The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-11-23
Flying Trip Trough Spain and
Portugal.

--as many things in Oporto to remind
u Of that Portuguese city on the 9th er
.,a Of the world. Brazil, the former
0ony of Portugal and peopled by the
,lHe race-though just now playing at
nia1 a Republic-remains as like the
miller country in language, architecture
and dabits of life, as in the days of King
Az and the latest Dom Pedro. And
b,n The money-the same milreis, SO in
tessimal in value that if going shop
r. YOU need servant with wheel
.ieW rather than pocket book!
I'D anding at Oporto, about the first
rg YOU do is to seek some money
l-l's establishment, (there are sew
g long the quay, and get your Ameri-
Irenbacks converted into Portuguese
.r with which to pay porters' fees car
-e- hire and other incidentals. You
.a Uut ten dollars, as starter, and are
ed at the amount of meual-copper,
OraSs and nickel-which is piled up
,He counter in return. 1t looks like
nk-stove- pewter plates, and
lass tags which landlords attach to
e. loor-keys to prevent them from be-
lrlied off IN the pockets of their
-0ns. If ten dollars is such an ''embar
-.a.ent of riches" it would surely re-
ie 4 cart to get away with hundred !.
keepers and bank cashiers must have
4d time of it in this country, with the
lows of figures that represent the
rary transactions of banking and
utiIe firms. In the financial emu
Fl, ON of Portugal, one thousand reis
sent what we call "a quarter" The
'reis' is the plural of real and
s,ter the unit of the monetary system,
s one twentieth of the American
a4y. and is written 0S001. Fortunate
there is no such coin, the smallest be
.- tlu refs. The pieces in greatest circu-
are a nickel of two hundred refs,
answers for our tive-cent piece; an
nickel of one hundred reis, and a
er coin of forty reis. Whenever you
auYthlng in Portugal, certain I'M
l copper coin is sure to be returned
l4uge; and not knowing what to do
f. you say, keep the change with
l Of John Jacob Aston. The truth
IS worth less than half cent, and
100 large to put into the pocket, is
70, Tor a paper weight, or to drive
ejth.
paper money is lighter, of course,
.lally absurd in value; and there is
LANCER in handling it, in this plague
5-u aity, The dirty scrip, which moth
-4ould induce you to touch, runs
tIo milreis to a maximum of five
.rd Fancy full proportional bank
aorth five cents. 1t takes twenty
-aeh worth one hundred inilreis, to
l the carriage il which you ride
II tie landing, or railway station, to a
II is a long, uphill drive, and the
may turn a few more honest refs by
L ur other customers en- route. You
tAat the breast OF his cheekered
.l.use, which serves the triple pur-
coat, vest and shirt-bulges more
we as Tie journey progresses, until
md lie looks like "bloated bond
or a caIelessly stuffed scare
H having perhaps as much as two
md a half in his clothes. One of
receptive Portuguese bills closely 1e-
the dear old greenback of home,
las the satisfying figures, 500, en-
upon its back and sides and four
-s. together with the high sounding
'Quinhentos Refs" The feeling
/ 7ajh which the possession of few of
reduces in the mind of a stranger,
4 tdily dispelled, however, when he
r. ow little they will buy On enquir-
l. Doe price of living at a hotel, you are
Il tr,- astounded to learn that it is sew
udred thousand reis per diem; and
4 5sitively frightened when the laun-
T. is prese nted in six fgures-until
4 4me to reckon it over in Uncle Sam
money and realize that the charge is
4 tolerate, after all.
1 u are delighted to note in Oporto, as
azil, Lhe entire absence of the female
md anything that remotely resembles
Welt decked or feather trimmed bon
y Neither are there any tailor made
d, or bachelor girls, or old maid
l bicycles, or automobiles, or other
sicIe inventions in this happy king
While the peasants array themsel-
el the dull blues and reds and puppies
fellows of near by Africa, displayed
tlrastic combination, black appears to
'le tayorite color of the upper classes,
alsr Tor street wear. According to the
A -Sal Latin fashion, whether met in
pe America, or the Isles of the sea,
Gowns of the ladies tip up in front to
lee- tops and sweep the dirty str cts
rear, while their wearers saunter
/ fully along the promenade; but the
ace mantilla-last remnant of the
4 veil of their Observation-Disclosures
A yed beauty as no modern head
Il uld do. | am told that not always
III -.nre snch a dearfh OF hnnnets i'm