New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-04-07
Hive Enthusiastically

H Il \.
There are some months in the year more notable
and pleasant than other months; some weeks that.
surpass their predecessors and successors and some
days colored with greater eyentulness than those
which herald or complete them So, too 5there are
particular hours of each day that make inc ~
\ the whole and shine as burning diamonds upon llie
breast or brow Of the bearer The midnight OF the
last DAYS Of December the morning stroke OF thet
day Of january twelve o'clock upon Christmas night
the cocks growing upon the first Of April are special
and notable hours, big with collection and reghted
With remembrance. In our own ilk, five o'clock in
the post meridian Of any day-but five o'clock on
4 Saturday, beyond all its compeers, is resonant with
business and notably important to all whose pursuits
are connected with occupation upon the river and its
| great tributaries.
Saturday is, par excellence, 5he steamboat day Of
the week. From an early hour of the morning up to
the moment when the gangway planks are drawn in
the last passenger and his baggage-the invarable
gentleman who puts off his arrival until the last stroke
Of the belIand then in any Of trouble to get
on boardas reached the deck there is an incessant
hustle, IN unceasing tumult, q deafening calnor
Drays and baggage wagons, coaches and cabs dash to
and fro the planking, in wild endeayor to make
up for lost times apple and orange vendors scramble
about in most precaious POSITIONS in an effort to dis
pose Of ther juicy merchandise :; doubtful characters
in doubtful boats, scul about under dhe levee and
almost, under the steamboat wheels; old men and
young men acquire the vigor Of machinery and emit
voices Of brass, trying to sell the latest novels or the
evening papers; venerable heads of families, who
have taTied moment too long TO enjoy stir1up-cup
with some dear friend run along the hurricane decks Of
adjoining steamboats, trying to jump on their own
boats tile whistle sounds clear and distinct above the
surrounding noise the planks are suddenly with
drawn the deck hands gather forward and join in
discordant ehous to the words of their LEADER the
great boat backs slowly out amid the waving of hand
kerchiefs and bowling of heads-drops few lengths
down the current, points her nose up river, gives
slight tnkling Of the engineers bell emits few
hoalse snors, tries the escape pipes, aud smoke and
steam make great canopy overhead, starts against
the current on her long journey to Vicksburg Alex
andria Memphis, st. Louis Cincinnati, Pttsburg or
St Anthony's Falls. The crew, gathered forward,
shout or sing E ,-
g We're going up the Mississippi,
O-ah-oue;
Engineer, you let her rip,
A-e.af-ah-ah - j. ~ ."o. "tI 4
and to this delightful recitatiye-contnued for half
mile at the top of the lungs of fifty stawart deck
hands-the boat jumps along, quickening her way,
momently as though in effort to pierce and escape
the din Of the city. Order then reigns-unless the
pilots see fit to make push at some boat which put
out few; moments before then--n which case coal
and pine timber are burned up in manner Indicative
ola wish to- leave nothing for that grand conflagra-
ton which has been predicted is yet to arrive few
passengers wander along the hurricane deck, getting
last view Of the seepes topmlsts, houseroofs and
prominent matters Of note that divide the hea-
from New Orleans The remainderg go below look
into their staterooms open some kind of social CONVEX
saton and endeavor by all the arts at their command
to find amusement AS the latestof the boats leaves
an open space at the evee, some descending packet
pokes her nose into tile slight space, wedges her way
inward makes fast to some strong post and vonlits
insantaneously forth great flood of life and
chandise. The deck hands and laborers, who live
upon the work and business of the evee, pick out
their cotton-hooks and begin to transfer the floating
freight unto a more stable foundation. Spectators
gradually disappear arpaulins are thrown over per-
ishable produce, if it threatens to rain and Nature
spreads her grand tarpaulin ALL Peace reigns,
except where some wharrat moves secretly about in
an effort to appropriate, in accordance with the doc
trine equal rights, from the pile of his more fortu-
nate fellow The police begin their patrol; a thou
sand lamps make the city seem like sphere of radi
ance-and the leyee is at rest.
We recommend all who wish to see the greatest
panorama Of the country; to behold apicture framed
in no other city; to enjoy scene that is without
rval-to visit the levee Saturday afternoon, and,
walking circumspecty, from Canal street othe Texas
steamship landing to keep their eyes busiy engaged
in inventorying, and their minds active in chronicng
the events that render Saturday afternoon, at five
o'clock, more busy and active than any other hour in
thesdays that make the weeks Of every month in a
New Orleans year. Out of the turmoil and excite
ment, the roar and hustle, they may carry away
something worthy of recollection. The scene is an
old one to us-but SO is the sunlight the less
pleasant either, however, from the fact that they
have been seen before. Each day has peculartes