December i, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



81 



A LEADING CITIZEN OF PARA. 



[communicated.] 



THE occurrence during the present month of the birthday 

 anniversary of Senator Antonio Jose de Lemos, of Para, 

 who is often referred to as the most prominent personage in the 

 north Brazilian states, suggests that a brief sketch of his 

 career may be of interest to the readers of The India Rubber 

 World. The new regime in the rubber situation in the Amazon 

 region, to which numerous references have been made in these 

 pages during the past few months, has been promoted in no 

 small degree by Senhor Lemos, either as a member of the 

 senate of his state, as editor of the leading newspaper on the 

 Amazon, or in his capacity as a creator of public opinion in 

 that part of the republic in his capacity as a leading citizen. 



Antonio Jose de Lemos was born in Maranhao — the province 

 south of Para — on December 17, 1843. When 17 years of age, 

 after having passed his first studies in the city college of Maran- 



Senador Antonio Jose de Lemos. 



hao, he joined the Brazilian navy, and on board the corvette 

 Paraense he assisted in the war with Paraguay — the war of the 

 triple alliance — as ship's clerk. On the same corvette he, on 

 February 2, 1867, arrived for the first time in Para, where it 

 was his fate to remain and work for the progress of the great 

 Amazon region. He was nominated there as secretary of the 

 port and navy yard, but this work proved not to be in keeping 

 with his ambition. 



He seemed naturally inclined for journalism and in this field 

 his first marked sucess was attained. After editing the journals 

 O Pelicano, O Tacaoe, and Liberal do Para, he became the 

 editor of A Provincia do Para, upon its establishment on March 

 25, 1876, since which time he has remained at its helm. He has 

 beceme one of the most accomplished and successful editors 

 and publishers in Brazil, and made this paper one of the most 

 influential in the republic. Such important questions as the 

 abolition of slavery and the substitution of republican government 

 for the monarchy were treated by the then young editor of 

 A Provincia do Para in so forceful a manner as to create polit- 

 ical parties to enforce the liberal opinions of the paper. 



In 1885 Senhor Lemos was elected a representative in the 

 state legislative assembly and at the time of the proclamation of 

 the republic, in 1889, he was intendente (mayor) of the city 

 of Belem, which is the local name of the capital of the state 

 of Para. He was elected to the mayoralty for the second time 



in 1898, since which year he has been unanimously reelected for 

 every term to the position of chief administrator of this important 

 city of the Amazon. 



Lor some time he has also been state senator, taking an 

 active interest and exerting a vital influence in all important 

 questions of administration and legislation. During the sitting 

 of the legislative assembly the actual work of the mayor is per- 

 formed by a substitute. As the chief in Para of the predominant 

 political party {partido repablicano) Senor Lemos's opinion is 

 much considered by the federal government. Senator Lemos 

 has been largely instrumental in the modernization of Para, in- 

 cluding the embellishment of the city with parks, tree-lined 

 avenues, paved streets, electric car lines, and electric lighting. 



Senator Lemos has been particularly interested in the estab- 

 lishment of charitable institutions. Due to him was the creation 

 of an asylum for poor people, one of the best public buildings 

 of the city (Azylo de Mendicidade). The orphan asylum (Or- 

 phanato Senador Lemos) has his constant attention. The 

 great improvements in the hospitals Orden Terceira and Santa 

 Caza de Misericordia has to be considered, especially the latter, 

 one of the best in Brazil, are due to the fact that the president 

 of the board of directors is Senator Antonio Lemos. 



All the benevolent associations in the state of Para have Sen- 

 ator Lemos as an honorary president or honorary member. He 

 is also commandant colonel of the state national guard. Sen- 

 ator Lemos is a great friend of the foreigners who come to the 

 Amazon, and especially is he an admirer of the Americans. 



LONDON'S ANNUAL RUBBER HEEL SHOW. 



IT was said by some one of the International Shoe and Leather 

 Fair, held at Agricultural Hall, London, during the first week 

 ; n November, that it "would be better described as a shoe, 

 leather, and rubber fair," in view of the good number of ex- 

 hibits of rubber heels, overshoes, and the like. As was the case 

 last year, the American trade was well represented. As usual, 

 with the exhibits of leather in general and leather shoes in par- 

 ticular The India Rubber World, in this connection, has little 

 concern, but a detailed account of the rubber exhibits alone 

 would fill more space than can be spared here for the whole 

 exhibition. 



The United States Rubber Co., Limited— as the European 

 department of the big American company is known — as usual 

 had on view an extensive display of the various forms of water- 

 proof footwear made by this corporation. 



The Hood Rubber Co., Limited — the foreign branch of the 

 Hood Rubber Co. (Boston) — in addition to a full line of their 

 output of footwear, exhibited a model of their factory, which 

 is in the first rank, as to size and production, among the world's 

 rubber shoe plants. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co., Limited — here is another American 

 concern with a branch registered under the British laws — were 

 represented by a display of their rubber footwear, now on the 

 foreign market for about a year. As at previous shows, they ex- 

 hibited their own "Majestic" heel pad, and the O'Sullivan heel, 

 which they market extensively in Great Britain. 



Prominent in the show was the stand of The India Rubber, 

 Gutta Percha, and Telegraph Works Co., Limited, of Silver- 

 town. Here was an exceptionally varied stock of heel pads, 

 revolving and stationery, at all kinds of prices, and in various 

 colors. There were also sporting requisites — golf balls, football 

 bladders, and the like. 



The North British Rubber Co., Limited, the leading makers 

 of rubber boots and shoes in the United Kingdom, showed 

 specimens of all their products in this line, as well as other 

 rubber goods of different kinds. 



Calmon Asbestos and Rubber Works, Limited, representing the 

 important Hamburg house of Calmon, exhibited a number of 

 novelties, including an asbestos sock, which is fitted to "Plim- 



