The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-15
New ORLEANS, March 9, 1867.


In the earlier part of the week, the
bright young foliage, the rich yellow
plums, full ripe and plenty, the chat
tering and glad notes of birds amid
the trees, the sweet perfume of vio-
let's borne upon the cooling breeze,
with sun whose beams raised
trembling mist from the moist earth,
al brought to the mind golden hued
visions of Spring-time and hope.
But alasl to-day what a change is
here-to-day, dark, unbroken mass
of clouds envelopes the sky, and amid
Its gloomy shade shrieks and means
& the deep toned thunder, while the
wind drives drift of drizzling rain
against the windows.
Notwithstanding the alienation of
sunshine and cloud, heat and cold,
this has been gala week in the city.
The week opened (Monday, 4th) with
a grand 6remans' parade, in which
all the companies of this city, and a
delegation from Mobile, participated.
They were nearly an hour passing a
given point, and the procession was
enlivened with no less than sixteen
brass, and number of field bands.
The engines were resplendently be-
decked with flowers, and from their
starting point, on Canal Street, was
gathered crowd, which for numbers,
brilliancy and variety, has seldom
been equaled. He who has been to
New Orleans, knows full well that
Canal Street, in novelty and beauty,
is the grand specially of the CITY.
Without attempting description of
what must be familiar to all, 1 will
content myself with saying that a
scene, which in itself possesses rare
charms, was made doubly attractive
upon this occasion, by the diversified
throng that crowded every available
stand point. The windows, galleries,
payements, middle promenade and
ear track, were all thronged, and the
stained legs of Henry Clay"
were affectionately clasped by some
adventurous sight-seers. v#
Listening to each band as they
marched by, I failed to hear strain
that could recall to my senses the
emotions of pleasure and enthusiasm
with which, in days gone by, / stood
to drink in the impassioned harmo-
MES of Lucretia Borgia," breathed
from the silver lips of the old "Cres-
cent City," s..ia
Tuesday, Mardi Gras" was most
eagerly awaited by all lovers of nov
city and pleasure. 1t is the last day
before Lent, as also the last day of
the Carnival, and is in every sense of
the word festive occasion. II
The following, from the . Crescent,
will give good idea of the day:
Mardi Gras in New Orleans has al
always been day memorable in our
social annals. We need not tell our
readers that it is the last day of the
carnival, and that the season of Lent
begins the day after, to-day, during
which our Catholic and Episcopal
population, numbering so large a ma
jority of our people, abstain from fes-
tivities, indnlgences and n public
amusements.. es 1t is not strange,
therefore, that as the carnival season
draws to its close, and the day of
Mardi Gras approaches, the spirit of
re1elry and amusement becomes more
and more active, and that the festivi
ties of the season have always sculml-
mated as in the south of Europe and
other Catholic countries, on Mardl
Gras, in all sorts of innocent amuse-
ments, out of doors and in doors, gro
tesque professions, masks, practical
jokes and universal abandon to fes-
tivity and merry making.
The streets were literally thronged,
from early morning until late at night,
with maskers in every costume imag-
Unable Small boys - who here, as
everywhere else, seem to have pre-
destined aptitude for making them
selves disagreeable, walked the streets
with bags of -four, which they bounti-
fully distributed in the face of every
one within their reach. Canal Street,
as upon the preceding day, presented
alseene rare and picturesque. The
crowd of spectators were distributed
as before, at windows, on galleries,
along pavements and center promen-
AIDES; while, as before, the statue Of
Henry Clay was sacreligiously
mada uua &c