The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-12-15
SERIOUS JOKES.

Some inveterate joker has been poking fur
at the correspondent Of the New York Herald
and he has telegraphed, from this point 6
number Of stories SO absurd as to excite the
laughter Of all those who are cognizant of the
facts. Unfortunately, however, the stories
thus telegraphed while entirely unfounded,
are calculated to do us great damage. Persons
North reading them are apt to fancy the
people of New Orleans to be a set Of
Comanche Indians, prowling around with
scalping knives ready to lift the hair of
venturesome correspondents of Northern
journals or string the lampsposts with in
nocent and inoffensive citizens. People will
resd the startling and sensational stories who
will never see the corrections and thousands
Of readers will never have the erroneous
ideas thus instilled eradicated. l...
The following dispatch was dated 11:45 p.
NJ, Dec. 18th, and published next morning in
tho Herald as nens:
The streets are covered with armed men
incog. Pistols have been placed at the heads
of correspondents tonight, with orders that
they shall say nothing Coils Mari, Angel
and others have been at the Rotunda late last
night, and Immediately afterward the streets
were crowded with unarmed men, headed by
bands of music. Gen. Emory sent Lieut..
Campbell to inquire into the matter. The
impression at this time is that Emory will un-
derstand it all before daylight.
Think Of sober man sending off such
stuff and nonsense as that. No sober man
nnm1d have dora II The MON X,ho ,,1oco<l ~.
pistol at the head of correspondents can't be
found. Mr.. Mari was not at the St. Charles
Rotunda later than o. o'clock; the bands of
men were two fire companies on
customary parades, serenading newspaper
Offices, etc., and we presume Gen. Emory did
understand it all before daylight-almost any
sober man would have understood it at the
lime. That dispatch ought to have sobered
the correspondent, but it seems to have had
quite the contrary effect as witness the fol-
lowing sent the very next day:
The singular movements of various squads |
If disguised men last evening continued late |
INTO the morning. Occasionally they would
Draw pistols, apparently examining them. A
reporter who sought Information as to what
was up had pistol put t. his head and told
10 shut up and ask no questions. Who they
were, and their object, is a matter Of specu-
ation. Some believe the purpose was either
% lynch certain persons or to brighten the
Returning Board into o fair count; but a
member Of the Committee of Seventy asserts
hat they were merely persons drilling and
)atr0ling for exercise. 1t is certainly strange
hat they should exercise until o'clock in
he morning.
That is simply amazing, and we could
ford to laugh at the wondrous gullability of
he correspondent, were it not for the injuri-
us effect OF such stories upon the Northern
mind.
What would the readers of the Herald say
they knew, as we know, that the squads of
isguised men referred to, were squads of
Jnited States soldiers, who having obtained
emission to take part in the military drama
Belle Lamar at the Varieties, were march,
,g to and from the thcater. The pistol
tory we must regard as pleasant little tic-
on. If the "member of the Committee of .
evenly" had informed the correspondent
lat the squads" referred to were inhabitants
,creation, we presume the readers of the {
eraM would have been Illuminated accord
gly. We don't know where the correspond ]
1t has been in the habit of procuring his !
lleps and cocktails, but we would in all Sc !
BUSINESS suggest q change Of place. Differ !;
1t whisky might produce different results.