Southwest High School - Roundup Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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of Rio de Janeiro on a high plain bounded by hills. One of the best systems of roads and railways in the country connects it with Santos, a coastal town fifty miles away. Although Sao Paulo is lacking in scenic ,beauty, the tempera- ture is ideal for residents. The educational system is comparable to our own, and the English language is taught in a few schools. Many skyscrapers tower from the business district: the most famous of these, the Martinelli building, reaches twenty-five stories. Other famous buildings are the bishop's palace, a law school, a polytechnical school, and a large museum. Outstanding gardens, statues, and fountains line the front of the museum. However, San Paulo pays more heed to manufacturing than to beauty, and so is better known for its products and coffee trade than for architecture. One of the most beautifully situated cities is Santiago, capital of Chile and fourth largest city in this continent. Standing on a wide plain, 1706 feet above sea level, it is set in a ring of the snow capped Andes. It has a population of 85l,850, and covers an area of eight square miles. A nearly perfect climate prevails and, in addition to the scenic beauty, attracts people and business from every part of the globe. Because of the prevalence of earth- quakes, few houses exceed one story. This does not mean, however, that it has no large buildings whatever, for its mint, cathedral, post office, criminal courts, and homes of the presidents are all large and well-known. English is spoken to a certain extent, and the people imitate the English in many ways. It has enough skyscrapers, traffic problems, and bustle to warrant the name of a metropolitan area. The principal exports are gold, silver, and lead. The Mapocho River, crossing the city, has been put in an artincial rock channel, thus aiding its small but very important commerce. Its position in the Andes makes Santiago one of the most picturesque cities of the world, While its exported metals make it one of the richest. ' Montevideo, capital of Uruguay, is almost tied with Recife, Brazil, for fifth place with a population of 518,039. However, Montevideo is actually smaller, but in my estimation more interesting. It is built on a promontory of land jutting between Horseshoe Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and extends inland around the Cerro, a mountain from which it gets its name. Its best known buildings are also the cathedral, the opera house, the parliament house, and the Palacio Salvo, which is twelve stories high and has a tower fourteen stories high. Commercial development has been retarded greatly by the shallow- ness of the bay: but drydocks have been built, and now it is sharing the trade of a great ocean route from Europe and North America with Buenos Aires. The chief exports are wool, hides, tallow, dried beef, and meat extracts. A marked difference between Montevideo and other South American cities is that its population has decreased steadily, probably due to its lack of attraction to tourists and to its poor industries. The next group of cities diminish rapidly in population. They are as follows: Recife for Pernambucoj, Brazil, 529,863: Lima, Peru, 400,000: Porto Alegre, Brazil, 368352: Bogota, Colombia, 336,707: Para, Brazil, 309.2383 and Valparaiso, Chile, 245,000. These cities represent the enter- prising growth of all cities in South America. Though for some reason, either because of the poor attractions to people or for the lack of commerce, they seem to have little chance of overtaking the top ranking cities. Each, however, is noted for something: Recife, for cane and cotton: Lima, for the contrast of old Spanish houses with the succeeding modern ones: Porto Alegre, for being the most modern in all Brazil: Bogota, for its reputation in intellectual and cultural activities: Para, for its commerce in rubber, cacao, and timber, and its extremely hot temperature: and Valparaiso, for being the commercial center of the West coast, and for its name of Pearl of the South Pacific, because of its agreeable climate and background of snow capped mountains. .Every city, from the first to the last, has shown a marked improvement in conditions during the last decade, and all but one have increased in population. Some are even more modern and beautiful than our own cities, and all are ambitious to be considered among the most important cities in the world. 5e,,,.,,,,,e,,

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GREAT CITIEQ3 QF SCDLJTI-I AMERICA y LVINACTON OUTH AMERICA may be likened to an uncut diamond, for ef' .1 .0 although civilization has known of the untold wealth awaiting Jil p development, it is only in recent years that man has made any i ill! fi , real effort to use this wealth. This fact also holds true for the cities, for contrary to the common belief that they are un- ? if healthy remnants of the past, they are extremely modern and f 'W S show an ever increasing tendency toward growth and im- m ,,,,,gL A provement. 2 A I Buenos Aires is the largest and most important city not only 1- I I fe . , of South America, but also the entire southern hemisphere. It , N ' is an outstanding example of rapid growth. From a population ',' ggi, p of 300,000 in 1880, it has risen to its present 2,476,887. It 'I' I M is both the capital and the heart of the Republic of Argentina: for situated at the head of a great ocean route from Europe to South America, it is served by ships of all nationalities, trading with coun- tries from all over the world. Two rivers, the Parana and the Uruguay, and all railways from the interior converge here. Thus Buenos Aires acts as a distributing point to the interior. The city is one of the leading manufacturing and shipping centers in South America, and exports products of the cattle and sheep industry, grains, and manufactured goods to all parts of the world. This city has been practically rebuilt in recent years, and now is a modern city with streets, parks, and plazas laid out in rectangular form. It lies on a plain which gently slopes down to the river. With