October, 1910.] 



291 



Saps and Exudations, 



plenty, and as there are no speed limits 

 the drivers scorch up and down any 

 and all streets at thirty-five to forty 

 miles an hour, but with no accidents as 

 far as I could observe. 



The Police service is excellent, and one 

 cannot go anywhere after dark without 

 seeing a policeman at almost every cor- 

 ner. The parks, both in the city proper 

 and beyond the city limits, as well 

 as the magnificent Botanical Gardens, 

 are beautiful beyond comparison. 



It is, to be sure, a tropical city ; that 

 is, it has its hours of relaxation every 

 day, and its days almost every week. 

 Certain of the offices, for example, open 

 at 9 in the morning, close between 11 

 and 1, and close again at 3. They also 

 keep the bars up Sunday and teast days, 

 which latter are many. While the 

 lesser officials watch the clock and kill 

 time, the Intendente, or mayor, works 

 day and night, so'tis said, it is to 

 his energy and foresight that many 

 of the beautiful buildings and parks, as 

 well as public utilities, are due. 



There is an excellent fire department, 

 with the best tropical equipment I have 

 seen. Accustomed to the freedom of 

 American cities I started to walk into 

 one of the central stations one day to 

 look it over, and was promptly held 

 up by a businesslike young chap with 

 a Mauser rifle, who called for the Cor- 

 poral, who reported to the Captain who 

 in turn got the Commandante. He very 

 politely detailed an officer to show me 

 through the yards, stables, gymnasium, 

 dormitories, and munition room, and to 

 examine the engines, hose carts and 

 ladder trucks. It was the first combin- 

 ation of barracks and engine house that 

 I had seen, and I was much interested, 

 and said so to the Commandante. the 

 Captain and Corporal, each of whom 

 saluted politely with outstretched hand 

 and raised hat as I left. To the sentinel 

 I gave a big black cigar with a gorgeous 

 band on it, and underneath the baud a 

 revenue stamp, which every cigar in 

 the Brazils is obliged to wear. 



At the Governor's Palace. 

 A friend had suggested, almost as soon 

 as I landed, the advisability of visiting 

 the Governor and, when I agreed, 



Fromptly arranged for an audience. But 

 was in flannels and my frock coat had 

 been carried off, I knew not whither, 

 to be pressed. The Yankee Consul, 

 however, stepped into the breach and, 

 communicating to the Governor my 

 predicament, the audience was set for 

 the day following. To learn all of the 

 details I meandered over to the con- 

 sulate, where the Consul greeted me 



like a long lost brother. If I had come 

 from Ohio, his native State, I believe 

 he would have embraced me. A husky, 

 warmhearted, quick-tempered, bustling 

 Westerner, he won my heart then and 

 there, and when he came around next 

 morning in a taxicab with a visiting 

 rubber manufacturer from the States 

 and a leading Brazilian rubber mer- 

 chant, I was glad I was ready. 



A frock coat and a top hat are not the 

 most comfortable things in the tropics, 

 but we all wore them. And as the 

 other three were stout and I am not, my 

 collar didn't wilt until the audience was 

 over, which is more than they can say 

 for themselves, The Governor received 

 us on a sort of Divan flanked by four 

 chairs, which we occupied. He was 

 good enough when we were seated, to 

 remark that in his last message he has 

 quoted from the India Rubber World. 

 I replied that as there was no inter- 

 national copyright I was powerless to 

 protect myself from such cases. I told 

 him further that the rubber manufac- 

 turers in the United States knew of him 

 and would be more than glad to have 

 him call and see them, Then we talked 

 about rubber planting in which he is 

 much interested, and he said that the 

 State was willing to do anything in 

 reason to encourage planting corpor- 

 ations. 



The Yankee Consul was meanwhile 

 getting restive because the visiting 

 manufacturer was not receiving more 

 attention, and said in liquid Portuguese : 

 "My friend on the right is one of the 

 largest manufacturers of rubber in the 

 world. He uses only Para rubber, and 

 his factory is in Ohier," 



If he said "Eriho" or " Oheeo" I think 

 the Governor would have understood 

 that he was referring to the Mother 

 of Presidents. But as it was he only 

 looked blank and murmured a compli- 

 ment while the Visiting Manufacturer's 

 eyes twinkled as he thought of his last 

 year's bill for reclaimed rubber. 



It is difficult for a democratic American 

 to know how to address high foreign 

 officials. The Visiting Manufacturer 

 called the Governor " Monsieur the 

 Signor," which sounded bully, I couldn't 

 catch the Portuguese rendering of the 

 title, but turned into English it reads 

 "Mister the Mister," which although 

 respectful is slightly tautological. 



It wasn't really a heart-to-heart talk 

 as the Governor knew no English and 

 we knew no Portuguese, and 1 think his 

 Excellency was glad when it was all 

 over. Not that he showed it any way. 

 He was every moment the courteous. 



