New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-03-24
The EnvirGns of New Orleans.
NUMBER THIRTY-THREE


all the rest wears indeed the same old physiog-
nomy which it wore fifty years ago. This must be
somewhat surprising to the stranger, unacquainted
with the peculiar soil of the delta of the Missis-
sippi and when, therefore, he is told that the
monotonous, gray cypress forest, which, on both
sides of the river, border the horizon and every
where form the invariabIe background as no
doubt this was the case one hundred years before
our time, his eager inquiry assuredly will be, why
is this SO! In the several papers which we have
furnished, respecting the back swamp lands, or
morass forests, we have indicated the yeritabler
son for the unchanged condition; and those that
will come after us, in all likelihood will still behold
the same uniform spectacle, which undoubtedly
will constitute forever the distinctive feature of
the lower delta just as the mountainous scenery
in Switzerland furnishes to the landscape painter
its unvaried background ridedu. It is true that
in summer or the vernal season, this at pres
ent lugubrious looking cypress border assumes
livelier hue say in autumn, when the leaves of the
forest are beautifully colored, from the scarlet red
tints to the deep orange brown, this view is
not so sorrowful as the funeral pals Of expired
nature which now seems to lie under this gray
enveloping shroud.
| But then we have never been much the admirer
1
which as parasitic plant is dropping its long dra
peries down the tall oaks and other trees. Why,
| it requires the lively imagination of Chateau.
brand to discover in these grey, agitated, long
sweeping garlands, the flowing robes of long de-
parted heroes, the agile figures of former drudi-
cal inhabitants of the primeval forests. But
leaving these poetical considerations, let US come
down to very prosaic but very profitable des-
I ,f II,
which is now made of it, not only in Louisiana,
but also in the Northern States, after being pro-
pery cured, in lieu of horse hair or wool for bed
mattresses upholstering of sofas chairs and other
household moveables In this respect we have
| observed with pleasure that the expectation of
this article is yearly increasing, and hence the
Spanish moss, compressed like cotton bales, is
| figuring more and more in the export lists of
| products shipped towards Northern ports. Not
only have the German Swamp inhabitants made it
considerable branch of their industry, but we
have also seen that the plantation hands from up
and down the river bring quite heavy loads by
| carts as well as water-crarts to the city market,
| where, particularly on Sunday mornings, large
quantities of this commodity may be seen near
| the lower vegetable market and its vicinity.
! Should the consumption Of this substitute
| Ii
| the European communities, as this has been the
case with the Northern people, we may expect an
enhanced price, and consequently still more ex-
tended gathering and curing Of this valuable forest
product. We are not acquainted with the precise
| hygienie OF sanitary properties of the Spanish
moss, but it is impression that its use for the
| above indicated household movable mattresses,
etc., proves even superior to the common horse
! I,nir ol tInAnf & A. all
| in Louisiana 1t ispreferred tc the last named ar
ticles, on account of being exempt from harboring
or breeding insects, bed bugs etc., and being &C.
counted much more cooling in the summer season
than the other stnfings for which it has become
the universal substitute in our midst. Feather
beds are little in in our warm climate the other
materials, such as cotton, etc, have been discon-
tinued on account of their enhanced price, and we
therefore know of but one other competitor in its
line, which is the common corn-shuck stutfing, to
! which our housewives have recourse in order to
garnish TO proper height or amplitude their bed
ding upholstery. Whilst upon this subject OF
household furnishing goods, we must not forget
the former mating manufacture which was car.
red on by the Indian sqEaws, and also some of the
native African blacks, upon the river plantations
These mattings, in olden times, would be spread
l
they afforded the most cooling and refreshing rest
ing places, and were therefore generally found in
the shady parts of the planters dwelling houses
mostly surrounded blythe wide, open galleries.
called, in modern language, the piazza.
Another usage, almost general in former times
and which we have missed of late in most of oul
new fashioned dining halls, were the swinging
folds or fans fastened to the ceiling of the refec
apI lr,r ;&,+o
African domestic servant. This tanning machine
would spread the cooling air around the table
and heighten the pleasures of the vel
prepared and spiccd productions of the CULINARY
art or artistic cuisine 1t is true, we have nova
days the ice ingredients which operate inwardly
perhaps, even more coolingy or powerfully re
freshng hut is this latter substitute as health,
as the former? This is a question which we viii
not undertake to decide. Another use to whcl
the produetof our forest the large willow cane
h has been employed our readers have no doubt no
4 tced by sseng the pera,nbulasing Indian worae,
carry large bundles of variegatea baskets for sale
These articles are sometimes very tastefally fabpi
Gated, and the first discoveries of this COUNT,
mention this art, wellas that of.making pottery
as being carred<on by the aborigines, whilst Will
fespect to the bodily clothing of these Indians,
cenaplete state ofnakedness not covered with an,
sort of an apparel. However, 1t isnot to be sup
, posed that they knew not the use of clothing
hence for the winter season they did make ou
of dressed deer skins and other furs, she neees
sary coverings against the blasts Of cold, from
which this country 10 not exempt. If, then, We
admit the exactness Of the statement, with regard
to the .Eudity of the Indian tribes, vixen first
vsissd alsng the gulf shores, in our Reghborhood
this must be understood as a custom of .these
children of nature, who, during the not summer
months, preferred being without any insumbrance
When we examine with some attention the gegera
form Of the American abofigines, we cannot hell
thinking that the life which actually suited the
conformation and constitution was that of ths
chase for this thsy were eminently fitted by the
agility, whilst for agriculture their bodily structure
seemed not to have been formed. A pastoral lif'
might have been adepted by them, had, in course
} of time, the wild beasts been exterlninated, ant
thus 3 better field been opened for the raising o
tame cattle, sheep and goats. However, it wa
decreed that the arrival of the white man shoult
be the signal, in their country, not only of thei
exodus or their determination, but also o
the animal cre&ton, by which the Indians hat
made their living II may, however, be aeket
why did not the superior white race undertake. II