The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-11-30

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permitted to view the grand stairway,
a famous work of art, which stands
about third in the stairways of the
world, reckoning that of the new
Congressional Library at Washington
az the head-which leads TO the Archi-
eDiscOl apartments.
Next in point of beauty, if not of
costliness, is the English factory
house of white granite, with elabor.
ately wrought facade. 1t comprises
on a magnificent scale all the appur-
tenances of an up-tO-date club house,
with ball room, refreshment hall,
library, reading rooms, card rooms,
ETC.; and here the large but lonesome
English colony spends its leisure
hours.
The new "Bolsa" or Exchange, once
the monastery of Sac Francisco, is
one of the most beautifully decorated
structures in Portugal The walls
and floors of its grand salon are en-
tirely covered with inlaid devices in
the rarest woods of Brazil, highly
polished, but in their natural colOrs-
pale greens, dark reds. rose pink,
browns, grays, ivory white and ebony
-curiOusly intermingled. There are
suites of lofty apartments, all elabOr-
ately decorated IL splendid glass COW
cred court set with palms, and a mag
niticent reception rooLI, wherein the
president of the BoIso, with the dig
nitaries of the city, are wont to well
come distinguished strangers and now
and then give swell fetes to the beauty
and chivalry of Oporto
The mint should be visited, where
the curious Portuguese coins are
stamped; also the art gallery; the
public library, with its $4,000 volumes,
iD all languages, living and dead, but
English, and the great opera house,
with its tiers above tiers of shabby
boxes. Some of the boxes are equipped
with black curtains, in which are
-IlOICB lOI blIt vi
mourners in the depths of grief, who,
according to local etiquette, may not
indulge in any social advertisement
for the space of one year from the
date of bereavement, at which time
they give a ball to celebrate the lift
ing of the cloud of woe, and time,
during the period of seclusion, they
may look upon the passing show from
the safe shelter of these curtaiped
boxes, themselves unseen.
The Medical College, Academy of
Navigation and Science, several other
scientific and literary institutions, and
a dozen banks and club houses. and
daily newspaper offices, are all worth
visit. Nor should the vast Da Mis-
eracOrdia Hospital be forgotten; nor
three or four other asylums for the
sick, INDECENT and afflicted. Among
the latter is the Foundling's Home,
with its swinging cradle in the rear
wall, in which unwedded mothers
may deposit their offspring, under
the friendly cover of darkness, sure
that the poor little jetsam of sin will
be received and cared for by the good
sisters inside, and that no embarrass-
ing questions as to paternal respon-
sibility will ever be made When the
cradle in the wall swings around with
its living burden it rings bell, which
summons the nun, whose business it
is to be always withing hearing, and
the little one is at once conveyed to
the nursery. All the tiny castaways
of Portugal having no name of their
own are given that of the Bishop at |
their christening, together with the |
name of the Saint or Saintess. on
whose day they were brought to the
asylum, and so the reverend celibate
is the foster father of several thous-
ands, and his august name has become
more common than Smith or Jones in
the United States. A similar arrange
ment prevails in all Latin countries,
and whether it is wicked encourage
ment of vice, or vastly better than
the Anglo-Saxon manner of leaving
infants on doorsteps and
n byways is yet a mooted question
which each mind may solve for itself.
Oporto's well-appointed museum
among many other inter
esting articles, more complete col
ection of Brazilian curiosities, espe-
tally the wonders of the upper ANA
'on, than even the great Museo of
Hlo de Janeiro; also a full represent
ltion from the Azore l lands, the Ca
larles and other Portuguese possess
ions. Most valuable and interesting
II all, because unique in its way, is
IN old gallery of portraits of the
oyal family and other personages.
PEELED with a big p, who have fig
Ired in Portuguese history. Their
counterfeit presentiments" are all {
here, male and female; the six kings
Ohm, the two Doms Pedro, Gather I
ne of Braganza, Ines de Castro, down I
o Pedro Sepundos' littIa oro,,d c