BeauiiMMio
Scraps
of JE
OUR COMIC SECTION
0
D
Events in the Lives of Little Men
THEIR CHOICE
Atrial Tramway to
(Prepared hi the National Oeot-raphui
aoclelj. W.ihiintoa. D. C
RIO JANEIRO, second city of
Soath America, and fifth city
of the Western hemisphere,
probably deserves to ruuk first
among all the great cities of the world
In beauty of setting.
Place your hands on the table,
fingers spread, wrists oprulsed. Each
finger represents one of Iilo's hills;
each space between, a canyon up which
the city climbs. And each of the
finger-hills dips Into the great Hay of
Guanabnra, or Into the Atlantic It
self; while at the mouths of the can
yons are crescent beaches, rimmed
.with avenres.
Spain is the land of paintings, Por
tugal of gardens. In Brazil many
things Portuguese have persisted be
sides the mother tongue. Colorful In
deed are the gardens of Rio.
There are old walled gardens sur
rounding houses built In the days of
the empire. These bouses usually
stand at the head of canyon, or on
the crest of a hill. They are dignified
one-story buildings with large rooms,
hh ceilings, and many windows.
Their vivid color Is what the Bra
slllans call "Portuguese blue," crowned
by the reddish brown of weather-beaten
tiled
In the gardens of these homes tower
royal palms, great Jaqueira trees
heavy with fruit, wide-spreading man
gos, and South Brazilian Parana pines
with straight betasseled branches.
These noble trees, foreign to Rlo's
hills, tell ns that the gardens were
planted back In the first Dom Pedro's
day, or perhaps In the time of bis
father, Dom Joao the Sixth.
In 1S08 Portuguese royalty fled from
Napoleonic despotism In Europj to set
tip Its court In Brazil, and the follow
ing year the prince regent, afterward
Dom Joao VI, Imported the royal palm
of the Antilles and planted It In the
botanical gardens at Rio. Here the
original palm still stands.
"Our Mother Palm was sick some
years ago," the visitor Is told, "and
we were greatly alarmed lest she
should die. From this single speci
men hav come all the wonderful
palms which beautlf) our parks and
venues. We treated our royal patient
wit care, giving her a medicinal bath,
and she recovered."
Near the palm Is a bust of Dom
Joao. whose forethought and love erf
gardens greatly enriched the flora of
Asiatic trees, such as the mango, Jaque
ira, breadfruit, snd tamarind, and
tunny of the Old World flowering trees
which glorify Itlo's hills, then came
to Brazil through Portugal's far-flung
colonies In Asia and Africa; or were
brought from Cayenne, In French Cul-'
nnn, then known as the Isle of France,
where the French maintained a botan
ical garden from a very early period.
' Riot of Brilliant Colors.
, In the old gardens are other marks
of bygone days besides the venerable
trees. Here snd there Is a watl faced
with blue and white Dutch tiles, which
found their way to Brazil when Hol
land Invaded Its northern coast. In the
Seventeenth century. On some of the
tall gateposts stand big blue or yellow
porcelain ornaments In the form of
plnenpples, Imported from Portugal
one hundred or more years ago. "They
bring good luck to the household,"
soy the older natives.
Color runs riot. The purple boo
gulnvlllea here grows to be a tree; the
flaming polnsettla becomes giant
bush. There la the glowing coral vine;
the hibiscus In red and in rose; the
violet and lavender manaca. Brilliant
variegated crotnns border the paths.
Most conspicuous are the gorgeous
flowering trees, such as the native cas
sia, or "golden shower," whose yellow
clusters resemble the wistaria, the
West Indian salmon and red frangl
panl of fragrant memory; and the
flamboyant, or royal polnttona of
Maduguscor, the Joy of the garden.
To the American observer the mod
ern architecture of the city seems too
omnte. Rio de Janeiro Is like a love
ly woman, who needs little embellish
ment Here buildings on simple lines
are best All the houses, however,
have the redeeming quality of varied
pnd vivid coloring, which, combined
with terra-cotla eurth and emerald
follnce, forms one of the most attrac
tive fen tu res of the city. While terra
cotta, In soli, rooft, snd garden walls,
Is the predominating tone, almost
every shade Is represented In this Iri
descent town.
Many of the new homes cling to the
hillside below the street and ore en
tered from the roof. Others of these
cUIT-dwelllngs perch high above the
thoroughfare and are reached by a
long fllrrbt of steps or by elevator on
an Inclined plane. Some bear the name
Summit of Sugar Loaf.
of the lady of the manor over the
front door "Villi Roslta," "Villa Lu
cia" and the dark-ejed lady herself
Is ofteu seen leaning from the window.
Although the women of the capital
have now evolved to a much freer life
than that of their provincial sisters,
they are on the street less than north
ern women and are, on the whole,
greater hume-lovcrs.
Birds of 8nU Theresa Hill.
Butterflies and birds gludden every
garden; but It la on Santa Theresa
hill that the forest birds congrepite
In greatest numbers. The bird that
plays star role ail day long Is the
sabia, beloved of Brazilian poets They
always have It perched high In the
palm tree, but In reality It bide In
the bush.
There are several varieties of the
sabia of the forest and of the shore
birds about the size of a robin. The
woody-colored one with the orange
breast Subla larangelra, Is the sweet
est singer.
In variety of form and coloring the
birds of Brazil, like the butterflies,
outclass those of other parts of the
world. Recently, In London, a Brazil
tan butterfly told tor 1130.
Many and varied are the street
vendors who sing their wares and
clap their hands at the garden
gate to attract attention.
The custom among the working
classes of bearing burdens on the
bead Is a survival of slavery days.
