Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-12
RIO, CITY OF LUXURY
AB0UND|AG IN RICHES
Braxil's Capital is Social. Intel
lcctual and Literary and Fohti-
cal Centre of Big Republic.

London. Feb. 1.-THE Times" pub
,;shas an account. by its special cor
rc.nondent. of The wonderful prosperity
prevailinp in Rio de Janciro, the capitol
nf B-ayil and the great South American
republic in general. Tho correspondent
writes:
Brazil, is the city OF LUXURY and easy
spending. the intellectual, literary, politi-
cal, and social center OF this immense
country of over three million square miles
of territory. There are n dozen great
regions in Brazil where widely differcn-
tisted industries earn money-the rubber
and hardwood areas of the Amszon, the
oil-nut. and fibre country of the great
dormontory, the sugar pnd tobacco and
cotton lands of Pernambuco and her
neiphbors, the cacao groves of Bahia, the
ore mountains of Minas Ceraes, the cof-
fee. cattle. pinewood, and mate states
farthersolith, the vast industrial centers
Of s. Paulo: but Rio remains the chief
place where money Is spent
FINE ROADS IN ENvIRoNs.
Altogether, the population of the
capital is counted at a million and quar-
Ter. and there are plain evidences Of
prosperous growth in the long additions to
The fine roads of the environs. Since was
last in Rio, three years ago, the sea road
beside the Atlantic has been extended
scveral miles TO the foot Of the towering
Gavea, and scores of luxurious, often
bizarre. houses have risen beside it, with
many new roads running inland. In
every suburb construction IS going on
rapidly, unlimited quantities of building
stone being available from the quarries OF
the CITY.
An the main streets of Rio are splendid
lv asphalted, decorated with double or
! triple rows of palms or other pernennially,
green trees. with wide mosaic pavements
and brilliantly lighted. At night, when the
Southern Cross swings overhead IN deep
blue skv that never seems to become quite
lark. and everyone motors along the
favorite seven or eight miles of seatront,
Rio is a sparkling city, with tens OF tbous-
ands of public lights reflected in the waters
of the bay and the Atlantic.
RIO A CITY BEAUTIFUL.
All that the prodigal hands of Nature
and the sedulous tools of man can do
to make Rio beautiful has been done. IL
is true that in common with all cities OF
the Americas Rio reflects Europe, but
with a transparent atmosphere, the use
of electricity for almost all civic purposes.
and genial climate. she is able tn adorn
herself with a coquetry forbidden TO coal
ruled communities.
In early December, South Brazil is
in the first stages of summer, and quanti-
ties of shrubs and Towering trees are IN
full bloom in the public parks and gardens.
Brilliant masses of scarlet flame against
the red-tiled roofs, the strange deep Grim
son blossoms of the mahogany trees car
pet the ground: quantities of little trees
drip with bright yellow sprays that
at few yards distance appear TO be
laburnums, acacias are gay with cream
and rose and demonstrated flowers; Gamma
lilies, roses, plumbago, honey-suckle,
hydrangeas and salvias are in full bloom.
and tropic creepers throw white trumpets
or magenta petals or trails or airy bios
SONS, bright pink or mauve over every
wall.
FRUIT Is CHEAP.
The fruit shops are full of pineapples
from Pernambuco, the big seedless
oranges and figs-together with grapes,
pears and apples imported from Spain
and Portugal, the latter being sold In the
hotels at the modest price OF about IS
each.
Although in summertime the diplo-
matists are in the hills and the capital
is supposed to be empty, it is today nc
tually full of life and gayety, vislbly
prosperous and light-hearted. The large
favorable trade balance of 1919, con-
tinung the prosperity of the last few
wears. and the high prices at which cof
Zee has been recently sold, have created /
a feeling of confidence which the vio- |
lent fluctuations of exchange during |
the last three or four weeks have not /
vet affected There is a great deal of /
in the business districts, shops !
and warehouses are full of expensive mer-
and the chief shopping areas,
rs the Avendla Rio Branco, the Rua do
Ouvidor, the Goncalves Dias and Uru-
guyana, are crowded all the time.
JEWELS AND RICH GOWNS.
The impression left upon ones mind
after an hour spent I'D these streets,
before the fashionable tea time, is of
OF magnificent motor cars,
he sparkling OF many jewels the fiut-
sering Of the chiffon and silk dresses
,f pretty little dolls of women. The
new hotels are thronged with guests,
the dance-tea has become an institu-
lion, and every corner has its cinema
house, almost invariably showing North
American films.
While everybody discusses with passion
he rise in exchange and its effect upon
even the merchants whose
are it is to appear eternally pessimistic
rumble with certain restraint. II is
.greed that should the value of the milreis
emain at its present height OF about II
renee the export of Brazilian raw ma
crials must be most seriously affected,
MT tho commercial community appears to
hink that the year Will see a marked
Irop.