Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1917-04-20

~ 10 DE JANEIRO is the cleanest
- and most beautiful city in
the world, according to the tes-
timony of recent visitors, in
| Guiding Theodore Roosevelt. With
more than million population it has
no slums such as disfigure and dis
| grace even the more progressive North
American cities. Within its wide mu-
nicipal area it has more asphalted
streets than any other city can boast
of, and at night it's pPodigal illumina-
ton gives the right to take from Paris
the title of the City of Light" A
great thriving seaport, a wonderfully
Fbeautiful tropical capital, Rio de
Janeiro visualiZeS the remarkable
transformation which has taken place
in Latin-America, and particularly in
Brazil, within the past 20 years. 1t is
more than simply justification of re-
publican government in Brazil: it car
ries a rich promise for the develop
ment of South America.
A few years before the beginning of
| the present century, travellers de-
| Scribed Rio de Janeiro as a fever pest
spot. 1t was under the empire one OF
the most unhealthful cities of South
! America. The sewerage system was
poor and there was an almost utter
lack of sanitary and hygienic fegula-
TONS The city was never entirely free
from the dread scourge of yellow fever,
and smallpox and tuberculosis made
frightful ravages among the popula-
ton Malaria and other fevers also
exacted heavy toll of life. Today
yellow fever, bubonic plague and small
pox have been practically stamped
out, and an intelligent war against
the anopheles mosquito is doing the
same creditable work for malaria,
which is rapidly disappearing.
One of Americas Oldest Cities.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the oldest
cities of European settlement in the
western hemisphere. Discovered in
1902, the first century of it's existence
was marked with troublous times with
the hostile Indians before the Portu-
| guese settlers were able to establish
| themselves In security. They also had
| to maintain themselves against the
| French, the Dutch and the Spanish
| and many times Portuguese ascend
| ency hung by a thread. In I'LL, the
| French captured the city by assault,
| holding it until a heavy ransom was
| paid. This ended all attempts to wrest
| Brazil from the hands of her discov-
5, erers. About this time occurred the
! discovery of gold and diamonds in
| Brazil, fact which increased the irn-
| portance of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia
| and made Brazil an enormously rich
colony which was exploited to the limit
! by the home government. In 1907, as
q result of the Napoleonic wars, the
seat of the Portuguese government
was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de
Janeiro and Brazil became an empire
| which lasted until the successful re-
| publican uprising in 1889.
Claims Worlds Largest Harbor.
The bay of Rio de Janeiro is proba-
| bly, the largest, safest and most beau
| tiful natural harbor in the world. 1t
! is IL miles long and ID miles wide,
with q coast line of 10 miles. The en-
| trance is only one mile wide between
| imposing granite mountains, and there
are numerous islands. A granite quay,
| two and a half miles in length, con-
| structed at q cost of many millions Of
| dollars, greatly facilitates shipping.
| The harbor also has a 100-ton floating
crane and a large floating dry-dock.
| In former years the district fronting
the quay was a section of narroW con-
gested streets, but under the republic
| the district has been transformed into
| a commercial section of wide streets
| and well-built business houses, com
pairing more than favorably with the
equipment of North American harbor
| fronts.
Rio de Janeiro extends nine mile&
| from north to south and ten miles from
| east to west along this beautiful har-
Dor. To a foreign tourist coming up
the bay at sunset, perhaps the best
| time for strangers arrival, the city
is at first unseen, it's dim outlines ba
| ing in the shadow thrown by the gigai
| tic figure of the sleeping Titan who's
feet are composed by Sugar Loaf
mountain with his head and body built
ND of the Tiiuca and adjoining mouns
tains. Away in the distance on
north side of the bay. dolt
everything else, rise the ggY
slender pinnac'es Of the Org