New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-05
Local Intelligence.

whs certainly "A delay in starting tor the
bells never sounded the advance unit! nearly
an hoyr and a quarter after the advertised
time. When it is taken into consideration.
however. that our fire companies had nearly
all guests 20 entertain, to whom they were
anxious 70 DO honor, and whose convenience
they stretched miles to consult, II can not
tut D. surprising that the start wia made
N promptly as it was.
Il. weather was all that could be de-
sired, ana probably the rains OF the pre-
v;oi- ught were most beneficial to tn.
tiremen. They had the pleasure of march
ing on lard ground and of coming out of
their days performance with no dust decor
..tjns clothes or shoe leather
Long before the procession started Clay
statue at the intersection OF Canal and ST.
Chaiics streets, had assumed an appear
ance which it seldom presents. 1t was one
mass Of busy, wiggling, climbing humanity,
ard not humanity of the newspaper boy
era OF the school boy growth, but great
bnwnv men, with full developed physical
stren.th One individual, who might have
VeVi SIX lccb III HciSht: was O".A1i'A
into youth, by climbing the statue
and supporting himself by the left
arm The immense height of the
bronze man was then realized. and the pig
INV s!X-footer sank intOinsigniicance along
aide Or rather half way up along slur, of
the colossal statue embodied III bronze of
"Harry of the West" which towers at east
ten feet above its pedestal which generally
supports il but which yesterday supported
an Unusual number of XiOus citizens par
t.cipatng, as far az the eye would allow
them to participate, in the celebration of
tue fourth of March. The steps which sup
ported the base of the statue were invisible.
and crowded human nature rose pyramid
ca!ly step by step until no step was left. II
was a living picture worthy OF the photo
grapher, and entirely beyond the power OF
any other than Dickens to picture in
words.
The new fountain, that feature which
It is fondly believed will add so much to the
attractions of Canal street, came very near
meeting with premature dissolution.
Anxious and athletic NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
enough to see the show and athletic enough
to Climb the roof of the fountain, sur
mounted this new Improvement and for a
time impressed the timid with Il most over
powering impression that the unfinished
The fountain was, however equal to the
occasion, and the roof which was built for
is protection proved strong enough to sus-
tain the solid laass of people, who, withou.
asking permission, made it a gallery.
The fountain roof, however, was aDso-
lutte safety when compared with the very
extraordinary points of view selected by
the adventurous people who made use ot
the unfinished building opposite, on the cor
ner OF Charities and Canal streets. where
the new buildings are being erected to sup
MY the place of the old slIanties burned
down. A trestlo work of poles and cross
pieces, the cross pieces all poles also. deco
rates the fronts Of the new edfice. both on
Canal and Chartres streets. and the poles
or both streets were decorated with more
living beings than any one with ordinary
human reason would have for a moment be-
ievcd they could have supported. Still 40
accident occurred.
1t would be useless to tell o,,r readers
that every gallery on Canal street was
thronsed and that many Of them had ample
iced of the extra woodwork which sus-
tanned the extra weight such a celebration
AZ that Of yesterday called on item 10 ex
perienre.
Ii the galleries we're crowded and even
the, public statuary was black with sight
seers, what could be expected of the street
itself. As natural consequence. all the
room not occupied by the firemcn as they
formed their long column Of march was
packed with anxious and restless crowds
not men and boys, but principally women
and children, and the cars. although offered
every facility by the firemen themselves.
we're blocked up and impeded in their traffic
bv the fair and Juvenile elements of the COM
munlty.
The March through the Second and Third
Districts was probably the most lively
I.,< 1,,a
Just the fourth of March one year ago. All
the way down Royal street banquettes, not
unusually wide failed to supply room. and
il the people who did get outside positions
saw the show, the insiders were not only
unable to see, but We're also unable to shove
through their fellow mortals and hasten to
positions on other parts Of the route where.
lerhaps. thinner attendance might offer
them a better chance for ocular particpa-
ten IL, tho great event OF the season.
1t required some nerve to walk some of
those streets in the Third District. 1t re-
uuircd nerve to trust ones life under
groaning gallery, crowded with Creole
yout;, and beauty, when it was evident that
that gallery had groaned for nearly half
century without repairs. Still. there were
no accidents, and none Of these old land
marks fell and deposited their load of teen
ing ,;fo On tho heads Ofadventurous Hasscrs
by
People would run through the side
streets down there in the old town. The
old French desire to see all Of the fun that
could be seen has not died in their descend
ants, and regular scampedes were made
frcm Royal to Charities street after the pas
sage of the procession on the former street.
The dogs, who were out in force. did not
understand this rapid vOlition on the part
OF usually quiet people. and many a run
ming crowd Of ladies and children found
themselves followed. barked at and badly
scared by two or three ours, who were lin
aware that it was the fourth of March, and
WHO, if the truth was told, either had no
owners, or if they had owners. belonged to
individuals who had failed to pay d license
for them and provide them with the city
tag.
Flags seem to be numerous in the Third
District, andl the line Of march through
Casacalvo and Vaudeville streets was
march past galleries not only decorated
with ladies. but ornamentcd with the ma
tional cOlors. From. the time the head of
the column crossed the line of the Third
District they had as much as they could do
to pass through the throngs of people who
crowded the streets.
The first halt of any consequence oc-
cured as the head Of the procession reached
Vaudeville street. Some of the fine work
manshp on some of the elegant designs
which served to beautify one Of the engines
in the line, met with mishap. and for
five minutes the column halted Damages
repaired, the bands again struck up and
the column was i'll motion.
After skirmishing along the levee the
line of march was diverted into Chartres
street, and here We timed it. 1t took just