an up-to-date drainage system, Buenos Aires lost its reputation for unhealthfulness. Its parks are many, and all are beautifully adorned with statues and fountains. Airlines connect Buenos Aires with almost all cities of importance in the western hemi- sphere. Its system of street-cars and subways is one of the best in the world, and all parts of the city are connected by them. The principal buildings are the Opera House, the state museum and library in conjunction with the Uni- versity of Buenos Aires, and a large cathedral. It is truly a busy and beautiful city. The second largest city in South America is Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil. It was first discovered in 1502 by Goncalo Coelho, but did not begin to grow until about half a century ago. Now it has a population of 1,801,784 and covers about sixty square miles. Rio is located on the southern shore of a landlocked harbor Hfteen miles in length, and from two to ten miles in width. The city covers about six miles of this coast, which is a narrow alluvial strip between the sea and the mountains. A white marble promenade has been constructed along its entire length. Palatial buildings and numerous statues and fountains are outstandingly beautiful. Avenid Rio Branco is an interesting street one mile long and 108 feet wide. It has a line of palm trees down the center, passes over picturesque causeways. and is lined with ornate banks, hotels, and public buildings. This street is the chief artery of traffic of the city and is one of the most beautiful in South America. Rio de Janeiro is surrounded by precipitous, granite mountains, two of which, the Par de Assucar fSugar Loaf Mountainl and Corcovado, a jagged peak rising from the city, give individuality and beauty. The temperature ranges between 600 and 900, and along with the beauty attracts thousands of tourists annually. On the alluvial peninsula an airport, Santos Dumont, has been built, and furthers the tourist trade. The city's industrial activities are many, but few are of vital importance. Shipping, favored by the city's mag- niflcent harbor, is the leading industry. In the United States very little is ever heard about Sao Paulo, Brazil, and yet it is the third largest city in South America. It has a population of 1,268,- 894, most of whom are Germans and Italians. It is located 310 miles south Sixteen

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SOUTH AMERICAN PEOPLES By RUTH CERP , HE tango with its strongly accented rhythm: dark handsome F caballeros, strumming their guitars, singing sweet serenades surrounded by vivid flowers in the patios of the white stucco haciendas-all these and many more pictures are called to mind when anyone mentions South America. South America -a truly magical name! The South America that we hear of is beautiful and romantic. We think of colorful street fairs, of rows upon rows of booths where gaily colored cloths and flowers are sold, of pottery, and of trinkets that tourists take back with them as souvenirs, We think of black eyed senoritas in their bright dresses and lace mantillas, and of the senors in their full trousers, boleros, and brilliant sashes. Almost equally famous are the delightful haciendas, surrounded by beautiful gardens of vari-colored flowers. The people of South America love color and flowers so well that they grow them inside the houses as well as outside. Homes-the centers of them with no roof but the blue sky! In the center of these patios are marble fountains often alive with fish and surrounded by vines. Brilliant birds sometimes nest in the vines and rich flowers. The houses have beautiful wrought-iron banisters and rails around the ever present bal- conies. In such a setting, it is not surprising that the faultless manners and grace of the senors make foreign ladies sigh and foreign men envious. There is, however, another side of South America that is not so common in novels and movies as the other: it is more realistic and important, but equally colorful. Like North America, South America was occupied by Indians at the time of discovery. Although the tribes different in appearance, language, and customs, all were true American Indians. Some lived in a comparatively high degree of civilization, while others were fierce savages. In Colombia, Equador, Peru. Bolivia, and Chili, where the more advanced tribes lived, many relics of ancient art and many ruins of old buildings were found. Best known of all the old cultures is that of Peru. The Indians of ancient Peru were industrious and worked hard in their diligently cultivated fields which they irrigated by systems of canals. They wove cotton cloth from which they made good clothing, often decorated with designs in colored beads. They bred the llama, and when it was tame, trained it for a pack animal. Since they could not write, they kept accounts by knotted cords called guipus. Differently colored cords were used for different things, and knots of varying sizes stood for varying numbers. After the discovery of America two nations gained possession of most of South America-Spain and Portugal. Portugal secured what is now Brazil: Spain gained almost all the rest. Most of the Spaniards settled where the native tribes had already been living a quiet and contented life. In those districts the tribes and the Spaniards mingled, so today there is a large 'mestizo', or mixed population whose mode of life has been influenced by the customs of Spain. In Peru, Brazil, Chili, and the Argentine Republic we find people who are making progress, and in whose cities are fine buildings, handsome parks, and beautiful statues. It is a great mistake to think that any of the South American countries are uncivilized. However, even in countries like Peru and Chili, which are centers of modern life, there are many pure-blooded Indians who still keep up their old life and customs. In the dense forests that border the mighty Amazon and its tribu- taries, and in the eastern Andes, are some Indian tribes still savage or in a state of low barbarism. The Jivaros, a tribe in eastern Equador living near ff? Q all - - , I - 'ag' to their sweethearts on vine-covered balconies: fountains f I i .- Ag 'ia N I Eighteen