New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-25
MARDI GRAS.
prNxsYLvANn-AvE. As A CoRso.

success "a a merry making and, whatever may nave
been viewed as in the light OF Roman or venetian
Festivals a farewell 20 flesh after our own fashion. Al
,he Ar.t day was a little slow IL was because we are
.oher pcope and II takes all Of day TO warm us up
On eayety on the next and the way wide that the
fun ran great risk Of eervescing altogether before
reaching the curbsone but the second day made ample
amend That first day, though quite as remarkable
for its sights outside of the Carnival proper as LOT any
thing on the wooden pavement, among others
the faces OF the people being good 10 STUDY
all grave as judges, all deciding whe'her
were wise to be amused or not all OF individuals we'll
dressed wel-behaved, feeling themselves responsible
for the respectahity OF the nation, not eNhchg the
least enthusiasm at anything paying but hte heed 10
the civic procession when II wound lts ghteng lengh
down from the great gates of the White Cot, the sun
shining on the nowerbedccked engines, on the scarlet
uniforms on the brass instruments of the boyband that
blew out as good music any ON the street. on the dark
body of wellmomted and burly butchers white
aproned their cleavers their shoulders, without the
6rO gras to be sure, but probably carrying
the fstcd calf in their ranks, for Gll that;
not applauding and dcridng the insignificant racing
pres rying a dead silence OF decOrum when a
NewI0rk team, in sn its magnhconce OF tandem
long white ribbons and gilded martngale CHAINS the
trained horses, each lght-heced as a dancingIady
pranced down the lists alone, never greeting the
President with single cheer when presently lie Iol
lowed, inconspicuously reclining among ms carriage
cushions "That Ncw-YOrk team breaks Grants heart
ali Old COpperhead cricd che is thinking now much
better it is, by George, to be private czeh III new"
York than President in Waslngtonl Indeed inc
spell of gravity was unbroken by anything save SOME
forlorn little trotiug bewildercdy in search OF
master aud suddenly maddened by pack OF pursuing
boots and cries. until at last the peasureriing opened
and in on the clean-swept elastic moor "heIo
twenty teams 60 abreast rolled the mul'l'uue
of private carriages carrying their gay occupants
10 view the decorations that, beyond the dense wall
lf,,ff Tho "A
the great thoroughfare on either side gay as any
gigantic flower garden. with flags and sreamers and de-
vices and roofs and windows, and grandstands crowded
full OF lOokers-On Who were laughing, ana noddng ana
waving their handEerchief the air all at once ringing
with merriment and heavy with dust in blazing sun,
till the gun fired and the track cleared again. and
tle ,uana and fouriu-hands and Beau Hickman on his
nag and the little nulc-nOunted dardes who had lost
ther but chung to their cigars, ALL as suddenly as
they had sprung out Of the ground disappeared INTO IT,
II was pretty, after that, 10 see the way III when the
mob began to enter into the spirit of the thing, and
how when the foot-Tacers came along IN then
white tights and jerseys giving the more poetical
sghtseers hint of the old Olympic conests-they, squad
aitcr squad crying out encouragement joined III ana ia
along behind tin the next squad relieved them' ana al
the length OF the avenue with its runners like one
enormous gyrOscOpe. Just the interest was taken
+, re ,aeJraces ana the bndfod barrowraoes and the
Amusing coatraccs too. where the baky little beasts
wouldn't start and when they were ahead would take
fancy 90 cross the road ana let the next one pass then
and when they were just the point of winning would
stop deliberately and look tantazingly back at their
desperate little drivers who disgrace about TO cover
them md the coveted prize Of the sotwason lrundnS
out Of reach
Never was Differentiated crowd seen, made mp Of
observation-disclosures heterogeneous element as Wasand
dplaying neither drunkenness rb0ldry nor proian
ivy nor INSTRUMENTATION so That il was not III the houi OF
the tournament on the second day. that the police had
any Aculty in keeping back the crowd Of hundred
thousand that wanted TO De present where there was
room Tor only fourth Of the number. And being carnival
time and the proper season for all handsome and fana
tic sport tins tournament was sight worm struggling
fr-hc noble horses, the brilliant knights. and the fear
!., riding where "lust of glory prickcd their hearts
HID aud horse and master seemed to be animated by
.c WILL and where one blackplumed ana VelVeled
rider Of black horse. powerful ana fun OF he th'e"
h., lance as any young centaU might nave dohe' "hio
The President surveyed the fitting from his balcony at
the st. ines and an the dgntares Of the Cabinet joined
iu the applause and az night the Queen of Beauty
Wa, crowned before jury Of her peers-ior' OF all
place, IN the world the District exces as we are ready
o. maintain at the point Of the spear in the multitude Oh
ITS lovely faces!
B1, the good nature OF the crowd showed to the best
advantage when the longexpected masquerade defled
down rhc way the Lord of Misrule leading his srte7
and uuroIing his pageant behind him till it doubled
back md held both sides Of the avenue with its beauty
~, pcndor and its gOtcsqueness, with Comus ana his
crew with Mother Goose and all her followers with
hosts Of historical pcrsonages keeping up their charac
trrs aud stiff with gOrEcou~ue~s, princes p0temales
priests aud lghwaymcu, with burlesqueo Of the powers
that be and of The future feminine reign OF
female drmu-corps and hras.-bands ana fire engine
comian.c,-wloec engines were enormous teapOts-aI
a. them under their scanty skirts plainly wear
iey the stronger garments. Here pohce
posse of hoy- buecoate1 and belted and bearing ggan
tc stuffed clubs. headed by real policeman Of vast
1il. and rtn beat back The line along the sidewalks
with thclr aaou. here Jack Frost, mass Of iccles ana
snow cighcd softly after gardener who, with ms DaS-
Lt of ardcusarse his head kept clear space round
himself iy the vigorous Of his waterng-pOt, into
which space thC minute ne commenced quite as vigor-
ON, and brcathlcss rakng Of his weeds. gang Of
dancers and fddrs swept, sowing their wild oats; here
n Nu. and hairy Ouiaugoutdng lett the procession and
.mned tree by the waysdc 10 the slrehng terror Of
tc rrthns who had lodged Themselves in the branches
no., q decent citizen, mshly eudcayorng 10
rr.,.t the street was caught for fair game in mae
sfrom " pctcoat. and uIOomsck- and monstro5ities
o.. miller busted him. the gardener sprnklcd him. the
oI.aug-outauc played leal-irOs over him. the giraffe
waited With him, If, hat went up for football, and he
VIZ glad enough TO pc the tu,se in any shape; here
a eman caught 10y the motley ra1 and
handled much after the fashion; here a verdant
EttIe darbey eHtceu TO rob the United States
Treasury a. went along. and was treated by the green
backed devils there, with their flaming horns those
sch, lo rob the same are not here huTdygludy men
,r,ud their music while their tambouriuc girls tossed
pper into the crowd and paid them for lstening here
a tr,l,ppc damse stepped up 10 the sidewalk and gave
Gen Logan a hug, which he took III good part
and here the whole procession halted the
flies aud bagpipes began TO blow, and cOtil-
Ions and redowas and reels and gaops were
,.reern like mad mp and down the avenue as one
could see while clowns, going the wrong way on their
mules driven by ears or TAIL took the opportunity to
right themselves by terrible somersaus, and bandits on
fast horses dared up and down and everywhere Ike
sreaks Of light AT night the great balls miracles
among balls four OF them in all, and the tumnatiOns