The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-08
GAY LIFE IN BRAZIL
Enchanting Views for the Rail-
way Tourist.
INTERESTING COUNTRY HOUSES
a RoseEmbowered Palm Shaded Paradise
Amid the Most Magnificent
Scenery on Earth.

HERALD. = AS every body knows, the
names of the late Emperor and Empress of
Brazil, translated into plain English, were
Peter and Theresa; and so it came about
that their once devoted subjects called the
two prettiest towns in the country Petropo-
lis and Theresopolis. Early as the year
1922 the sight of the first named town was
chosen by old Dom Pedro l. as a summer
residence for the imperial family; but al
though he bought an enormous estate there
st the time. the first actual visit of royalty
10 the place did not occur until quarter of
g century later.
Petropolis lies just beyond the summit of
the Sierra dos Orgoss, 'organ mountains"
whose dark peaks, ascending in regular
scale like the pipes of an organ, are sharply
outlined against the dim, blue horizon to
the north of Rio. Being in the upland re-
gion of cloudy days and cool nights, where
yellow fever never comes nor the almost as
much dreaded pest of mosquitoes-it has
become the summer paradise of all those
Rio Janeiroans whose worldly circu m
tances permit them to fee from the heat
dust and vile smells of the annually plague
stricken city. Thither the imperial house
hold used to go in the early days of Novem-
ber-as the Presidents and their families
win do while Brazil calls herself Repub-
lie; Immediately followed by all the ENJOYS
extraordinary and ministers plenipotenti
cry
Thus fashion, as well as health, depends
upon staying away from Rio during GER
tain season, and the summer court at Pc
tropolis is quite
AS GAY AND IMPOSING
as that OF the winter at the capital Dur
ing about seven months of every year the
place is crowded to overlooking. Govern
ment officials, officers of the army and
navy, professional men, merchants, clerks,
teschers-everyb body who can possibly
scare up nilreis enough sends his wife and
daughters up the heights, TO hang on some
how TO the edges of fashionable life, If not
permitted TO disport themselves in the
midst of ''the swim" though hottie bread
winner-must continue to mol and toll in
town, travelling TO and fro morning and
evenings
Since the completion nine years ago, of
the railroad with the queer name
"Princepo DO Grao Para-an excursion
from Rio to Petropolis and back again has
become one of the possibilities of a single
day. il the tourist has no more time to
spare that is better than not to visit the
hours on the road and seven in Petropolis-
though seven weeks would hardly do the
subject Justice or exhaust its especial
points Of interest. Railroads are no doubt
necessary adjuncus to civilization; but they
are death to plcturesqueness and
have spoiled many a famous trip-as for
example, that into the Yosemite valley,
which WIS worth making when one had to
go on mule, at the peril of his life, rather
an, as new, i "a parlor carl The old
lge-road lesdi up to this Land Of the
s,Ky'' was so incomparably beautiful, and
the coach ride over it so full of delightful
experiences, that one cannot help regret
ting it has become a thing OF the past and
that this ancient seat of royalty is made SO
easily accessible. The turn pike was built
about the time OF
THE MAUA-RUIZ RAILWAY,
which is said TO be the oldest In South
America, for the purpose of bringing down
produce, especially coffee, from the in terror.
It runs ia miles, from the tropical jungles
near Rio up over the Organ mountains
lacking along the faces of steep cliffs like g
ship at sea-away to the celebrated mines
of Minas Geras, to Entire Rios, and to the
frontier towns of the province. Being
free from dust in times Of drought and mud
in the rainy season, with terraces above
and safety walls below, tia old stone high
way has rarely been equalled since the
became a very Via Dolorosa to its stock.
holders when the Dom Pedro Segundo rail
way was completed about fifteen years
afterward, for the latter took away ali the
coffee traffic. II is now owned by the COM
pany Uniaoe Industrial ('tUnion and In
oustry''1 and coaches still run over a por
ton of il. Near Petrepolis there are places
On this magnificent thereughfare where
the traveller, looking over the parapet, seei
far below him several parallel, stone-paveC
roads-and finds it difficult to believe tina
they are all one road, the same by which
be has been zig-zagglng up the mountain
side.
Suppose you are in Rio and want to q
10 Petropolis: Take ''oond, 4" or tram-cal
anywhere on the First Of March street
one of those marked "Praca Municipal,
which will convey you direct to tht
Prainha boat7landing. 1t frequently hap
pens in the crowded streets, particularly
ii the vicinity of the coffee exchange ths
the cars are blocked for long time. Il
this case, remembering that tides ant
steamers wait for no man, it would be
SAFER TO JUMP OUT AND WALK
though the way is long, the weather hot
and yos feel constrained to hold your nos
at the sight of numerous funeral process
sions and the smell of fever-breeding cess
poos-Jhrough the Rua Quitanda to tn
Rua Prainhs, and thence to the wharf
Inc regular QaltN DOdL lShNGS LQlS laDGl0l
only al four O'clock In the afternoon; blu
on Sundays and all holidays, (Which mean
about nine tenths of the time) there is sis
boat at Z am. The regular fare, each wa.
is $500; Sunday and holiday rates, goo
for that day only, $4,000.
The ride on the bay Ia scarcely less inter
esting than that up the Sierra. First Their
is the OLD Benedictine monastery, on Sal
Bento hill. founded by Friars Farraz AM
JoRo Porcalho IN 1910. Its commanding sit
has more than once been occupied for mill
tary purposes and in I'll, having been fo1
titled TO resist the Duguay- Trouin invasion
Il was nearly demolished by bombardmenl
There is said to be some wonderful carvln
In its old chapel, wrought by Benedictin
monks in Portugal. The order is rich DO
sessing good deal of property in the cit
and several outside estates, from which a
annual income is very large; but it wi
soon revert 10 the state, for there are fey
OF the old Friars remaining The BenediC
tines have always enjoyed high reputa
ton for learning and charitable works
For half century they have maintaine
an excellent free school. Before the wa
for independence they possessed valuabl
library, which included Il, 900 theologicI
works; but during that popular agitation
when liberty meant license and independ
ence freedom 10 rob-the books wer
mostly destroyed.
just below San Bento hill, on the ript
hand side, are the busy shipyards of I'd
marine arsenal, and in the left, the lon
lire OF enormous stone houses belonging
the d. Pedro ii. docks. These are anon
the most important of the city's publ
works. The quays have an extension
of nearly three hundred yards, and thei
covered piers are 109 . ards long. The con
pany that owns The big storehouses enjoy