Everything Is carried In this fashion,
from a tin pan no a piano. It takes
four men to carry a piano; but one
man alone balances the gigantic bread
basket weighing close to ninety
pounds, tolling with It np the steep
paths, one band steadying the basket
the other grasping a camp stool. One
Imagines at first that the camp stool
Is for the man to rest on; but no I
It Is for the honorable bread basket I
There are more than one thousand
five hundred of these bread men, each
exhibiting the number of bis license on
the bssket or atached to the formid
able leather purse, resembling a wom
an's ordinary handbag, which the Rio
street vendor Invariably wears on bis
hip, suspended from bis shoulder by
a long strap. Other characteristic
features are the tnmancos, or heel
less wooden slippers, whose rythmic
"clup-clap" Is beard In every part of
the city, and the circular wad of cloth,
once worn on the bead as a cushion
for the burden.
Every vendor has bis particular call.
The (In-pan merchant thumps his wares
with a big spoon; the Syrian who sells
Ceara lace beats his basket with bis
yardstick; the strange minor wall of
the peanut-seller takes you back to
the Orient There Is, In fact quite an
oriental touch to the city.
Corcovado and Sugar Loaf.
To visitors who can only pause In
Rio while their boats unload and load,
and who wish a comprehensive vleW
of the beautiful city, the choice of ex
cursions lies between Corcovado and
Sugar Loaf. The summits of both are
easy of access, the views IncompurablJ
grand.
Corcovado (the Hunchback) Is as
cended by trolley to the head of a
canyon; by electric cog railway twi
miles or more up the mountain; by a
flight of steps to the covered pavilion
on the summit The altitude Is only
a little more than two thousand feeti
yet the view la really more remark
able than many that can be obtained
only after tolling to the summits of
some of the world's most fumoul
mountains. Ton overlook a vast clr
cular panorama of mountain, city and
sea In form and color do painter cun
adequately portray.
Sugar Loaf should be called "The
Crouching Lion." The giant monolith
Is far too majestic for Its present
name. Its crest Is reached from er
melha beach, on the Rio shore, by
aerial ropeway. The car lunds you
first on the summit of a lesser rock,
I'rca, where there Is a park and res
taurant, the second longer flight car
rying yon high above the forest with
the sensation of sailing In a balloon.
On up you float, skirting the great
granite cliff, landing at last on the
very peak of the rock, A cyclopean
task, the building of this serial rail
way! The view, while altogether different
from the Corcovado panorama, Is mag
nificent You are well out In the bay,
directly above the forts which guard
the entrance, looking back on Rlo's
crescent shore. As the glowing cop
pery sun drops behind the figged
mountain tops, dusk envelops the land
In a mystic reddish haze. One by one
the lights of the city gleam out Night
fulls and Rio Is a bejeweled goddess
on a purple velvet throne.
In a recent Intelligence test given
In a high school there was this sen
tence: "A mother Is than her daugh
ter." Underneath were the words,
"wiser, taller, older," and the pupil
was supposed to fill In the blank In
the sentence with the most appropri
ate of the words.
Did they do It? Fully half the class
Ignored tlw given words altogether
and filled In the sentence to read;
"A mother Is more wrinkled than
her daughter." Springfield I'uton.
HE MIGHT BE RIGHT
He She's an atigel In disguise.
She Yob may be right It'a a com
plete disguise.
Super Ruoui Advice
"Oh. be not hasty, friend," I erted.
"Think twice o'er all you utter.''
"I cannot help It," ht replied,
"1 tut-tut-lut-lutter."
A Hundred Per Center
"You say be Is a typical American
patriot but what de you mean by
thatr
"That he bangs out the flag on
holidays If remluded of It bums the
national anthem after the second
line, forgets to register and kicks
about the men the others have voted
Into office."
Terribly Abuttd
"Opposition I Opposition!" aha cried
distractedly. "I've met with nothing
else all my life."
'What's the matter, dearr In
quired her friend.
"My parents objected when I want
ed to marry him, and now he kicks
because I want a divorce."
Good Method
Mrs. Mugg Do you believe In auto
suggestion?
Mrs. Gugg Well, that's how we got
our car.
"How was thatr
"I suggested It to my huland every
day and every night until be Anally
bought one."
A Happy Widow
I know a widow who Is supremely
happy.- When other widows weep
from loneliness, she continues t to
smile. And I do not 'blame .her; I
knew her husband, an exceeding disa
greeable man. E. W. Howe'a Monthly.
IN THE FLAT.
Wlfle These rooms are so small I
haven't room to press my clothes.
Hubby Yon should use a flat Iron,
of course.
Ouch I
-Oh, there are other (tub In the sea,"
Hold rejected Mr. Olmpa.
'Quit true," the mild said merrily,
"Out they do not bit at eh rim pa."
Babiei Don't
Shop Assistant This doll li lit'
a real baby. It will close Its eyes
and go to sleep when yon lay It
down.
Weary Parent But I thought you
uld It was like a real baby?
According to Plan
Do you think your dad would say
tnythlng 1! I told him we were going
to be married?"
"I don't know but I fancy he'd say
methlng If you told him we weren't''
Exception
"Doctor Lew In has found out that
men's Intelligence can be Judged by
their collars the lower the collars
the higher the Intelligence."
"Who Is Doctor Lewln?"
"That man with the high collar."
Reaion Enough
Gilbert Never tell girl you love
her.
Gordon Why not?
Gilbert She'll probably believe
vou.
w ar m u. , .: ra
FINNEY OF THE FORCE
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PWtYe.W? MAMA V ' " vVx
' "
Mac Is Staying Late
All in the Point of View