A BRAZILIAN CONCERN 
1,963,787.800 milreis in gold, out of which 544,787.300 
milreis were in debenture bonds. On the same date the 
value of interests repaid to the National Treasury 
amounted to 1,606,578.581 milreis in paper currency. 
The federalized lines of the Company were: from 
Riberao Preto to Rio Grande (concession of 1883); from 
Rio Grande to Araguary (concession of 1890) ; with a 
total extension of 472 kilometres, and a branch line from 
Cascavel to P 090 de Caldas, 77 kilometres, the last 17 
kilometres of which were in the Province of Minas Geraes. 
The extension from Rio Grande to Araguary, 282 
kilometres, was also situated in the Province of Minas 
Geraes. 
Having dodged the expectant crowd at the station 
unnoticed, I did not go with the Traffic Superintendent, 
Mr. Vicente Bittencourt, into the luxurious special car 
as the train was steaming out of the Riberao Preto station, 
but preferred to travel in front of the engine, so as to 
get a full view of the beautiful scenery along the line. We 
went at a good speed over gentle curves rounding hillsides, 
the grass of which bent under a light breeze. Here and 
there stood a minute white cottage — almost toy-like — 
where coffee gatherers lived. On the left we had a 
grandiose, undulating region — what the Americans 
would call “ rolling country — combed into thousands 
of parallel lines of coffee trees, interrupted at intervals by 
extensive stretches of light green, grazing land. Only 
now and then, as the engine puffed and throbbed under 
me, did I notice a rectangle of dried, brownish yellow, 
where the farmers had grown their Indian corn. These 
patches were a great contrast to the interminable mass of 
rich, dark green of the coffee trees and the light green 
of the prairies. 
Near these patches, prominently noticeable in the 
landscape because so scarce, one invariably saw groups 
of low, whitewashed or red-painted houses, mere humble 
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