Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1912-04-08
FB0M SOUTH AMERICA
An Bord des Dampfers, den
March IL, 1912.

| AV" hoohtVoS III oAilS Tic oCd-
port Of San Paulo. the capital of
the state of San Pauio, is about fifty
miles distant. San Paulo is the
second city in Brazil in point of
reputation, having some 800. 900
and is one of the richest cities in
South America.
Being American millioraires lat
least from the stand point of the
tradesmen) we have our special
train from Santos to San Paulo.
This road is one of the finest equip
ped in South America. its stock
sells at over 200 and there is
little, if any. for sale. 1t is COM
PEELED by law to pay all of it's
earnings to the state of San
Paulo, except the mere pittance of
ID per cent on its capital. But as
the boy said there amt goin' to
be no core" In like manner
there is no surplus over ID per
cent and "ain't goin' to be nome"
for anything that would be earned
over that per centage is expended
in equipment and improvements
until today it is a marvel of railroad
construction and upkeep.
Thus San Paulo can boast of the
finest rail road station in South
America.
The scenery on this our first
railroad ride in Brazil was
marvelously beautiful Here the
road went winding through tropical
forests, some trees being a bril-
liant mass of pink and red with
but few leaves. There many we're
covered with orchids iE bloom.
One particular species of tree ex-
cited our admiration. 1t was
about as large as an apple tree but
had bloom of delicate pink
flowers growing in profusion. Side
by side, with the Others were
flowers of the same species but
milky white. At times we wound
through great fertile valleys, then
the grade would become very
steep, so that we had to ascend by
the use of cogs and the locomotive
could use it's cog wheel apparatus
or be plain every day locomotive
at its own sweet will.
Frequently we would look down
into valleys some 5000 feet or more
below us. San Paulo is at much
higher altitude than Santos so we
were ascending all the time through
these scenes of beauty and in
about three hours or so rolled into
the city itself, which architect
urally is very impressive with it's
public buildings, State theater,
Cathedral and Museum.
The vital defect of the citizens
of San Paulo is that they dom
speak English, only miserable
Portuguese, the language spoken
all over Brazil. l have wandered
into dozen stores here and found
none where English was spoken.
Everything is booming at san
Paulo. Money seems to be plenti-
full and the people not loath to
spend it. l do not know how it
would be if coffee were at the
price ruling some years ago. But
it is nearly three times as high to-
day. This has much to do with
the general air of prosperity.
Coffee is everything at San Paulo
and at Santos, the seaport. The
profit on coffee is 100 per cent.
Certainly everything is very ex.
pensive. A pair of small scissors
worth 20 cents in the United States
cost $500 Refs or $1.15 gold. An
ordinary collar costs 1000 Refs or
80 cents gold.
The color of the houes runs
principally to blues and yellows.
They Hre built of rough bricks
covered with q smooth coat of
cement to which the color is APP
piled The residences are mostly
one story brick around patio on
which the various room amen.