The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-14
II H IA II a Il Il.

i
streets. We can't say the turn out of masks was
as numerous or as gorgeous and laugh. provoking
last year. or In years preceding but still il was
very ine and the throngs Of people on the streets
| returned to their homes far from disappointed.
| Ii the full grown mummers were few, those of q
| tender age were exceedingly numerous. The
principal streets were thronged with little girls,
whose fair features were bedizened with outlsnd-
ish masks but the golden and flowing locks Dame
Nature had endowed them with burst forth from
all constraint and would not be concealed. As
| to the boys, they were still more numerous, but
they be hangedi The many twinkling feet grace
full and beautiful, that glanced along the pave
ment yesterday, from noon to dewy eve. sum-
mer's day, were too bewildering for lover of the
beautiful to look elsewhere.
But there was an ape that deserves more than
passing notice. That ape had herculssn pro-
portions joined with the agility of the species
which he represented. He must be one Of the
clowns or hsrlequins at the Academy. He climbed
the iron pillars of the Crescent Billiard Hall; he
Ieaped upon wagon containing eleven bales of
cotton, and squatted suddenly and Unexpectedly
upon the broad shoulders of the negro driver,
and when that fesr.siricken darby jumped in his
fright to terra frma, he seized the reins and
drove the four mule team two squares before
leaving the van. He sprung into Q light
wagon In which there was an upright
empty -four barrel, ensconced him In that, and
concealed himself entirely within it. Arrived at
the corner of Canal street, the ape sspied lot of
girls in mask, sprsne from the car and started in
chase Of them. They screamed and ran with all
their might. Their masks impeding their breath.
fr<, No. oTk 10 h. 81 L. IN
darkies, darker than the-lieutenant governor of
Louisiana. As to the other maskers we saw none
worthy of special notice. There was the conven.
tional Yankee, the niger legislator, the carpet
Dagger, the Grecian bend and all the monst-osi.
ties peculiar TO this unfortunate generation-but
that was all. friend Of the writer, sober sided,
quiet, but most observent man, remarked
that the reason why there was not 20 great q
celebration of Mardi Grss yesterday is that every
day now Is Mardi Grss. "See that girl, for in
stance" he said, pointing to young lady in sky.
blue satin, from head to foot, her skirts reaching
only half way down the calf, and her Grecian
bend protruding like phenominal elephsntiasis
from her rear /; her body bent forward at an un-
told angle, and huge pile Of foreign hair upon
her head similar to the chips OF buffalo on
the Western prairie-"if that isn't equal to any
Msrdi Grss III lose my hesd-and the best of it Ia
you will find scores just such maskersders, pow.
dered and perfumed and painted, every day on
Canal street." Our friend was right. and he
might have added something about tight psuta.
looms, monkey jackets, Grant hats, hair parted in
the middle, etc., etc., etc.
The Mistick Krswe.
The reporter of the CRESCENT went on a wild.
goose chase all day yesterday, In order to learn
the starting place and the route OF the Mistick
Krewe. Some told him they were to start from
the jackson railroad depot some from the ST.
Louis Hotel; others from the ST. Charles, and
others again from the Pickwick Club on
Canal street, corner of Exchange Alley. Ye re.
porter thought the last named the safest and
surest. After looking all day long at the varied
msskers that msrsbaled their thronrs along the
streets of the City and doing nsught else; and after
psrtsking of particularly good dinner with two
ante belum friends. he set himself to work in dead
earnest. He installed himself, about half-psst
six O'Clock at the pedestal of one of the columns
of the Bank OF America, Solus at que rotlindus,
determined to await the approach of the Krewe,
even II they approached like the rugged Russian
bear, the armed rhinoceros or the Hyrcan tiger.
He waited aDd-aoDg came q covey of good
Samaritsns who invited him to the Gem. The
gongs and the hew gags we're not audible, and be
thought that, consistently with duty, he could
charge the bank Waterman to keep his seat until
his return. He found the seat occupied, on his
return, By an Individual bearded like the
psTd, and judged from one glance of his
eye that he was sudden and quick in
qusrrel-also that he was Of Gallo origin,
and would make reprisals in the morning.
he therefore left Whiskersndo to the quiet
enjoyment of the seat, and stood on the edge Of
the curb, midway between the bank and the
corner of Royal street. He waited and waited.
To and fro went the crowd-but there were few
msskers. One young gentleman. with two young
ladies' clothed in.ipurple and fine linen, and with
their dainty feet snd ankles covered sTith the
whtest stockings and the finest little bots-he
tripped-from Royal to Exchange
and from Exchange to Royal, six times between
twenty minutes after and half-psst that hour.
What became of that party, deponent knoweth
not. Carriages and cabs, omnibnses and furniture
vans had their living freight, principally women
and children, all bresthless, to see The Mistick
Krewe. Nobody knew which way or by what
street the Mystical Krewe were to make their ap-
pesrsnce. Such running to and fro such uncertain.
~, amounting almost to apanc, we never saw out.
side Of q surprised army or a threatened town.
The blast Of an oyster horn towards the levee or
the bray of car mule would start the entire
crowd to swaying, and like an immense flock of
sheep, where one went, thither went all the
others.
Finally, about 8 O'Clock, looking away down
Canal street, glare lighted up the sky above and
sbone upon the neighboring buildings 1t was the
Mistick Krewe. 1t is, il is the Comus Krewe, was
whispered on every size. Then came a tremen-
dous pressure around the statue, whilst old
bronze Harry Clay looked down complacently
upon the surgng multitude. whilst they crowded
and quarreled. and uttered curses not loud but |
deep against each other. The reporter aforesaid |
lie full six feet in stature, but he had 10 stand
s-tptoe to witness the gorgeous psgeantry of |
Comus over the mass Of people that were in front
OF him. What he saw be is unequal to describe, |
but as it is his Office to attempt description,
here goes:
First came an ambitious horsemsn, dark vis- |
aged, bevhiskered son OF Spain or Sicily, (mind |
ye, he was no son of Comus,) and after him came |
half q dozen cabs hayouches and carriaoea Thew