The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-25

enc end OF South America to the other and
there Is a big tanning interest In southern
Chile which is run by them. They are by
far the best pushers with regard TO opening
commercial houses in new cen>ers- L found
them selling goods in interior Bolivia and in
the mountains of Peru. and / met the drum
mers of German houses every day. These
drummers are usually good Portuguese or
Spanish scholars. They have spent years
in South America, and know the people and
trade thoroughly. They take things easily
and are content with small profits. They
give from six TO nine months credit and
ask for no payments until after the receipt
OF the goods.
THINGS THAT WOULD PAY.
There are a number OF things down here
which are worth investigation. The matter
of an American bank is one. Our trade
with Brazil last year amounted to S136,o0c.-
600. Almost the whole of 1t was done at
European exchange. An American bank at
Rio de Janeiro with branches at a Paulo,
Santos Bahia. P~ernambuco. Para and Man.
aos could make big money. Interest rates
here range from 10 per cent. upward. You
can get good loans of 1 per cent. a month,
and IL and 2 per cent are not
The banks charge for everything. discount
rates are high and all OF the European
banks as far as 1 can learn are making
money.
1t would seem to me that a big fortune
might be made by a cold storage company
which would put up such plants in the
larger cities. None of the Brazilian towns
have cold storage houses. and meat and
other things cannot be kept from one day
to another. Take Pernambuco. a city of
100000 people. The meat which is sold in
the market must be eaten the day 1t is
killed. 1t must be sold before it begins to
spoil or the market inspectors will con-
denim ii.
The result is that the price changes from
hour to hour during the day. When the
market opens you will see over each butch
er's stall a little slate on which is marked
the price of meat. AS the day goes on the
butcher rubs out the figures and changes
the price, so that meat which is worth s
cents a pound at Z o'clock in the morning
is offered for 4 cents a pound at noon. In
deed, dried beef in that market brings more
per pound than fresh meat. II there were
a cold storage plant the meat could be kept
as long as desired. and vegetables, eggs and
fruits could be stored away to await high
prices.
i think there is money here in Ice. vege-
tables and fruits. The state Of Sac Paulo
imports nearly everything 1t uses, and
onions and other vegetables are brought
from Portugal to be sold in the markets Of
Brazil. 1 saw apples and grapes for sale
In Rio which had come from Spain, and
there are all sorts of tropical fruits which
could be easily raised here which are i'm
ported. AS to ice, that which is sold is of
an inferior order and it brings high prices.
An American ice plant in Bahia would pay,
and the same might be said of other cities.
There are a number of other opportunities
here for the investment of capital and good
business brains. Brazil as a country has
hardly been prospected. and there are vast
regions which are yet to be explored.
There is only one thing that the investor
must consider, and that is that it is not
safe to make any investment in a South
American country without himself or his
agent has been long enough on the ground
to study the conditions and judge for him.
self. FRANK G. CARPENTER.