Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-12-19
Social Life I'm New OrIeaS-Mar-
riage Customs.

The inhabitants of the city present
q strange combination of incongruous
elements. Creoles, Americans, Ger
mans, Irish, Spanish and Mexican trash,
with a goodly sprinklng OF bona fide
Johnnie Crapeaus, are TO be found and
a more reckless, pleasure loving, pleas
ure seeking community does not exist
anywhere outside cf Paris itself. They
are particularly notable for neatuess
of ornaments, for every other person
you meet wears a diamond pin or ring.
Even the darkies afford Braailian peb-
bles, and sport gold watches and Nal
acca canes. To northerher, how
ever, the quadroons and octoroons, who
abound plentifully, are the strangest
part OF the whole compound, suggest
ing very forcibly the idea of practical
amalgamation which would shock the
sensibilities of theoretical ObCriinists.
The prettiest forms in the city are
those Of the quad and the 'octo' girls,
and generally they are the most taste
fully dressed. A neatly turned ankle,
pretty hand and tapered waist, with "a
naturally airy and jaunty carriage,
are almost a sure indication OF nearly
extinct African blood Color is no cri
terion, and 4 stranger will often mis-.
take an olive complexion creole for
muatto, if not something darker.
1t will be news to many ofour read
ers to learn that these Quadro0ns and
octoroons are semi-legitimate-i. G,
they are generally the offspring of a
place marriage. which is an institution
go peculiarly local that but few, except
the residents of this locality, know Of
its existence or understand its obliga-
uons- Among the pure Creoles, the
strictcst Catholics imaginable, a Gus
tom resembling mock marriage has
obtained A regularly ordained priest
officates, and white man is placed
with a colored girl in such a manner
that, although they violate law, decen-
cy and good morals'hy living together.
they satisfy the demands of the Church
and confessional. The American quad
rooms, however, not being 50 strict
Catholics, and in some cases having no
religion at all, accept an offer to be
kept as a mistress from anv reliable
white gentleman with ceremony
Previous TO the war the place Obliga
ton was more frequently incurred than
since its close, and it is the universal
evidence Of those who should know
that it was seldom, if ever, violated
on the part OF the females. They live
as chaste and virtuous to their so
called husbands as they would have
done if they had been white and law
fully married. 1t was customary for
planters who raised children by their
Niger queens TO free them, with their
mother, and send them to this city to
be educated; and in many instances
the girls wee sent to Northern schools
and even 10 France. On leaving school
and reaching maturity they meet their
inevitable fate of illicit semi marriage.
Young men 'courted them after the
usual manner, popped the question:
and We're referred To mamma, who
generally decided the application with
view to money, demanding that
certain number of slaves be given to
her; and, in short, regular establish
ment be set mp for her. These young
women, many OF whom, a. | have al
ready stated, bear no evidence of their
African blood, except a magnificent
physique, are thus pledged to life
from which their cultivated minds
sometimes revolt with honest indigna-
tion and horror Having every sensi-
| biiity that refined and cultivated wo-
man naturally possesses, they are
doomed to hateful existence, as dis.
reputable and illegal as Mormonism
itself The existence of a bona ide
white wife did not always interfere
with the desire of a man to assume
the place of obligation. Ii it is not the
refinement of licentious amalgamation,
| am mistaken A race of bastards is
the result