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

M e is contradictory. On
Es-s eSs5x$ DAYS when everything
SNsxS -sScsS visibly steams and you
feel yourself dissolving in preparation, you
are amazed to find that the thermometer reg
listers less than it often does IN New York
here seldom raising above eighty-ive degrees
Fahrenheit. But there is humidity in tie air
that kills all oxygen and gives to every object,
animate and inanimate, clamrny, sticky
moisture, so that you expect to wake up some
morning and find yourself covered all over
with green mold and fungi. Ike the walls and
tree trunks. An Algerian sirocco is not SO OPP
pressive at any day here between the months
of October and May. for the African wind is
only an occasional misery, seldom lasting more
than three days a: time. while here it ia con-
tlDucus. worse if possible by night than by
day, until you envy Shadrack. Meshach and
Abednago. for it was dry heat they suffered
and Biblical history tells US that they came out
OF il unframed which is a good deal more
than can be said of you after week In Rio.
QUEER OLD TOWN..
1t is not easy to describe this queer old town,
because there is nothing elsewhere to which
one can compare il. Its Representatives,
origin is everywhere apparent suggesting
mixture of Barcelona Seville, Cadiz-seasoned
with dash of gaudiness borrowed from its
numerous wealthy citizens Of African descent
and tropical warmth of color entirely Its own.
And then the mountains close by, with their
PERCEPTIONS sides and eccentric vagares Of
form-none of them being straight, but all
leaning in direction or the other as If o
mighty wind had blown them away. give a sort
OF crazy appearance to the country. which is En-
HANGED BY the blllowing clouds that roll about
the peaks and through the vast valleys and
gorges between thepi, exhibiting the strange
and beautiful effects Of cloud and moisture
peculiar to tropical landscapes and
never met in colder climates. The
repeat the plan of the city building
which tho Moors brought into the Iberian
peninsula. with Saracenic inspirations in the
way of tiled roofs, projecting balconies. mar
row windows. arched doorways and elaborate
stucco-ail clothed in a very Joseph's coat of
many colOrs. IL even excels CadiZ in the
Kaleidoscope hues Of its roofs and walls. for
the pale pinks, yellows and blues OF the Anda-
lusI&n seaport intensity IN Brazil TO glarlng
reds. greens, puppies and orange. Amid the
brown or snowy months that make up SO large
proportion of the northern year nothing
could be mole absurd than this system of archi-
lecture and decoration; but under tropical
skies they seem to be the natural products OF
the sun and soil. as appropriate TO their sur
roundlDcs as the palr; trees that tower above
and the blossomlng vines that riot over them.
HOW THE CITY HAS GROWN.
w tNN9Ns las ever DcciA Itheu OI
Rio. but it is believed that about $50 600 people
are crowded within the narrow crescent-shaped
space between the mountains and the sea.
Hemmed IL by granite wall on one side and
deep water on the other, the city can never
grow any wider, and so it has stretched out at
both ends. Struggling ten or twelve miles around
the prodlSiOUs EarbOr-which. by tho wav is
exactly the shape of pear. the narrow en-
trance representing the stem Of the fruit
Most CT the streets are extremely narrow gen.
orally not more than ten feet wide. paved with
Belgian blocks. with an open central drain to
which they slope, and with three-foot- wide side
walks on a level with the street Canton and
Others OF the Srea; Chinese cities, have streets
as wide rs those OF Eio Janeiro. The houses
many Of them quite hidden by the towering
palms that line some OF these cOw-path streets
are no two ankle. and range from two to four
stories IN height One OF their curlous
features IS the absence OF the veranda
which, ia the minds Of globe-trotters.
have become intimately associated with ideas
of not weather. In lieu OF the verarda the
better houses show III their upper stories
broad. deep Eotches-each a sort Of open air
pGrlOr. tinted as Ge.icately "a a ladies boudoir
often deliberately ;=escoed. furnished with rat
tan and cane sofas. chairs and tables en-
bellisked with stat1ary and flOOrcd with Tala-
vera tiles. some OF these cool posts of OBJ
servatiOn have narrow windows OF colored glass
set IN their sides surrounded BY a wealth OF
gliding. carving and color. and the effect il
Particularly unique. especially when the outer
walls " the house are faced with blue and
yellow tiles. as Is frequently the case. The
best houses lie along the waters edge notably
Gu that part OF the bay known as Botafoco
and on the slopes OF the surrounding mountains
some Of the mos; charming homes IN the world
ere % be seen. fer when the yellow fever sea-
son approaches everybody who can afford it
seeks refuge on the heights.
TIE BUSINESS HOUSES.
The business houses are crowded into the
lower portion OF the town. into damp and
gloomy alleyways. so narrow that carts and
carriages are forbidden 20 enter them during
the busy hours Of the day, and at any time two
wheeled vehicles could not pass one another
vithou; rJIua IiE Up the narrow sidewalks
TO the peru o; pedestrians. Most Of the public
buildings and commercial houses are ugly aud
unpretsntaOrs. bulk ia the Old Portuguese
style OF broken stone and mortar. plastered on
the outside - faced with illuminated tiles
There IL no government building in Rio either
monarchidl or republican, which begins TO
compare in elegance with kuud-eds of the
private r-sidences The senate and chamber
o. deputies occupy separate buildings, both
old anG anlnteEestng. The senate conyenes
In small house the eastern side Of the
Praca q AcelanscaO. and the same room is
used for the ceremonial! opening OF each legis-
latiye session. The chamber OF deputies faces
the Eua de Misericorda. occupying an angle
between the cid palace and the department of
agriculture. In the cOioaiLl times IL was used
for city hail and jail
Perhaps the Iues: public buildings in Rio are
the post Office and the government printing
establishment The frs: is a sub-department
aDder the general cOntrol OK the minister of
agriculture. and is situated IN the Eua Prime
iro de Marco street OF ,he first of March. near
the custom house. Ii occupies only half q
building, the otser half being the Caixa de
Amortizaeso. or sinking fund and redemption
nm NJ hA fEaa