The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-10
4 faE. MARDI-GRAS. d a.ri 5it
/ irgc1 ao ----- r.ll ~ -fie7I
IMMENsE CROWDS ON THE STREETS
Clay statue-Ths Masken-Everything
Orderly.
THE SHOW YE MISTICK KREwE.
/ si .l ts IT = : = lssa a 20 d
Tue ANKLES AND THE TIGHTS.
THE APE THE YOUNGSTERS : THE CROWD.
Serious Accident = Several Persons
ara Injured.
[E SHOW YE MISTICK KREwE.
'uE ANKLES AND THE TIGHTS.
THE APE THE YOUNGSTERS . The CROWD.

| tlli n N n H Al Il -
Yesterday was great day for the votaries o.
Shrove Tuesday. The day was as warm and sunny
as an April day. and the people were ell upon the
streets. We can't say the turn out of masks wai
as numerous or as gorgeous and laugh. provoking
Is last year, or IN years preceding, but still it was
very fine. and the throngs Of people on the streets
returned to their homes far from disappointed
1.-THE full grown mummers we're few, those of q
tender age were exceedingly numerous. The
principal streets were thronged with little girls
whose fair features we're bedizened with outlsnd-
ish masks but the golden and flowing locks Dame
Nature had endowed them with burst forth from
oil constraint, and would not be concealed. As
to the boys, they were still more numerous, but
they be hanged! 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. sal elss.
But there was an ape that deserves more than
q passing notice. That ape had herculsan pro.
portions joined with the agility of the species
which he represented. He must be one of the
clovnkpr harlequins at the Academy. He climbed
the iron pillars of the Crescent Billiard Hall; he
Iesped upon Q wagon containing eleven bales of
cotton, and squstted suddenly and Unexpectedly
upon the broad shoulders of the negro driver,
and when that fear-stricken darky jumped In his
fright to terra frms, 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 flour barrel, ensconced him in that, and
concealed himself entirely within it. Arrived at
the corner Of Canal street. the ape espied lot of
girls in mask. sprang from the car and started In
chase of them. They screamed and ran with all
their might. Their masks impeding their breath.
ing, they tore of the masks, and 10 they were all
dsrkies, darker than the-lieutensnt governor of
louisiana Az to the other maskers we saw none
worthy of special notice. There was the conven-
tional Yankee, the niger legislator. the carpet
bsgger, the Grecian bend and all the monst.osi-
ties peculiar to this unfortunate generation--but
that an A ffiend or shs writer, sober.side
quiet, but most obseryant man. remarked
that the reason why there was not so great o
celebration of Mardi Grss yesterday, is that every
day now 10 Mardi Gras. 90 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 Grecisn
bend protuding like . phenominal elephantissis
from her rear; her body bent forward at en- IN.
told angle, and Q huge pile Of foreign hair upon
her head similar to the " chips Of buffalo on
the Western prsirie-"if II that isn't equal to any
Mardi Gras I'll lose my hesd--and the best of 1t Is
you will find scores just such maskeraders. pow
dered and perfumed and painted, every day on
Canal street." Our friend was right. and he
might have added something about tight panta.
looms, monkey jackets, Grant hats, hair parted in
the middle, ETC., etc., etc. ss $3.50
i The AGistick Krswe. loi
. The reporter of the CREscEsr went on 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 ct the varied
msskers that marshalled their throngs along the
streets of the city, and doing naught ese and after
psrtakinR of particularly good dinner with two
ante 6eEuns friends he set himself to work In dead
earnest. He installed himself, about half-pa
six o'clock ct the pedestal of one of the columns
of the Bank Of America, Sohis at que rotundus,
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 and-along came q covey Of good
Samaritans who invited him to the GEN. The
gongs and the hew gags were not audible, and be
thought that, consistently with dnty, 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
pard, and judged from one glance Of his
eye that he was sudden and quick In
quarrel-also that he was of Gallo origin,
and would make reprisals in the morning.
He therefore left Whiskerando 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
maskers. One young gentleman, with two young
ladies clothed in p'rple and fine linen, and with
their dainty feet and ankles covered with the
whitest stockings and the finest little boots-hs
tripped-from Royal to Exchange
and from Exchange to Royal, six times between
twenty minutes after and half-past that hour.
What became of that party, deponent knoweth
not. Carriages and cabs, omnibuses and furniture
vans had their living freight, principally women
and children, all breathless, to see the Mistick
Krewe. Nobody knew which way or by what
street the Mystical Krewe we're to make their ap.
pesrsnce. Such running to and fro, such uncertain
ty. amounting slmostto apsuic, we never saw out
side Of surprised army or threatened town.
The blast of an oyster horn towards the levse or
the bray Of Q car mule would start the entire
crowd to swayiug, and like an immense flock Of
sheep, where one went, thither went all the
others. -I..,.-. .-.-. str- .-
1Finaly, rabout 8 O'Clock, looking away down
Canal street. glare lighted up the sky above and
ahone upon the neighboring buildings. It was the
Mistick Krewe. 1t Is, 1t Is the Comus Krewe, was
whispered on every side. Then came tremsn-
dous pressure around the statue, whilst old
bronze Harry Clay looked down csmplscsntly
upon the surging multitude. whilst they crowded
and quarreled, and uttered curses not loud but
deep against each other. The reporter Aforesaid