zing genius of some of the most important
Brazilian commercial ventures. Having had an American and English
education, Dr. Rodriguez has been able to establish in Rio the best
edited and produced daily newspaper in the world. Its complete service of
telegraphic news from all over the globe--on a scale which no paper, even
in England, can equal or even approach--the moderate tone and seriousness
of its leading articles, its highly reliable and instructive columns on
all possible kinds of subjects by a specially able staff of the cleverest
writers in Brazil, and the refined style in which it is printed, do great
honour to Dr. Rodriguez. Then comes another man of genius--Dr. Francisco
Pereira Passos, who, with Dr. Paulo de Frontin, has been able in a few
years to transform Rio de Janeiro from one of the dirtiest and ugliest
cities in South America into the most beautiful. The great drive around
the beautiful bay, the spacious new Avenida Central--with its parallel
avenues of great width--the construction of a magnificently appointed
municipal theatre, the heavenly road along the Tijuca mountains
encircling and overlooking the great harbour, and a thousand other
improvements of the city are due to those two men. Dr. Paulo Frontin has
also been active in developing the network of railways in Brazil.
Whatever he has undertaken, he has accomplished with great judgment and
skill.

[Illustration: Rio de Janeiro as it was in 1903.]

It would be impossible to enumerate here all the clever men of Brazil.
They are indeed too numerous. The older generation has worked at great
disadvantage owing to the difficulty of obtaining proper education. Many
are the illiterate or almost illiterate people one finds even among the
better classes. Now, however, excellent and most up-to-date schools have
been established in the principal cities, and with the great enthusiasm
and natural facility in learning of the younger generations wonderful
results have been obtained. On account partly of the exhausting climate
and the indolent life that Brazilians are inclined to lead, a good deal
of the enthusiasm of youth dies out in later years; still Brazil has
in its younger generation a great many men who are ambitious and heartily
wish to render their country service. It is to be hoped that their
efforts may be crowned with success. It is not talent which is lacking in
Brazil, it is not patriotism; but persistence is not perhaps the chief
characteristic