Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-16
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

The new and handsome Typographea Nacio-
nal national printing offce) was begun in the
summer OF IA, and finished within three years
at a cost OF Sl,C0O, 5s2, including its new ma
chinery. The main building is radical de-
parture from the STYLES Of architecture most
employed in Brazil. its facade being orna-
mented by symbolic designs i'll relief, and the
statues OF Faust, Gutenberg. Coster and Scho-
effer. The commodious Offices provided
with machinery for type founding aud stereo-
typing; the large halls on the upper floors are
used for lectures and exhibitions, and one on
the lower floor is given over to lottery drawings.
Never was government printing office SO inn
portant in q financial point of view as this.
because the infant republic having little use
FOR Its presses amuses itself with the costly toy
by putting out new issues Of bank notes every
lew days with truly infantile rcgardlessness Of
the proportion of notes to coin reserves. When
went to the money changers Office to get some
English sovereigns converted into Brazilian
paper the obligiDg clerk asked if the bills we're
for immediate use, and advised me to get rid
OF them as quickly as possible, because counter
feits OF notes are SO common that the govern
ment frequently orders out Of circulation GER
tain issues that are found to be initiated. thus
rendering valueless both the good notes and
the bad.
TEE FIRST PRINTING PRESS.
The first printing press in Brazil, after that
imported by the Dutch and used by them dur
ing their brief occupancy Of Pernambuco, was
set up in Rio in the year 1908 by ID. Joao vi
for the publication of royal gazette, or court
journal A few years later second ono was
set up in Bahia. and these two were the only
ones IN tho country until the present century
was one quarter gone. Now that the press en-
joys rather more liberty than formerly, there
are large number OF private printing Offices.
The best newspaper in Rio, the News (printed
IN English is owned andiedite by an American,
Mr.. A. j. Lamoreux, who halls from ST. Louis.
l think. Though Rios streets are not much to
boast OF In the way of width or paving, their
nomenclature Is striking. to say the least
There is the street of Good Jesus" John tho
Baptist Street, Seventh of September Street."
street of Sac Sebastio," named in honor of
the young king of Portugal rather than the
saint, and several S. Joaos SAINT Johns) and
father of Dom Pedro l. The Wall street of Rio
Is the Rue Dineta, and during the morning
hours when the coffee exchange is open II pre-
sents an animated appearance. One may hear
nearly all the languages of the world spoken
there as merchants. planters, spectators, COM
mission men and agents of transportation lines
wranSle over business. Speculations are chief
iy confined to coffee and the buying and selling
OF exchange on London.
THE FASHIONABLE PROMENADE
About o'clock every afternoon, and again
In the evening, everybody as is anybody"
hies to the Rua do Ouvoidor, a narrow alley
way in which two meeting carriages could not
possibly pass. were carriages allowed in that
street. which they are not Like the portales
OF Lima the Alemada of Santiago, the Plaza
victoria OF Buenos Ayres and La Independent.
cia OF Montevideo, it is the,fashionable prom
enade and besuty-show Of Rio. where fiirta-
lions are carried on and matches made be-
tween the ''gilded youth and dark-eyed dam
sells ofPortuguese-Spanish- blood. Dur
ing fashionable hours the Ouviodor is literally
packed with people, not only from end to end,
but from wall to walI-for the middle OF the
street Is as frequently patronized AS the three
foot-wlde sidewalks Here new dresses direct
from Paris and creation" in bounets are dis
played fer the first time to the admiriug popu-
lace, while officers of the army aud navy in
all the glory OF gold lace and gaudy uniforms,
and ofheers from the ships of every nation an
chored In the harbor add brilliancy to the
scene-the whole watched over by the mulatto
gendarmes that constitute the police of Rio
IN their ludIcrously elaborate costumes. The
diamond dealers and other principal mer-
chants have their establishments in the Rua
Ouvoidor and so have the curio collectors and
the vendors Of those exquisite feather-fowers
made by the Brazilian nuns.
uLuMINATIoSs on FEAST DAYS.
As in Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, the
principal streets are spanned by gas Jets set at
frequent intervals for illuminating the city on
feast days. which are as many and merry in
Eio as elsewhere in South America. Every
house has Its flag staff projecting ever the
street, and on all occasions of religious or
patriotic rejoicing everybody runs ND the
ugliest flag on earth-the billiOus-looking
green and yellow banner of Brazii. There are
tramways of both broad aud narrow gauge
running in every direction, and the cars,
which are open at the sides and drawn by
mules. are universally called 'bonds," though
their proper name of CARO- is painted con-
spicUousiy upon them. Ask for a street car
and people would stare at you in astonish-
ment. Ask for a bond and anybody can
direct you. 1t happened in this way: When
the modern innovation introduced into
the antique city bonds we're issued to pay tor
it. The public mind was greatly exercised
over these bonds. which gave rise to a great
deal Of excited discussion. The uneducated.
hearing the English word bonds so often
spoken. were at u loss to know what it meant
until the nrst car appeared, then they said:
There is one of those much talked-of
bonds And so to this day they have been
called bonds all over Brazil
EVERYBODY RIDES.
Everybody rides and the cars are always
crowded In certain localities at certain hours
there 10 a terrific scramble for seats, in which
ladies sometimes have their gowns torn and
men their hats knocked off, but il il generally
80 % 80 ushie, anu Peopie VIII STAND
hour after hour making dash for every car
that comes along until they at last secure "a
seat. During the days of royalty in BRAZIL the
princess imperial and her noble husband tho
Comse dEu. and ali the rest Of their high
nesses, including the emperor himself and his
gentle spouse. in full dress and glitsering uni
form and dazzling Jewels. used to board u mule
car in which TO ride from their pslatial resi-
dence IN the suburbs to the Imperial Iheater
de Dom Pedro Segundo. Besides the first
class cars there are cheaper ones for the noble
army of unwashed, and these second-class
vehicles are labeled descalcas-the word. liter
ally translated. meaning the same as sans
culottes-barefooted FANNIE ID. WAKp.
From Life.
IT..