Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-03-02
RIO DE JANE 3 d I
THE METROPOLIS OF THE BRA
LILLIAN REPUBLIC.
ITS uarbor is Ono OF tho Finest In tha>
World = The City, Its Chief
Edi1ces. Industries and ?.
Surroundings.
tx 10 DE JANEIRO has lone

finest in the world. 1t contains over
fifty square miles of anchorage ground
and the entrance is about mile ACROSS
The harbor has always been extolletf
for its great natural beauty, and many
descriptions of its charms have been
written by travellers.
The City of Rio is on the western
side of the harbor. 1T is an indcpon-
dent municipality, embracing about
$40 square miles divided UP into par
ishes. The population is about $780,
900. The population of the State of
Rio Janeiro is l, 052, BIT, of which 3d.
14S nre foreigners. Two hundred and
eighty-fve are able to read and write,
and $40, 1882 nre unable to do 80.
Eighty-two per cent. of the children
| do not attend school. Back of the city
are several picturesque mountain
groups. One of these, comprising
Mount Tijuaca, Mount Gavia and
Mount Corcobado, seen from the bay,
forms remarkable picture known as
''The Sleeping Giant.
In the old quarter of Rio the streets
are mean and narrow. Of recent
years, however. they have been laid
out on better lines, and the buildings
that line them are very fair examples
| of architecture. The chief drawback
is that they lack modern improve
ments, MS general thing, and that
side in gaudy colors In the suburbs
are great many beautiful places, all
surrounded by fine gardens teeming
with tropical vegetation. During tho
latter part of Dom Pedro's reign many
| public improvements were carried out
in tho city. Among other things fine
sewerage system was built, the prin-
cipal streets were paved according
to modern methods, and system of
street lighting was introduced which
was, Mt the time, said to be tho best in
the world.
The chief edifces in the city, from
an architectural standpoint, are the
Roman Catholic churches, of which
there are upward of fifty. One writer
speaking of these churches says that
they are particularly striking from
their size and the barbaric mag
nificence of their decorations, rs well
rs on account of their well-ohosen
sites" Some of these churches date
from the Seventeenth and Eighteenth
Centuries.
The public buildings, on the other
hand, are by no means imposing. The
former city palace of the Emperor,
now occupied by the Chamber of
Deputies, fronts on Palace Square.
The Merchants Exchange, postofiice,
md the Custom House are not far
away, and the Marine Arsenal, rather
finer than the other buildings, is at
the end of Direitn street.
The other public buildings comprise
the italian Opera House, the National
Museum, the building of the Minister
of War and Commerce, the Hospital of
Misericordia, tho Mint, the Academy
of Fine Arts, the Observatory and the
Palace of Sac Christovao. There are
military and naval schools, National
college, medical schools and other
educational institutions. The National
Library, founded by Dom Jao, has up
ward of $50, 900 volumes.
The art of printing is we'll repre-
sented In the city. It is estimated
that there are over seventy-five native
publications turned out from sixty or
seventy private printing and publish
ing houses. There is besides q public
printing establishment thoroughly
equipped with modern machinery.
The steamboat, railroad and ferry SER
vice has been fairly good in recent
years, several street railways have been
i'll operation.
Rio, as the town is colloquially
known, has rarely enjoyed long
stretch of peace, except under the
administration of Dom Pedro, who
was dethroned by popular uprising
November 10, 1889. The first settle
ment Of the town was made in 1881 by
the Portuguese, but this settlement,
as we'll as one made subsequently in
1852, was abandoned. A party of
French Huguenots effected settle
ment in 1855, but they were driven out
by the order of King John, of Portu-
gal, who claimed the province by
virtue of the discovery of the Bay OF
kio dc Janeiro made by Juan Diaz de
Sells in 1915. In 1867 another
Portuguese settlement was made, and
mn endless series of wars against the
Indians, civil conflicts, and battles
with the French were visited on the
town.
In 17G3 the city was made the CAPT
tai OF Portuguese vice royalty, ond it
has remained the capital of Brazil
ever since. The Portuguese royal
family, driven ont of Lisbon by the
French in 1903, took up its residence
IN Rio and established the Portuguese
Court there. in 1921, when King
John returned to Portugal from Rio;
the Braziliuns declared their indie
pendence and Dom Pedro l., the son
OF the King, was declared Emperor.
Under his regime there WINS always
more or less trouble in the city, but
when the last Emperor took the reins
OF Government he gradually quieted
inc turbulant spirits. The city en-
loyed comparative calm until the
bloodless revolution of November.
1889, drove Dom Pedro and bic for,;l,,