New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-05-02
THE voLHsFEsr.

bales.
TaE V0LRSFEST.
Our German population take the lead in paying
honor to May, the Queen month Of the year, not ex
clusvely, by club here and private party there,
but as one grand, harmonious Germanic gathering,
including not only the whole German population in
the city, but everybody of every nation who might
choose to sympahize with and participate in their hi
arity, and by SO DOING to render them proud Of the
and the poetic traditions Of their own hap
py Old Vaterland.
The weather being bright and dry, though not en-
trely clear the Inauguration of the Voksfest yeser
day morning was immense. The assembling filled
Canal street, and the procession filed the whole Of
Royal street, ESQ it appeared to us from Canal to Es
planade. -, F
cannonade of twentyone guns announced the
start Of the procession The procession was headed
by Mr. 7. Bruning, the Grand Marshal and his Aids,
A. Himmel and D. Michel. Next, Grand Herald and
music. Then, Col. Bettinger, President, and the
other members of the Volksfest Committee. The May
Queen and her maids of honor, dressed like bride
and bridesmaids, in carriages next decorated car,
filled with children in May attire, and long line Of
carriages, similarly attred. After that Mayor stith
tors of the day; followed by band of glee and
chorus singers Then, the car Of the jolly King Gam,
brnus, god of beer-drinking, astride beer barrel,
drinking the Germanic beverage, from an ossfed
boot the froth flowing over his beard and his beard
flowing all the way down to his legs; the covered
with bower of evergreens and filled with the Kings
merry courtiers.
The Vice President Of the Committee and his Aids
osaI $In foIl
Societies, in their light linen uniforms, in strong
force, and they followed by an immense number of
German citizens, in citizens dress, with badges,
bouquets and sprigs of green. Afterward came the
car of the Society Of German Bakers; like the 9TH
ers, moving garden of evergreens, shading bake
oven, in which shirtsleeved bakers with their white
caps on were baking pretses and gingerbread whilst
their deputies were busily kneading the dough.
Another car followed, shaded with trees and bear
ing beer barrels, with attendants following on foot
and filling mugs with the beverage and relieving all
who complained of being dry. Then long caval-
cade of men on horseback. After them, moving
fowergarden on wheels, having in its shades Ger.
man delegation from Carrollton. Some of the foot
processioniss carried poles bearing aloft enormous
pretsels decorated with ribbons. A very long pro-
cession of families in carriages followed what we
have described, and then square after square of
omnbuses carriages and cabs, laden with the cos.
mopolitan "lookerson in Vienna" who were bound
to see the fun. "N'"
We went out to the of festivity yesterday the
Creole Race Course in the afternoon. The course was
a tented field of the most brilliant and animated
description the crowds were immense. We need
not fatigue our readers with estimates Of the number
of flags that uttered beer-boohs and field rest-
aurants of the drums, and organs and bagpipes,
that drew the excitement-hnnting crowds to bear
shows, snake shows, giant shows, dwarf shows, for
tune-telng shows, rattle shows and wonderful ami
NAL shows of the flying horses and the toploftcal
whirligig of the targetshooting quarter; Of the
tournament quarter; Of the juvenile quarter, where
all sorts of ridiculous and laughabe games were ex.
citing the boys to emulation, and keeping the specta.
tors in an uproar of the gymnastic quarter, where
the Turner's were striving for prizes in a manner
which might have excited the envy of the Oldest pro.
fessors of the Hippodrome Of the singing of the
glee clubs, Or of the dancing of the mutitudes OF
both sexes.
Two large dancing floors, laid on the turf beneath
the dropping moss of the live-oaks were necessarily
gorged with vortexes Of happy whrlers and the cap
tai orchestras of Hoener and Gessner knew no such
thing as rest. Dancing appeared to be the prime en-
joyment Of the day.
We should not omit stating that the crowning Of
the May Queen was one Of the inaugural ceremonies
of the day. The young lady, Miss Catharine Hamm
of the farest of the fair frauens Of our German
population, received and bore her honors with be-
coming grace and withher galaxy of smiling and bird
like maids of honor, formed certainly the prettest and
most attractive feature of the Voksiest She and hel
attendants put on regal airs, but went around ant
contributed to the general enjoyment by enjoying
themselves on an equality with their subjects.
Midway between the dancing saloons, Tor looret
encosures) was central stand for the orators of tn
day. Here, during the afternoon, the orations wer
delivered to as many as could get within hearing
the first, in German, by DR.. Mas, and the other il
English, by Mr.. Thomas J. Durant The text of Dl
Mas address was Friendship and Freedom" an
concluded with strong hint as to the propriety Q
a grand Germanic celebration on the llth of Novem
ber next which will be the one hundredth or center
nial anniversary of the birth of Schiller He wa
much applauded. Mr.. Durant, with the eloquenc
which characterizes him on all speaking occasion.
gave his address in English--an address which e,
cited the lveliest enthusiasm, all around.
The multltudes on the race course crowded full
one-half of it. Whilst many eontended that ther
were from twenty to thirty Thousand people on the
ground we were of opinion that just estimate would
be from fifteen to twenty thousand.
/ Whilst all were enjoying themselves in the hundred
different ways that offered the Clouds which had been
thickening during the afternoon, dropped of pre-
limnary drizzle The drizzle soon settled into an
though not heavy one. This dampened down the
festiyy caused crowds to leave hastily, and brought
the days sport, to great many at least, to an un
timely close.
The Voks'est is to be continued to-day II the
weather be not adverse the scenes at the race course