The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

34 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. Do you realize fully the difference between "exclusive selling rights" as granted by the Columbia Phonograph Company and the restrictive and arbitrary competitive plan of selling "One line of goods exclusively"? Columbia Phonograph Co., Tribune Building, New York. there, and the costumes, lighting effects, floats and orderly behavior of the crowds occasioned favorable comment. Bahia is a famous diamond market. Santos, our next port of call, is not particularly attractive. From tnere we took a trip to Sao Paolo, the second largest city in Brazil, with 280,000 people. Half of the population are Italians, the remainder being German and Portuguese, with only eight or ten American families. The latter are a small but important factor and exert considerable influence. "Our experience with exchanging American money for 'coin of the realm' — in each country MASKED BALL ABOARD SHIP. we entered, of course — was rather amusing, to say the least. The 'Bluecher's' voyagers had been described as 'arch' millionaires, and what we received in Brazilian money exchange certainly made us feel that way. As -an instance, for $32 of American gold 100,000 reis were received, but as we were obliged to pay 10,000 reis for carriages and the same for luncheon, the alleged wealth rapidly decreased. The exchange figured: In Brazil, 3,200 reis for $1 American money; Chile, $5 for $1; Argentine, $2.35 for $1, while in Uruguay we had to pay $1.03 of our coin for $1 of theirs. Living expenses throughout South America are extremely high, especial ly so in Rio and in Buenos Ay res. When foreigners protest the reply is, with a shrug, everything is high in America. They do not hesitate a moment to palm off articles as being of American (United States) manufacture when they really were made in Europe, in order to command an increased price. "On arriving in Sao Paulo the ladies of the American colony tendered us a reception, followed by a banquet in the open air, under an arbor of trailing vines, dscorated with flowers and American flags. There was no concealing the delight of these thirteen ladies in meeting some of their own people under such pleasing circumstances. February 15 we reached Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, with a population of 350,000, where we were most cordially received by the president of the republic. Uruguay claims to have the most beautiful women in the world, and no one who is fortunate enough to see them will dispute the claim, as they are handsome physically and are charming from every . point of view. At Pocitos, a fashionable beach resort of the capital, the hotel compares favorably with the best places of the kind in this country. "Buenos Ayres, the capital of the Argentine Republic, is directly opposite Montevideo, across the La Plata river, which is only 120 miles wide at this point. It took us twelve hours to steam across. At Montevideo some of the passengers decided to leave the ship, so they would have more time in seeing Buenos Ayres, and to take the trip across the Andes to Valparaiso and Santiago, Chili. Buenos Ayres, with its population of a million and a quarter, is the Paris of South America, and its general appearance is not unlike the important cities in the United States, though the atmosphere of the place is typically European. "The journey across the Andes, partly by rail and carriage, was an experience novel, exhilarating and decidedly enjoyable. The tunnel through the mountains was opened April 1, but too late for our trip. We climbed the mountains 10,000 feet on a cog road, and then up to the summit 3,000 feet by carriage, and it was made on a run. At the top, on the boundary line between Chili and Argentine, we passed the heroic statue of 'Christ of the Andes,' erected to commemorate the settlement of the dispute between the two countries. Cannon were melted to furnish material for this remarkable monument, and the inscription reads: 'These mountains shall crumble to dust ere Argentines and Chileans break the peace which, at the feet of Christ, the Redeemer, they have sworn to maintain.' "We visited Santiago, the capital, a beautiful city of 400,000, with straight, wide streets and many fine buildings and beautiful parks. Valparaiso, the seaport of Chili, is the largest city on the west coast, with 150,000 population. In Chili the conductors on the trolley cars are women and the 'chambermaids' at the hotels are men. We rejoined the 'Bluecher' at Buenos Ayres, and then started for the North, stopping again at Montevideo, and then at Rio de Janeiro. Rio is a modern city in every way, with a population of 800,000, and, as you possibly know, is situated on the most beautiful and largest landlocked bay in the world. "In Rio the entire party aboard were received by the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baron de Rio Branco, one of the great statesmen of South America. Then followed Pernambuco, Trinidad, Kingston and New York, where once again we had the pleasure of seeing the Stars and Stripes. I would not have missed the trip for a great deal, now that I know its value and can appreciate its true worth socially and commercially. The South Americans are truly a wonderful people, and it is a pity we do not know more of them." Mr. Stevens has a large collection of photographs of the different places visited, almost all of which were taken by himself. It was really a difficult task to select the few in connection with this account of his travels from his very interesting collection. SOME BIG LEAGUE STUFF To Be Pulled Off During the Scheduled Baseball Game Between the Eastern and Western Jobbers at Atlantic City in July. WOMAN CAE CONDUCTOR IN CHILI. The lively members of the National Talking Machine Jobbers' Association are evincing much interest in the proposed game of baseball between the Eastern and Western jobbers, and a number of them have gone into active training with a view of securing places on the teams representing their respective localities. One of the rules laid down is that while every member of the association may compete for positions on the teams, only one representative of any one concern may play in the game. J. Newcomb Blackman has been appointed captain of the Eastern team and announces that he is open for applications from good players, the only qualifications necessary being that they must be able to pitch like Mathewson, bat like Hans Wagner and look upon Bugs Raymond as a horrible example. It is rumored that both Louis Buehn and E. H. Taft, who have been suggested as possible members of the Eastern team, are training hard to qualify. Mr. Buehn may be seen any sunny afternoon racing around the green spots in Spring Garden street, while they say that Mr. Taft, who is a candidate for shortstop, has pulled off twenty pounds by sprinting around the Common and the Public Gardens. The Western fellows will certainly have to play ball.