Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-12-29

Now, please don't think 500 in |
Brazilian money means what it |
to you to be. 1t is 100 |
reiS or > / &c. One hundred dol |
lars American money is written
at present this way; 40021000-
400 mil reis. A mil ries is 1000 |
ries and is a silver coin about the
size of our quarter and at present
is worsh 25c, but its normal val !
ue is SIC. | gave an old man, who
is so twisted and knOtted that it |
is surprising to see how he can |
travel, $4,000 Zone mil reis) and |
watched him to see how he spent |
it, aud the old idiot crawled over |
to a saloon and bought rum and |
cigarettes. So when | 60 there
now I give him q Beacon or a
Scott Co. Register to look over. |
Gee, he gets furious. ] am almost |
sure at times that his eagerneSs to
get to me will cure him. The state
makes no provision for its un-
fortunates. This rum | spoke Of
is made from sugar cane juice and
is the popular drink amongst the
poor people. I've seen people
bring in cotton on pack mules for
100 miles over mountains and hills
and when they sold the $50 or 200
pounds of seed cotton, the entire
crop of one man, invest all the
money in rum aud carry it back
along that mere trail that. winds
and meanderS far out away from
where there are schools and cob
blestone streets and many evi
dences of a life worth while. |
surely feel sorry for the ignorant
creatures, whose lives are spent
in filth and dirt, who have had no
chance and have lived only to
augment the vices of their fathers,
whose souls are alive. but small
and warped by a thousand sins
ard by starvation. The men all
carry long knives and double
parrelled pistols Of the old firing
cap kind. | am sure the long
usage Of this frery rum, tobacco
and deplorable unsanitary mud
hutsA are responsible for thou
sands of these malformed humans.
1t is against the city law of Bello
Horizante for them to beg, so |
always feels a sense Of relief when
reach this city.
The Brizilian food is bard to get
accustomed to. Everything is
satuated with grease. You can't
even g-e poached ieg4s 'EYe.Fcne
eats lots Of meat and chiefly pork.
Rice and blacl, beans are served
everywhere and at all times. |
eat lots OF oranges, pineapples and
bananas, for these are all extreme
ly cheap. ! some times buy an
apple, for they smell so good and
look so red that | can't put the
temptation aside. The smell of
them takes me back to one Christ
mas when | was d small boy and
father had given me but a nickel
for Christmas money. ] would 90
to the village every day and try
to decide whether to buy four APP
pies, two oranges, a knife or d
pocket book. tinally | worked
the list down to the apples and
pocket book; but just about when
| had decided on one of these two
articles, a young chap who had
plenty of money--a whole quar-.
ter-came up and bought the
pocket book. Well, l didn't care
much, for | was partial to the ap-
Piles anyway, but ! wanted to
keep my money one more night,
so | waited another day to do my
shopping; but the next day the
apples had all been sold. Some
how that Christmas stays with
me, and the smell of mellow ap-
pies stirs up all but sub conscious
memories of a time | love to cher
ish and hold on to.
/ was the happiest person in
this city when the papers finally
were sure of Mr.. Wilson's elec.
ton. l was real nervous for near
ly a week. One day they had Mr.!
Hughes elected and the next day
it was doubtful, and perhaps,
they would grudgingly grant Mr.
Wilson would come in after all.
| regard it as one of the greatest
victories in American history.
When you are far away from the
old home land the greatness of the
country, the magnitude of its ac-
complishments, the immensity OF
our wealth and the nationwide
spirit of progress are so notice
able, we feel proud that people
point us out as an American
the shoulders are pushed back a
Ii+tIo +Lo etopC puic,puS and the