New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-08

CLERK OF THE FIFrH DISTRICT CoURr-Loui
Power elected.
CLERK OF THE SIXTH DISTRICT CoURT-Wm
Woelper elected.
The Environs of New Orleans.
NUMBER FTFTY-Two.
One of the oldest laid out suburbs Is that O
PontohaFtrain, Immediately adjoining the suburb
St, John, Of which we have very often alread,
informed our readers as being situated toward
the bayou bearing the same name, This suburban
village, divided into streets and squares, of whic
the following are the names; Rampant, (frontiny
Bayou Savage, or Gentilly,) Swamp, Savage
Eneampment and Mystery, and crossed by 81
John route, leading towards the main watercours
of that denomination, Florida, Mauripas ETC., ha
remained in its primitive state as garden district
and is principally occupied by German descend
ants and some ancient Creole families, living from
the proceeds Of the vegetable productions. Il
close proximity to this ancient rural locality is the
Enclosure of the Union Race Course-noN
the Fair Grounds formerly much patronized, and
before the late civil war the fayorite spot for the
German Mai festival, in that Yernal season of the
year. In this neighborhood, before the present
high wooden fences eneircling the race ground
had made the access to the live oak trees, there
growing an impeachment, this secluded and UNI.
brageous retirement would often serve, in olden
times, when duelling was exceedingly common
as the fayorte rendezvous to settle these affairs OF
honor.
1t was for this reason that in common parIance
and among the people of the neighborhood, as well
as the fancy, or the gentlemen of the raper or the
hair trigger, this sylvan locality was called lie
bois de Boulogne,n in imitation of that Partisan
vicinity, where matters of ohiYalrc combats would
be conducted according to the rules of the
dnello. Here many sad scene was enacted in
consequence Of these ancient usages of terminating
disputes that would admit of no other solution
happy when parties returned from the bloody
grounds, having satisfied the rules Of honor with
out fatal termination to one or the other of the
combatants. These doings were indeed very
frequent in those remote periods from cur present
time, and SO much were the manners and customs
of the then living generation imbued with these
usages, that all the young people would consider,
as an indispensable part of their education, the
necessary lessons in workmanship or fencing
For this purpose young gentlemen were regu-
larly instructed in the art Of sword exercise by
fencing masters or professors, and these latter
very often served as seconds or assistants in the
serious combats taking place among parties that
we're resolved upon clearing their cases of honor
by the use of the sword or rapier. We shall omit
laming the then popular professor in the art of
encing and only for the information of the reader,
urious in this respect, add that public exhibitions
n sword and fencing exercises would be made and
IS the handbills and posters expressed it, grand
.sSGlH an feeeret e. a rispadron, that is to say.
,rand fencing matches with the rapier or feuret
nd broadsword or ispadron, in the
orleans ball room, or some other edifce,
you'd annually attract all the amateurs
nd professors of this noble art of seH.defense in
ur city. Upon these occasions, which served in
Iced as "a place of reunion to ancient comrades of
he fencing saloon, we have witnessed some of the
rest performances in this line by natives as
veil as foreign fencing blades. Strangers of dis.
motion would be complimented by being invited
0 crossing of rapiers with the best or the most
OF the 0rleanian school of smallswords
men. These exhibitions, done up in style, with
III the ancient chivalric salutes and usages. had
omething fascinating to the young men of those
lines, that rather enobled the resort to their
Weapons, and prevented, in great measure, the
alter prevailing hostile encounters in street fights
md promiscuous fighting with revolvers and
'owie knives. Being, however, long past the fiery
tage OF human passions we now can LOOK calmly
pon these practices; but still it is our decided
pinion that if the manners of people require
he resort to mortal combats or hostile rencount-
rs, II is much more human, much more cores.
'onding with civilized habits to regulate such
meetings OF honor according to preconcerted al.
angements, than to fall, as it were, promiscu
usly with six-shooters and reVolvers, one upon
mother, in the midst of innocent crowds on the
ublic streets and thoroughfares, as these latter
ay experiences have shown to the world. Such
ayage, unregulated onslaughts have no excuse
'hateyer, and it should be the mission of the law
ldker to repress them by every means in their
over. There were other places of rendezvous
'r the purpose of duelling in our city enyirons,
ne OF which was on the other side Of the river. a
tile behind the Slaughterhouse Point, and amidst
ome orange groves, where even the sailors and
Their neighboring people would look on upon the
eadly proceedings of the parties.
1t is true, laws existed against the practice of
lese single combats, but the authorities hav- |
lg seen the uselessness of enforcing them, under
lie general prevailing feeling of the com
unity, they were considered as obsolete, and OBJ,
terated from the statutes of the State legislation
ence, seeing possibility oferadicating this some.
mes very fatal custom from among our people,
ne majority of members in one of our State con.
entions, then under the immediate impression of
ONE very melancholy events in this respect,
assed section in the remodeled Constitution, pro
lblung dueling under pain of losing citizenship
NO rendered incapable of occupying any office
4 trust or honor under the State authority in case
4 lntracton of this prohibition. Thus the general
rachee OF the single combat among people for
nding or terminating an affair of honor has GER
ainly been stopped, or at least become of rare
ceurrencer but it has also introduced among ma
5 we stated already before, the much more II he
eprehended mode of hostile or fatal meetings IN
ublie places and crowded streets, which we can.
OF uphold or approve of as an improvement in
le manner of settling such disputes between what
termed parties of honor or gentleman of stand.
g in society, for in that respect we would much
ther adhere to the ancient mode of arranging an
hostile meeting under fair chances and
roper rules of proceedings.
Leaving this subject, we shall now return to that
Ivan spot pointed out in the suburb Pontohar.
ain, one of the most lovely retreats at the time,
hen, under the cooling shade and amidst the