The Tomahawk., 1917-04-26


:, RIO DE JANEIRO
! tains with the "Finger of God" con-
spicuous among them. AS the ship
steams up the long and deep channel
the great city slowly breaks into view
and masses and crescents Of light
spring into sight. The encircling city
CLOVIS and radiates.
Time to See Rio at Its Best.
It is between sunrise and eight or
nine o'clock that Rio is seen at its
best, at least from the steamers deck.
The best smile is that Of a pearl which
gradually displays it's orient to the be-
holder. Gray gives place to rose, and
rose and celestial blue. It is as if AL
mighty God had breathed on this IA
| vored spot and hidden it come forth
| endowed with more natural beauties
than any other on earth. The city rises
in terraces, not in huge masses Of
houses hiding the rock, as in Lisbon,
but in fairylike groups Of habitations,
half lost in the verdure Of the tropical
vegetation. On the sea level the great
err part Of Rio stretches in vast cres-
cent turned toward the northeast,
broken here and there by spurs of the
mountain range at the back, throwing
out gently rounded foothills, covered
to their tops with feathery palm-tree
ferns and bamboos. In the middle OF
the crescent the suburbs stretch away
! inland for a great distance.
In all it's essentials the city is now
an unusually good example Of one OF
the worlds great capitals. The man.
agement of traffic by the police, the
! work Of the street-cleaning depart
ment, the electric lighting, the excel"
lent asphalted pavements, the trolley
lines, the handsome buildings, public
and private-all these things and hun
dreds of others could be instanced as
showing that Rio de Janeiro is as pro-
gressive as any one Of our great cities
| in the United States. In some points
she IS distinctly ahead Of us-in the
municipal theater, for instance, and in
much that has been done for beauti-
flying the city. Many of the streets are
lined by double rows of the stately
| royal palms, making the finest OF ali
| IMAGINABLE colonnades. The long drive
along the brave bay front is something
quite unique. The beauty of the city
| is no more evident than in business de-
velopment. Rio is an old city, but OF
late years it has gone ahead, and is
now going ahead as fast as any young
city in the western United States, ana
it's prosperity rests on a sound and
healthy basis.
Money Lavished on the City.
The, far-sighted statesmen of Brazil
have spent millions Of dollars in max
| ing Rio beautiful and sanitary. They
transformed the former narrow and
congested streets into wide avenues
which rival the historic streets of Eu-
| rope and the United States. Groups
of beautiful public buildings have
| arisen, among them the Monroe palace
dedicated to the memory Of the presi-
| dent who enunciated the. doctrine of
| America for the Americans. The old
Imperial palace has become the Ma
tional museum, and among other fine
buildings are the city hall, mint ana
chamber Of deputies, etc. The Botanic
gardens are especially interesting, con-
tanning rare exotics from all parts of
the world. The School of Fine Arts
contains many pictures of the old mas
ters. and the National library has some
100000 printed books and half mil
lion manuscripts.
| Of those things which make a great
and progressive city Rio has its full
share and today is making the most of
them. It's future is rich in promise OF
even greater development. 1t Will grow
as the nation grows and every 1ndlca-
tion points to the marvellous develop
ment of Brazirs resources during the
coming century. With 22,OOO,O00 people
Brazil is today, next to the United
States, the most populous of American
countries. It is capable Of supporting
q population of 2OO,OOO,O00 and it's nat
ura1 resources are simply enormous
with the greater part Of its territory
vet untouched. With the construction
of more railroads, the Harvesting Oh
limitless water power, the improve
ment of ports, the establishment or
new industries, the extension OF agr1-
culture, the opening of mines, the ex-
pIoiting of timber, and with the mas
tering of vast jungle areas, Brazil IS
destined to take high rank among the
nations of the earth. and with the
DESTINY of Brazil is bound up the fu-
ture Of Rio de Janeiro.