The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-27
THE FETE CHAxPETRE.
FIRST DAY.

for the weeks postponement of the festivities at
the Fair Grounds, the delay and suspense and i'm.
patient longing, all terminated yesterday in tri-
umph, the chronicling of which we hesitate to
undertake. But though it be in feeble way, the
pleasures and excitements Of the day must be
recorded, in order that those living beyond the
city may read and imagine all the attractions
which in the merry spring time cluster about our
oak shaded suburban retreats; all the good works
which, in happy way, cur benevolent societies
can and always will do in the cause of that benign
charity which never faileth-which suffsreth long
and is kind.
So the grand fete opened its career yesterday.
and most brilliantly. Between three and half.after
four O'Clock continuous line Of vehicles entered
through both gates, while on the Esplanade street
side, hundreds of foot passengers, who had come
by the cars, handed in their tickets and entering
the little gate, came into full view of the beautiful
scene, made up of far stretching green lawns,
waving oaks moving humanity In trousers aud
crinoline mosio, flowers and laughter, while do wn
upon all shone the genial sun, none too warm,
though unobscured by the light, feecy clouds,
which had earlier in the day overcast the sky.
Following the crowd, with our eyes as usual widely
oped TO all about u.s. first saw without the gates
a soda water stand, to which was affixed a rather
curious notice. rudely written on slip of fools
cap. The spelling was too good (or too bad to
be lost Read ii for yourselves, soda water drink.
" 10 cOuts e vert n- 10 sous lie verre, F" he meant
to have said. II his beverage is no better than
his orthography, we shan't patronize him largely.
Having passed the portals of paradise, 1--WE liken
it to Eden, for our first mother had many fair
daughters there,) we went straghtway to the
Octagonal building, and thence after pseping at
the decoratiOns-the peep cost nothing-made
sraightWay across the green field toward the
race stand, where II was very evident, for time,
a. least, the great interest Of the day centered.
There was a band playing on the stand, the first
infantry band it was. and right merrilY they rat
tied of airs from "Norma" +" and martha" while
presently another band appeared on the upper
pOrtico of the octagonal, and sent back its dis
t4nt notes, like echoes, in response. But it is
with hesitation rarely felt that we approach
that race stand. Were we a visitor only, there
would be nothing but exhaTation to
be derived from the contemplation of such
an inspirting scene, momentarily increasing, but
being a Journalist, feeling that all this
busy scene must be reduced to pen, ink, paper,
type and press, we felt something Of that dismay
which the artist must experience in meeting some
countenaDce more lovely, more delicate in its
lines and models than any he has yet essayed to
portray. This apprehension was by no means
quie,ed by our unsuccessful attempt to leap over a
picket fence, without coming in violent contact
with the sharper points thereof. But once upon
the track, truce TO timidity, and we proceed to
take in the whole scene in q comprehensive
glance. Look at the stand yonder. 1t is a par
teIre of living flowers Not alseat is vacant.
They are all talking, ard although distance pre-
vents Us hearing what they say, il is morally GER
tain there must be hubbub of small talk going
on. Here on the ght you see hundreds Of men,
youDg and ol6, sitting on the fences, and on the
benches, standing on the track, or dropping in al
yonder doorway now and then to wash away the
cobwebs. Inside on the field all the carriages,
barouches, rockaways and buggies in this whole
city appear to have collected. They are all full,
too; full of sweet, pretty girls, dressed in light,
airy styles, and apparently happy besides, espe
cially so, doubtless, from the fact that around
them are collected any number OF admirers.
Among them we see some dressed in the apparel
of the turf-purple jackets red jackets. orange
jackets, striped jackets, ssshes and badges of
various colors, jockey caps Of as many hues, sll
combine together to make up very neat outfit
for eleven rlders, whose mules await the call to
saddle up for
THE MULE RACE.
Pretty soon the time comes for this call. The
committeeman, adorned as to their coat lapels
with immense TOsettes, as large as one of
AoreaD's dinner plates, or good sized sunfOwer,
announce that all is IN readiness and then at the
bell tsp, eleven young men, every one of them a
gentleman in manners and bearing, range them
selves in line before the stand and re-
ceive their instructions. Then up come the
fiacti0us steeds, the eleven riders mount lightly
TO their seats and after some light maneuvering
on the part of one or two, are ranged in order
across the track, prepared for the start. The
race was for mile heats, and here is list Of the
ENTRIEs
l-E H. R. enters A B. mule Woman's Rights al years old
By BOrsce Greeley, dam Anna Dickinson BY imp an
, known Colors blue and blsck. -, .,
by Beast Butler dam Silver spoon by imp Bottle Colors
81 enters W. j. H 8 mule Lirsly Mok % years old
by Johnny Thompson dam Juliana Phnbiana CoRstan
tina Brown BY Sussn's sundayout COlOrs, white and
III. O. N entsTs v =. P's mule Wa',s Fa1 years Old
Lilac and lilac, With y,ilow. sash.
5W T. b. enters L. mule LOo0mO,jre, 40 years old BY
Steam, dam Ranby imp. Iron. COOrs, red and white,
On O. j. Jr enters W. N IS mule GREY B1ek, yssrI old,
by Korn Fed dam shortration, BY imp. Commissary.
IN G. enters A S. mule Kp.Klyr weeks ola by
Ssutherner, dam DespOt, by imp Witch BurneT. COlors
s-w F Jr enters H E; w's niue Biaol and ro years
Cd by Radical dam MsesgsnstiOn ,s 6y imp EmauciDA
9-W T. F. enters A f's mule trr'et Bag9sr we eks
old. by Contrshand, dam Convention, BY imp Puritan
les.J ". nters O. mule Goysrao 2s years old. by
fgLdereI dam Sw ndler BY scAlaWAg, out OF Indiana
III n enters p La mule Sposlator 50 years old by
Broker dam shyOek by imp. Thief ColOr, very fancy
Two entries, Impeachment and District Attor
ney, previously made had been Withdrawn, the
former probably holding his head low IN view of
the intelligence from Washington. impeachment
stock was decidedly down yesterday.
First Hedt-The eleven however got away in
good style from the string, some dashng off
1uTiously, others evincing disposition to remain
just where they were. Shouts OF laughter, loud
and long followed them around, until the dust at
the first turn partially hid them from view. Down
the back stretch they went at full tilt, running
galloping, csnteTing, anything to get over the
ground. The CONTEST narrowed down finally to
two or three of the contestants, and then, whew !
what an excitement there was. People GRO wded
on the track, turning their heads every which
way TO get glimpse as they came around the
fourth turn, and struck the home stretch. " Here
they come" shouted one. "Clear the track
there" fairly shrieked the committee men.
/" Back there, back" said the blue-coated police
men. casting one eye sideways the while, with a
view to any stray mules hOOf that might happen
in their vicinity. So up came the foremost steed
his rider known by very fancy costume of va.
rious coloTs. Little boys ran across the track,
inst for the venture of the thing, but on came
mues and riders, and amid cheering and applause,
spC cnlator passed the stand hsv ng made his mi e
in 2:3l4 Close upon him followed WOman's
! Rights, then Grey Back, then Squnt Eye, then
! Black and Tan, then Carpet Bagger, and the
others distsneed. So the result was announced,
| and the mules went of TO the cooling ground to
! prepare for
The Second Heat-Which came before people
| had barely finished laughing at the first. The
| mules all behaved remarkably well, it must be