The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-14
THE 0NE-PRIGE
COMPLETE
HOUSE
FU2NlSHERS.

ctally in demand to be hung around the
waists Of newly born babies These col
ored people have an idea that such
charms bring good luck. The poorer ba-
bies have silver hung about their waists
and nearly every little boy 1 see on the
street has string OF charms about his
neck or loins, although he has, as a rule,
nothing else.
Speaking of coins, all kinds of hard
money are at premium in Bahia. Even
the nickels which you find In Rio and fur
Their south are not common. Their places
are taken by street car tickets, elevated
railroad tickets and private shinplasters
You see gold and silver only in the win
dows of the banks or on the counters OF
the money changers. The bank notes in
circulation are those of Brazil, which are
In denominations of thousands Of reis
It now takes 900 refs to make Is cents
Of our money, but exchange goes up and
down every day, and many people make
money In specializing on exchange
Our worthy consul, DR.. Furniss, tells
me that he has tried it, but that he will
try 1T no more. How he came to do so
was by the visit of the Oregon on its way
around the continent to engage in our
war with Spain During its trip 1t stop
ped at Bahia, and its commander cabled
from here TO Washington The Oregon
carried with 1t for expenses $780, 900 in
cable, and the commander gave ten
double eagles to DR.. Furniss to pay that
cable bill. He could not resist the TEMPT
ing look Of the yellow coins, and SO he
put them in his pocket and paid the bill
In Brazilian money, holding the gold for
a rise. AS soon as the Oregon left, how
ever, exchange began to go down It
continued to fall until now he will have
to sell $45 more gold to get as much Bra
lillian cash as he paid for the cable. He
still has the gold. but as his board and
wash bills are payable IN Brazilian bank
notes he is just s45 short.
AMERICAN TRADE.
And Just here I want to say word
about this American consul to- Bahia He
is a colored man from Irdianapelis. who
was appointed by President Mckinley
lie is we'll educated and has made an
excellent impression here. He seems to
Understand his business and is doing az
( Well for American trade as any consul I
/ nave met on this trip He tells me much
the same story 1 have heard everywhere
There is plenty of business for Americans
down here If they will conform to the
customs and send down men to fight for
show. They must not expect to get
much the first year, but the results will
pay in the end. One German commercial
traveller took So, 00U worth of orders at
one visit out of Bahia last year. This
was his third trip The first visit did not
pay at all, during the second he did bet
ter, ard now he thinks he has a sure
thing for years to come.
Consul Furniss tells me that there are
very few failures in Bahia. He says the
business men will not pay cash, but that
their bills are good. Ho also repeats what
have stated before, that it is no use to
send commercial travellers down here
without they speak Spanish or Portu-
guese, and also that they must net ex-
pect to Go much moro than make ac-
| quaintances the first year. Our business
men must remember that they are work
ing Tor the trade of continent, and that
such trade cannot be whistled up like a
dog. Once gotten. however. 1t will be
easily held as the South American mer-
chants do not like to change
Frank @. Carpenter