The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-05-21
Manhattaner in New Orleans,

NC" OElcahBs
Captain Ric's Erahalamiuns a Ia Charica,i T.
The epithalamiums of the Sheet Iron Bandn
are proper municipal records in the Crescent City.
The Mayor and Recorders do not sign them nor
do clerks OF courts copy them but patriarchal au-
thority, nevertheless, by winks and mods atxes its
sgn-manual to their binding character. And he
has passed winter in New Orleans to little pur-
pose, who has never heard of the Sheet Iron Band,
or made acquaintance with its gallant Captain,
whose head by this time must be full of epthala-
miums as are his notaria records of marriage con-
tracts.
Who the Sheet Iron Band may be, as pasBlic
body, is matter of question Individually they are
fellow citizens" and musical doctors they are
fond OF horns; they are men of brass; they are
given to irony; they appear in the dim and dusky
twilight like the Israeites around Jericho, or the
beleaguering army about the walls of Prague, upon
the simple summons of their Captain, through the
daily prints.
Their Captain, however, is a notable He is a
Gar OF music an Autocrat of noise; and carries
in his hand the wand of Prospero with which, by
hook or crook in some way unknown, he summons
his Ariels to greet, with noise of horns and
trumpets, TIN pans and sheet iron, the unequally-
yoked brides and bridegrooms-making the latter
cry out like Ferdinand to has Ariel
'Hell is empty
And all the devils are here
Disparity Of age in matrmony is the crime to be
whereof go to the support of charity. Neither rest
at night nor quiet of mind by day knows the victim
bridegroom until the fine is paid
The sanguine youth who is on his knees to a ven
cradle spinster and her moneybags, associates his
thoughts of betrothal with fears of the Sheet Iron
Band. The gouty millionaire, who totters to the
feet OF mammon-infatuated girlhood, sees through
the bushes of his future wife the smiles of Cap
tain Ric," as he sits at his table to draw up his
company orders. or little use is obstinacy, pluck,
and nerves of steel; the captain and his men are
superior. In the contest of mouth against ears
muscles against nerves, perseverance against reso-
lutlon experience, after weeks of siege, has proved
Captain Ric invincible.
observed him summer ago in the hall of the
Astor House. 1t was after dinner, and | saw by
the sparkle of his eye that the flavor of the Hook
was yet lingering about his palate. He sat on the
railing, crack king jokes for half dozen friends and
as many walters, who were stealthily at hand. His
glossy hat was one side. His vest was hashy
as the gown of dowager. His chains were sug-
gestive of California. The turned-down collar and
figured cravat bespoke him the Southerner. The
reaped stubbe on his face was like the ashes of
roses. His shiny boots insulted the atmosphere
with their swinging. His cane was at rest on his
knees, and his voice rang through the hotel lobbies
as was used to hear it in the Commercial Ex-
change, on St Charles street, when he was beating
up recruits for the Mexican war in dress of At
takapas mixed, with bright red sash about his
waist.
thought then of the time | last observed him :;
on the outskirts OF the Swamp Faubourg in New
Orleans of foggy November night, seated on the
bank OF ditch, surrounded by his Sheet Iron
Band, endeavoring to blow out of a miserly Dutch
man, who had married his young housekeeper a
lew dollars for the Sisters Of Charity. 1t was in
Hercules street, and the attempt in other hands
would have been Herculean indeed.
4
There once lived in New Orleans fair spinster,
whose mother had been West Indian Creole, and
schoolmate Of the Empress Josephine. She was
proud and rich, relationess and SINGLE and no one
seemed to share her confidence or sympathy, except
a lanky, grey-haired Notary, whose den was in
lower Royal street. He bought and sold her
slaves, leased her houses collected her dividends
and paraded her large tin cash box in a conspicu-
GUS place within his office, as if to say, Trust
in me, for | am notary and agent to Mademoi-
selle -"
One evening our Notary was sitting in his chair
in musing attitude, watching mouse nibbling a
hole in a map. 1t was raining outdoors, and the
street was silent and almost deserted. Neverthe-
less he felt cheerful, for his attorney had that day
"put through" the Court of Probates on a success
sion tableau, the sum for five hundred dollars for
" services" rendered the estate. And it was sure
thing, too. The heir in France, when the per
centage was deducted and the costs all paid, might
receive half that sum- and might grumble; but no
matter, the fish were caught in his net, and he'd
fry them. Perhaps he was thinking of the heir,
for, when the door suddenly opened, he jumped
from his chair and seized his ruler.
Bon SOir, Monsieur" said voice-the voice
of his aforesaid Client coming out of pile of
cloaks which were being taken off by brace of
mulattresses, who had performed escort duty with
umbrellas. 4
I" Bon soir, DademoiSelle," stammered the no.
tary, although not forgetting the appropriate en-
phass the latter word so ear-ticklng TO the ears
of fifty; and handing chair.
The lady sat down and began blowing off the
excitement of her pedestrian war with the ele-
menls; and our Notary had leisure for suFmise
=" What lDds in the wind! Was she seized with
premonitons of dissolution, and had she come to
make her will F! Had she discovered that last sur
plusage of per ceniage! Never before had she
been known 10 dare the rains of December or the
muddy trottoirs Of Royal street."
" have Gomez at last brealhed the lady, (she
always breathed her words instead of speaking
them, and | would her breathing could be trans
lated like her French) "to employ You 10 draw a
marriage contract"
The Notary bowed, and asked himself what re
lation had turned up at last,
Between Mademoiselle -"
Why, that's yourself,'' shrieked the Notary.
squeezing his pen TO atoms of splits
Most certainly; but don't call so loud-the
neighbors will hear-between myself, then, and
Monsieur -"
Why, that's my clerk, re shrieked the Notary,
tossing The tuFiOuelV