Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-19

women and girls with ivory complex
ions. dark eyes and beautiful hair, as
black as the wing of the raven They
are Of Portuguese ancestry. Others are
pure negroes and others show q trace Of
the Indian. This is moro among the
lower classes Brazil has its aristoc-
racy also. which prides itself on Its
The upper classes are exclusive. Not
many years ago the higher class wom-
en- were hardly seen upon the streets.
Ladies' do not receive male callers. al
though this is becoming less common
than 1t was in the past
The Brazilians are very particular as
to their manners and dress. Rio has
first and second class cars and 1t IS
against the rule for man TO take the
first-class car IL he has not on collar
and necktie. You cannot carry baggage
in a f1rst-class car and there are often
baggage cars rs trailers where you put
your valise and pay extra therefor.
The people are very polite. Men
friends embrace each other when they
come together and shake hands half
dozen times before leaving. IT In com
mon for n man to throw his arms
around his friend and pat him on the
back as a mark of affection. II is not
uncommon for a man TO kiss the hani
of woman when he meets her or TO-
the son to kiss the hand of his father.
Every one says thank you and the
servant who carries your baggage on
board wishes YOU a good voyage.
As nation these people are temper
ate. OF all this crowd that is moving
back and forth on the avenues you
will not see one that has flushed face.
Indeed I have yet to see a drunken man
in Brazil and have been mixing with
all classes from the statesman down 10
the Iaborers. The people drink coffee
rather than beer and although many
of them are all nerves and skin. very
few are addicted to liquor. They drink
wine at their meals. but not to excess.
But let US go on with our walk.
We can drop into a moving picture
show or stop at the Cafe Chantants.
Rio has theaters Of all kinds. The
city theater belongs to the municipal
ity. 1t was built at the time the groat
avenues were cut through and that at
a cost of $10,000.000. 1t is modelled
after the Opera House at Paris and is
most luxuriously and extravangantly
constructed. although its seating capa-
city is only 100.
These Brazilians like sports. Rio has
its races, the best of which are held
upon Sundays. 1t has foot ball games
and regattas. and also a carnival, which
is held once a year. This feast lasts
for four nights. during which the Aven-
iedo Central is thronged. Last year it
IS SAID there were ZUU,UUU on the street
at one time. During the carnival the
people come out in masks. They are
dressed in gay costumes and young
men and young women go about with
squirt guns and shoot scents at one
another. They sometimes aim at the
eyes and of late the people have taken
to wearing automobile goggles to pro-
tect their eyesight.
The town has also its clubs and So
cieties. 1t has some where gambling
is done and where roulette, baccarat
and other such games are played not
withstanding the law. The Brazilians
are natural gamblers. They will bet
upon anything and they have the
and of getting something for nothing.
1 have already spoken of the lotteries.
The tickets are sold daily and almost
every one buys. One form of gambling
is betting on the last two figures OF
the number that draws the prize in the
federal lottery. Chances to this are
sold by all the lottery peddlers. The
custom arose, I am told, out of what
is known as The Game of Beasts. This
was originated by a former manager
of the geological gardens. He wanted
more visitors to come to the zoo and
originated a scheme whereby prizes
trance tickets that bore the names OF
certain animals. II I am correctly in
formed there were twenty-five animals
on the various tickets and a certain
one of these was picked out for the
prize. The game became popular and
the zoo was kept crowded from Sun
day to Sunday. The name of this game
was "Jogo do Bicho.'
FRANK G. CARPENTER.