The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-05-03

~ 10 DE JANEIRO Is the cleanest
~ and most beautiful city In
the world, according Ia the tes-
timony of recent visitors, In
Guiding Theodore Roosevelt. With
more than II million population 1t has
no slums such as disfigurc and dis.
grace even the more progressive North
American cities. Within It's wide mu-
nicipal area IL has more ~Dsphalted
streets than any other city can boast
of, and ut night It's prodigal illumina-
ton gives the right to take from Paris
the title of the "Clty of Light" A
great thriving seaport, Il wonderfully
beautiful tropical capital, Rio de
JancirO visualiZeS the remarkable
transformation which has taken place
In Latin-America, and particularly In
Brazil. within the past 20 years. II Is
more than simply n justification of re.
publican government In Brazil II car
rlcs 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 Janciro as II 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 IN almost utter
lack of sanitary and hygienic rcgula-
lions. The city was never entirely free
from the dread Scourgc Of yellow fever.
and smallpox and tuberculosis made
frighttul ravagcs mons the popula-
ton. Malaria and other fcvcrS also
eXactcd Il heavy toll of life. Today,
yellow fever, bubonic plague and small
poX have been practically stamped
out, and an intelligent war against
the a%nOphclcs mosquito Is doing the
same Credituhlc work for malaria,
which is rapidly disappearing.
One Of Americas Oldest Cities.
Rio de Janciru is y of the oldest
cities of European settlement in the
western hemisphere. Discovered IN
1902, the first century OC It's existence
was marked with %troublOuS times with
the hostile Indians before the Portu-
rucSc settlers were able to establish
themselves In security. They also had
10 maintain themselves against the
French, the Dutch and the Spanish
and many times Portuguese ascend
cncy hung by n thread. In III, the
French captured the city by assault,
holding II until a heavy ransom was
paid. This ended all attempts to wrcst
Brazil from the hands OF her discOv-
crcrS. About this time occurred the
discovery of gold and diamonds In
Brazil, n fact which increased the i'm
portance of Rio de Janeir0 ana Bahia
and made Brazil an enormously rich
colony which was exploited to the limit
by the home government. In 1907, rs
n result Of the Nnpolconic wars. the
seat of the Portuguese government
was transferred from Lisbon Ia Rio de
Janelro and Brazil became an empire
which lasted until the successful re-
publican uprising in 1850.
Claims Worlds Largest Harbor.
The bay of Rio de .Junciro Is pruba-
bly, the largest. safest and most beau
tlful natural harbor in the world. II
Is II miles long and II miles Wide,
with a coast line of ~ miles. The en-
trance Is only one mile wide between
imposing granite mountains, and there
are numerous islands. a granite quay,
two and n half miles In length, con-
structcd AT a cost of many millions of
dollars, greatly facilitates shipping.
Tho harbOr also has n lOO-tOn floating
crane and n large floating d~ry-dock.
In former years the district fronting
the quay was n section of narrow ION
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 favornbly with the
equipment of North American harbor
fronts.
Rio dc Jnnciro extends nine miles
from north 10 south and ten miles from
east To west along this beautiful har-
hor. To n foreign tourist coming up
the hay At sunset, perhaps the best
time for n strangers arrival, the city
Is NJ first unseen, its dim outlines be-
Ing in the shadow thrown by the gignn.
tic figure of the sleeping Titan whose
feet are composed by Sugar Loaf
mountain with his head and body built
up Of the Tijuca and adjoining noun
talns. Away In the distance on the
north side of the bay, dominating
everything else, rise the gracefully
slender pinnacles Of the Organ mou