The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-25

| electricity. Therssare towns of ten and
fifteen thousand in Southern Brazil which
have electric lights. The city of Sao
Paulo, which has 100000 population, is
we'll equipped in this respect. There is
good electric light system here in Para,
although the poles are placed in the
center of the sidewalk. I find that the
| Brush arc lights are used in Manaos,
thousand miles up the Amazon.
Rio IS still lighted by gas. 1t is a city
of 100000 people, and a good electric
light plant could make a fortune fer
its owners. At present the gas COM
pany has, 1 believe, an exclusive fran
chise, but this could easily be set aside
or compromised.
Petropolis, which is in the mountai s
back of Rio, and which is a favorite
summer resort of the Brazilians, has an
electric plant the power of which is gen.
Grated by mountain stream. This
plant not only lights the city, but many
| of the houses, and, among others, that of
Minister Bryan.
SOME STREET RAILWAYS.
At present nearly all the railroads of
Rio de Janeiro are moved by horse or
mule power. The electrical franchises
would be worth a great deal. The city
Is surrounded by suburbs and the Bra
zilians would patronize the electric rail-
climate is such that no one cares to
walk two blocks If he can ride, and in
proportion to the population the street
car travel would be very great.
Sac Paulo 100000 still has horse cars.
Para is arranging for an electric railroad,
although at present the street cars are
hauled by mules. Manaos has about
completed an electric railroad. This is
owned by an American firm Bahia (200,-
OOW still relies upon horse cars, although
the Germans are scheming to get hold
OF the electric railway franchises.
l am told that there is big German
syndicate which has agents going alb W
through Brazil and picking up eve "
thing good in the way of electricity
They have already gotten their hands to
certain extent on Rio, having built
there the Villa Isabella tramway with
the idea of equipping it electrically
They have secured roads in Sac Paulo,
and are negotiating for roads in Pernam-
buco. Pernambuco has about 100000 peo-
pie. 1t is fiat, and car lines could be
operated without much power. The street
car rates are lower, however, than they
are with us. The fares are from 11h to 8
cents trip. At the same time, labor is
very cheap, and most of the lines are
operated at profit.
There are telephone companies all over
Brazil. You will not find a town of anv
size which has not one. The most of them
pay dividends.
INVESTMENTS IN RAILROADS.
Brazil is growing very fast as to rail-
road lines. Its railways now have length
of about 5000 miles, and there is an equal
amount under survey or in course of
construction. The English own some of
the best of these properties, and they are
scheming to get hold of others.
AT present hoc
5000 miles of lines, but these are poorly
administered and do not pay. 1 doubt If
any business managed by South Ameri-
can oftcials can ever pay. Every official
expects to make a squeeze or percen-
tage out Of all the money which comes
into his hands. The result is that the
government roads are badly managed and
poorly administered.
The losses have been so great that
law has been recently passed authorizing
the leasing of the government railroads.
and 1t is probable that they will eventual
~ go into the hands of English capitalists
The most of the railways have been con-
structed under guarantee from the gov
eminent of per cent or per cent on
the capital invested, and MANY Of them
are now worked on that basis.
IT PAYS so PER CENT.
One of the most profitable roads in
the world is that which runs up the
mountains from Santos to Jundiahv. This
road has paid as much as so per cent
dividends, and for years it paid 10 per cent
sem1-annually. The road was first built
with government guarantee of per
cent. 1t had a capital of SIC, 100000 1t in
creased this to SIS, 900, and it has now
made its capital SOS, 900 900. 1t is now par
alleling its lines in order to accommodate
the enormous business which goes over
& he
has with the Interior and the enormous
coffee shipments which go out from that
port are brought from the plantations on
this railroad. The trade of Santos
amounts to $75,eOO,OOO year.
The road shoots out of Santos to the
foot of the mountains. Here the locomo-
tives are taken off and the cars are
dragged up the hill by stationary steam
engines, which wind and unwind i'm
mense steel wire cables, to which the
cars are attached.
On nearly all of the roads of Brazil
there are first, second and third-ciass
cars Few of them have sleepers, and
the cars as rule are by no means as
good as ours. The Brazilian Central has
Pullman system, so that you can go
from Rio Janeiro to Sac Paulo by
sleeper.
Most of the trains, however have only
day coaches. The charges for baggage
are very heaVy. My trunks have usually
cost me more than my railroad ticket.
Nothing but a single handbag is allowed
to be taken into the carriages The man
who brings more is not allowed to pass
through the gates until he has handed it
over to the express and baggage men
This is very inconvenient, especially as
no baggage is checked which looks az
all fragile or which is not carefully
wrapped.
MONEY IN STEAMSHIPS.
I am told that there is a great deal of
money in Brazilian steamships The lina
on which 1 came to Para from Rio was
the Brazilian Lloyd. This line has mo-
nopoly of the coasting trade of Brazil.
1t has large number of ships, which
go from port to port, and which are al
ways loaded with passengers and freight.
Formerly it made a great deal of money,
but since 1t has gone into the hands of
the government 1t has steadily lost. It's
ships are f1rst-class steamers of from
200 to 5000 tons, made in England, and
well equipped in every respect. 1 am
told that the line will probably be for
sale soon, and If so 1t would be good
investment for American capital.
We should have line of steamships
from New York to Rio de Janeiro and
the other ports on the east coast of South
America. 1t Is along this coast that the
most of our trade with South America