanted down there
will quickly multiply themselves. Only a
short time ago an. enterprising Philadel-
phian thought Of taking cargo of ordl-
nary kitchen cook stoves to Buenos
Ayres. They went off like hot cakes, and
he made . fortune by the venture.
Although merchants in South America
rank high in the social scale, trade in the
sense Of shop-keeplng is looked down
uDon. Nowhere in the world are the lines
oil caste drawn more rigidly. A new
conner must be provided with unexcep-
tionable letters in order to secure entrance
into any society in any of the cities. In
Rio two great balls are given each year by
subscription. They are very exclusive,
and are attended by from 1900 to 5000 peo-
pie who are mostly in the swim. Supper
II served all the evening at bullets in
rooms adjoining those used for dane
ing, and the guests go in and are helped
80 what they want IN the way of wine or
edibles at any time they wish. In Buenos
Ayres the two great balls of each season
ore given by the Progresso Club. As on
che festive occasions described in Rio, the
Argentine ladies mostly wear Worth
gowns specially ordered from Paris. No
refreshments are served. These are the
only entertainments of Importance given
IN South America. Perhaps this is for
sunatc for the chsrerons, whose feeling of
responsibility for their charges at such
sings must be very acute. The maiden
who Is Waiting must be watched, lest per-
chance she is being too tightly held, and,
u young couple should disappear for a
moment behind a curtain, the officiating
dragon must be ready to pounce upon
shem without q minutes delay.
The theaters of South America are the
nnest IN the world. An opera-house is at
present going up in Rio which will be the
most gorgeous and complete IN existence.
IN that country people pay more money to
ectors and singers than managers in the
United States can afford TO give. Conse-
quently they secure talent for their play
houses such as We do not get. They de-
mand whatever Is best in the way of
amusement and are willing TO compensate
She performers literally. The latter
uSuAiiY rpfRiVN eff md ~ 10 n
common thing for the spectators who are
nieased with player or dancing girl TO
shrow upon the stage gold and wads of
paper money.
Living in South America costs about as
much as 1t does in this country. Where
Sver you go, a given amount of comfort or
Injury IS prrchasable for the same money.
Nents are dear in Buenos Ayres, and
meats and vegetables are cheap. In the
other republics marketing is dearer and
mousse rent Is cheaper. Fish is always the
most expensive thing you can buy, dried
codhsh fetching 80 cents q pound. The
pest nsh are saved for the priests. As for
the houses, they are very beautiful, but
sN ny no means so comfortable
In the United States. The bathroom
feature of every South American resi-
acnce. All cooking is done outdoors in a
cooknouse on tripods, beneath which fire
- built. However. cooking stoves are now
oeing introduced everywhere. There is
no s9eh thing as heating the houses. 1t
n sometimes pretty chilly in the Argen-
nne, out the people merely bundle them
selves up TO keep warm.
Death Is great event in South America.
heiatives and friends meet at the house of
tue recently defunet and pass compliment
tary resolutions describing the virtues.
ETC., OF the deceased. The death notices
are pasted upon all the blank walls in
town. At the funeral every picture in the
oweInng Is turned with its face 10 the wall.
In Brazil AL the funerals are farmed out.
One man has the contract TO bury all the
people who die in Rio. There are six
glasses oil bnria!s, from which choice can
be made For 81 so you can have a fun
crsi OF the trSt-class, which is very swell
indeed, with gold and silver chariot.
fancy easket and ali sorts of gorgeousness.
The cheapest burial costs only
-. FOR that SUN the
corpse Is put into box, hung beneath an
axle between two wheels. conveyed that
way to the cemetery, and DUMPED out of
the box into hole without so much rs a
prayer. no women are allowed at funerals,