The Penn's Grove record., 1911-07-28
Estrella do Norte, June

are mostly of German descent. 1t is
quite a busy place and exports quite a lot
OF cotton aud sugar. 1t also exports most
of the tobacco grown in Brazil.
From Bahia to Rio is a two days trip
and we were in sight OF land most of the
time. We entered Rio Harbor about 2.30
A. M, January 23rd. Most OF us stayed
up to get a glimpse of the harbor by
moonlight because it has a reputation OF
being one OF the most beautiful harbors
in the world. To my mind it certainly
lives up to its reputation. The city is
well situated and except for the narrow
entrance to the harbor is surrounded by
mountains, [ got through the custom
house very easily, the inspection being a
mere formallty. The chief chemist from
the factory, Mr.. Johnson, met me and
we stayed in Rio for two days to look
over the city.
The population of the city is something
over a million, a small percentage of these
being foreigners. The city is very well
lighted and policed. The street car sys-
tenn and the Lighting system are control
led by an American company i%ncorpora-
ted in Canada. Comparatively speaking
it is one OF the richest companies in the
world, that is, of its kind. There are
some very nice federal and municipal
buildings. The Monroe palace, so-called
from the Monroe Doctrine, suppose, is
a fine piece Of architecture, and it is here
that they receive most OF the distinguish
ed Americans who visit Brazil. There
are some very beautiful avenues, especi-
ally the Avenedia Beira Mar, which runs
along the bay. There are several noun
tain resorts within an hours run of the
city and from most Of them you can get
a fine view of the city. | had a good
view OF the island of Cobras, which was
held by the rebels during the recent
revolution. The walls were torn up
pretty badly by the bombardment, and
most of the windows are broken.
The ride from Rio to Estrella is a pic
turesque one, for the most part, but is very
dusty. 1t is $50 miles and took about 6
hours to make the journey. That is
pretty good time considering the fact that
it is all upgrade and that the stops are all
much longer than they are in the States,
Estrella is about ten miles from the main
limo and lora- &c a arrou w ~ road no
tween it and Lorena, the nearest point on
the main line. Estrella is well situated,
being in one OF the healthiest locations
i'll Brazil. The army officers who are
here, and we Americans live in Estrella,
while the rest OF the workmen live in
Piquette, a small village about a mile
from here.
The powder factory is a mile further up
the valley and we have the train to carry
US back and forth. The work is very
agreeable and We have very short hours.
In the laboratory there are four Brazil
ians and three Americans. | am first
assistant to johnson and have charge
when he is away. Johnson and | keep
house together and we have two servants
to run things The cost OF living is pretty
high down here. One thing is cheap and
plentiful and that is fruit. We can get
bananas, oranges and pi~neapples all the
year round. Clothing is very expensive
especially shoes, there being few factories
here for manufacturing them.
Most every month | have four or five
days off and 60 to Rio or Sac Paulo. Sac
Paulo is the second city of Brazil and has
a population of about 800, 900 of whom at
least $4,000 are Italians. 1t is, | think
the leading manufacturing city in Brazil
and also the center of the coffee trade.
Thousands OF sacks OF coffee pass through
here every month for Santos, the shipping
point. The same company operates the
railway and lighting systems, that oper-
ates those in Rio. In both cities they
employ quite a number of Americans and
Englishmen. | know quite a few Am
orleans in both cities now, and have Wis
tied some of them. Some of them have
been here for sometime and others only
for a short time, but most all of them
seem to like it all right. 1t is certainly
a land OF opportunity for the right man
Like most every other country it is
necessary to have quite a good deal of
capital to start with and to be willing to
wait a few yoars for results. The farmers
here, as a rule, don't know SO very much
about scientific farming. There are hun
dreds of acres Of land, that if handled
right, would be very valuable, but now is
abandoned. Right in this neighborhood
there are several abandoned coffee planta-
tons that in the hands of a capable man
might be a fine investment. OF course,
not knowing anything about farming or
at least very little, l am unable to pass
any Judgment on them.
The houses, or at least, most of them
among the poorer classes, are built very
much on the same plan as the adobe
house of Mexico. You see very few
frame houses. Wood around here is very
scarce although in northern part OF the
country they have thousands of acres Of
valuable woodland only waiting the com
ing of the railroad spd afterward the saw