Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-18

yard sticks sharply together, like elongated
castinets, IN front of every house, followed by
porters bearing on their heads chests, bales and
boxes Of fnery-fowers, feathers. shoes, under
garments and all the rest of female toggery.
This itinerant plan is Of mutual advantage, for
1t 10 considered highly questionable and quite
beneath the dignity Of ladies belonging to the
better class TO visit the shops, and it enables
the merchants to work of many things they
could not otherwise dispose Of In the same
way the furniture dealer sends around his
chairs and tables and sofas for inspection. The
tn-shop man, beating a frying pan to call at
tention. crowds everybody of the narrow side
walk with his bullying load of culinary utensils,
topped, perhaps with bath tub or tin trunk,
euch as Brazilians use for travelling painted
sky blue, with scarlet and purple roses on the
front.
VEGETABLE AND MEAT PEDDLERs
Fruit, poultry and vegetables are borne from
door to door on the heads of market men and
women. The butcher sends his man around
with the odds and ends of the slaughter house
tripe, liver, Sleeps heads, brains-piled high
on a shallow tray. Water carriers balance casks
and buckets on their heads; cooks, chamber
maids and walters follow the universal fashion.
Ask for glass OF water, an orange. towel and
nine times out Of ten it will be brought TO YOU
on somebody's pate. and should YOU die here
(Which may heaven forbid,) you would probably
be toted to Cal in the same manner.
Do You see that stalwart Zenobia whose bare
arms and legs are round, firm and glossy as pol
ished ebony, stalking up the street with all the
dignity Of q queen and deal more natural
grace. balancing folded cotton umbrella ON
top Of her kinky crest. Though her head is
otherwise bare in the hottest RAYS OF the noon
day sun, she feels no need of shade being born
to heat, Ike the palms or orchids IL il related
that in the early days of railroad building in
Brazil the laborers employed in the work OF
excavation carried away thousands of tons of
dirt IN baskets on their heads. some Henry
Bergh OF contractor, pitying their arduous
toll in this sweltering climate, went to no end
OF trouble and expense to provide them with
Yankee vheelbarrovs The workmen eyed the
nev-fsngied contrivances with evident distrust
but accepted them without q murmer. as in
duty bound. An hour later, when the philan-
thropic contractor came down to see how they
Were getting ON with the new labor savers,
whas was his disgust to ind that though each
man hled his barrow to the brim with gravel,
he then hoisted it on top of his head with the
aid OF one Of his fellows and trotted to the dump
with it. Instead Of being bent up double. as
one would think, considering the heavy loads
they constantly stagger under, these human
beasts Of burden are straight as Young palms.
with spines Ike the tempered steel in Damascus
blades. They are the Caryatides of the present
day-the Atlantis and TelamOnes of mythology
brought down to modern times.
VISIT TO THE MARKET PLACE
To one who can arise with the lark visit TO
Rios market place is enjoyable; but later in the
day, when the tropic sun has had a chance at
the Hlth with which the place abounds. vile
smells render il unendurable. II is down bv
the water front, near the great stone quays, and
its enormous buildings cover an entire block.
sked out by sheds that ramble down adjacent
streets and several open squares. Up 30 1894
Rio possessed no regular market place but
from time inmemorial this beach was used for
the sale Of fish, because il was necessary 10
lave one central place for that commodity on
account Of the tithes vigorously exacted from
n.hermen- Most of the produce now sold in
mo Is brought in boats from the fertile islands
and shores Of the bay. During the early
part OF the day the market place is always more
tnan crowded II Is crammed with gesticulat-
ing portuguese, filing the air with smoke and
profanity; and negresses, clothed in perspira-
uon a. with garment, and not much else,
barring slippers and cigarette, bead necklace
ana gorgeous turban. with the addition of
enTmise and scanty petticoat-
ms customers, too, are a study. They are
mostly women Of the middle class, tottering
ground on high-heeied shoes, with lace mantii-
Aas on their heads like the senoras of Seville
sna cadz-hke them also being generally plain
. lace eoase eolersd Of akin, short Of stature.