The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-12-05
NEW ORLEANS CORRESPONDENCE.

step on the road to Improvement and po'
litical and social importance has been ta
ken. This grand movement is mainly due
to Messrs. |. N. Marks, G. H. Slocomb,
Luther Homes and few gentlemen asso.
ciated with them, who are always the
" head and front of New Orleans progress
and improvement. "Ah," says Mr. Dry
Goods, who goes annually to New York to
buy secondhand instead of going to Eu-
rope and getting goods from original own
ers, "Ah, the Southern people have no
energy, they don't know how to get up a
fair. In New York now, they manage
things differently" "Damn their Fairs
says Mr.. Cotton Factor "here's all the
Banks closed, business suspended, and all
fora pack of nonsense" Neither Of these
Sages do anything to assist atsthe opening
of the Fair, nor in any other new enter
prise, they cannot see the good Of an in
stitution until by being successful, it has
become fixed fact. The majority of our
rich merchants can croak about the inert
ness of our people, but never seem to think
that they are part and parcel of the COM
munity they are decrying, that having the
means to lead if they would, they are all
the more to blame for waiting to be push
ed, actually driven on the road of progress.
But in spite of the croakers and lag be-
kinds, the Fair is success, and the per-
manent existence of the Mechanics and
Agricultural Fair Association of Louisiana
a fixed fact.
The opening day was one of the finest OF
the season-bright and cloudless, yet cool
and pleasant. Tickets of admission were
for sale at Zimmerman's, Tyler's, Girls,
wold's, Moodys and other prominent pla-
ces, yet before halfpast nine, they were all
sold, and none to be had anywhere in the
neighborhood of Canal street. The crowds
of people on their way to the grounds were
noticeable early in the morning-and be.
fore ten o'clock every car. omnibus and
wagon going down was crowded, and hun.
dreds yet waiting for an opportunity. The
stores along Canal street were closed
promptly at twelve o'clock, except the
dry goods establishment OF public spir
tied Israelite lately of Yazoo City, who
kept open for the accommodation of people
from the country. With two friends and
five other sight seekers, at twelve o'clock
took my seat in an omnibus labeled "For
the Fair Grounds" We had collector
and two drivers, and our team was gay
pair of mules "whose better days were
Ger" By diut Of free use of the whip
we reached Claiborne street in twenty
minutes, by which time the team was pref
ty we'll played out, SO one of the niggers
took the road walking along side of the
mules and whipping with all his heart and
strength. "This is the team that's enter.
ed for premium, amt it driver?" ~ say
do you think you will ever get back
Look out now they will run away" and
twenty other remarks Of the kind were
made to the collector, all in good nature
however. As we passed new house, mig
ger number two, got down and procured 6
piece of boarding and helped his
mate pound the mules-and through the
energy of these engineers we finally reached
our destination. Here I presented my
''invite" from the Board of Directors, anc
at once entered upon an examination O.
the sights.
The entries of poultry and stock were
not complete, but there were many flint
samples present. In fruits there were
pineapples, oranges and lemons, the lat
ter were particularly fine. From the bake
ry of Margaret, who is one of our go-aheat
citizens, there was an excellent display o
crackers, pilot bread, cracknels, &c. Ii
the machinery department things were no
yet in working order, and consequently no
now now to be described. In the mex
room I found pianos, mirrors, fine furni
ture, &C., but the crowd was SO large tina
twas almost impossible to see rightly al
that was there. A splendid piano from
the mandatory of VIM. Knabe & Co., wa
entered by A. E. Blackmar, the agent i
this city, and elected praise from all VIII
saw it. Messrs. Mitchell Craig & Co., {
Royal street, had on exhibition selectio
of furniture, amongst which l noticed a
elegant Rosewood Armor, with full lengt
of French plate mirror, and what-not, {
the same material beautifully carved and o
namented. They had also an oak cas-
, chair, spring-cushioned, covered with gree
: silk damask, which would be splendi
institution in an editors sanctum, with
fragrant Havana after a good dinner !
, S. Waterman made fine show with SOD
: apparatus, of different shapes and pattern
One Of the most attractive displays WI
that Of Daniel and James D. Edwards, COZ
per, tin and sheet-iron workers, who ha
there all sorts of articles made of thes
materials, shining like gold and silver, wit
this motto over their stand "We believe
Home Industry" Dave johnson, who's
hat store was confscated during the wa
9 but has since been RECONSTRUCTED" ";
: out with hats and caps Of all styles ar