The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-22
A NEW CAPITAL CITY.
BRAZIL TO MOVE THE SEAT OF Gov
EMINENT FROM RIO JANEiRO.

EMINENT FROM RIO JANElRO.
A New Site Chosen In the wilderness OF |
Goyas-st. Petersburg, Washington and |
La Plata the Only other Cities So Plan |
ned.
The government of Brazil Is about TO
undertake an extraordinary enterprise In
the establishment of a new capital in the
state Of Goyaz, near the geographical cen
ter of the republic. The scheme is so bold
that it reminds one of the work of Peter
the Great when no built St. Petersburg in
order that he "might have IA window from
which he could look over Europe. 1.-The
car window as st. Petersburg Is
known, Washington and La Plata, which
is the capital of the state of Buenos Ayres
in the Argentine Republic, are the only
great cities that were fully laid out with
streets, avenues and parks plated and the
sites of public buildings located before the
earth was disturbed by IA spade or the
sound of "a hammer was heard. All of
these cities were within convenient dis
tances of other citcs-Petersburg from
Moscow, La Plata from Buenos Ayrcs and
Washington from Philadelphia and New
York But the government of Brazil pro-
poses TO plunge into tho untrOdden wilder
ness of Goyaz, which, with its vast plains,
rich valleys, its exhaustless mineral, pas
toral, vegetable and timber resources, it's
navigablc rivers and fine climate, offers
the most inviting field in South America
for emgrants. 1t Is as large as France
and contains only 21l ,721 population. 1t
is not yet reached by railways, but the
proposed location of the new capital Will
be rs hours distant from the city of Santos
when the railways now existing in that
province are extended.
Some years ago a commission was APP
pointed to locate site for capital in the
| central part of the republic, which should
take the government away from the I'M
healthy city of Rio to the pure air of the
interior, and an appropriation was made
| to pay the expense of surveys. After
careful examination of all the locations
| suggested the commission decided to rec
ommend beautiful spot among the hills
on the central plateau of the republic In
| the state named which may be described
as the dome Of the continent. 1t Is almost
the exact center of the continental water
| shed, within few miles of the sources of
the Paraguay and the great fluvial system
| of the southern portion of the continent
| WulCH DOuT5 iBUO uhO oCn ohiouSh VIZ
| rama and La Plata rivers. TO the north
ward, within few miles, are the sources
| of the Amazonian system, which drains
the central and northern parts of Brazil and
the eastern slopes of the Andes. Within a
single days journey a man may toss into
one stream chip that will float to the At
lantic ocean by the southern system of riv-
ers, and into another chip that will reach
the sea through the great delta Of the Anna
zon. There are beautiful lakes and other
natural attractions near the proposed site
the hills are covered with magnificent tim
Der, the valleys are natural parks, the alti
tude Is 1000 feet above the sea, and the
climate Is said to be the most healthful In
all South America.
It Is expected that the congress of Brazil
during its present session will take meas
ures for the construction Of capital al
this point. 1t will be laid out upon grant
scale, buildings will be erected for the us'
| of the executive branches of the govern
ment and magnificent capitol to contain
the halls of congress. Private citizens viii
be invited to erect residences, and as sooI
as the railway is completed 1t Is expected
that there will be rush of emigration to
. ward the locality. The new city is to b
purely capital. Commercial and manu-
featuring enterprises will not be encour
: aged, but general immigration from for
eign countries as well as from other part
of Brazil will be invited into the surround
ing country.
, A similar enterprise upon smaller seal
has recently been carried out in the stat
of Minas, which Is the most progressiv
and populous of all Brazil and lies In tn
center Of the republic. A new city, name'
. Bellohorisone, which means "beautifu
r horizon" has been built within the las
three years In the midst of a great plail
under the direction of the state official
and largely at the states expense, and tn
capital Is soon to be moved there from
Ouro Preto, where the government has al
ways been located. The new town alread
n has population of several thousands
Q Both public and private buildings are o.
9 fine scale, and 1t promises to be one 9
= the most attractive places OF residence u
the republic. Minas has population
nearly 1000, 900 people, 1t lies In tn
J mineral zone and produces all forms 9
u useful as we'll as precious metals. In
!; fertility of It's soil Is also great source
v wealth. 1t supplies the cities Of the coas
@ with beef, mutton, butter and other form
= of food. 1t Is well provided with raj
roads, and there are several large MANI
factories within Its limits that operat
American machinery. The success OF Be
lohorisone has encouraged the federal go'
0 eminent to carry out Immediately tf
d scheme for national capital In the II
| terior -ChicaOo Record