The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-10-22

A Scene at the Auction Exchange.
New Orleans (Sept 30) correspondence of
N. Y. Tritune.)
Outside of politics. the sensation of
New Orleans just now is the case of the
old octoroon Francois Lacroix, last
week millionaire, to-day friendless
beggar, sold out for taxes which he
could 1t would not pay. He was the
owner of properties in the city and ad-
joining parishes, stores, dwellings, and
plantations, paying two menths ago an
aggregate monthly rental of more than
$4,000. Yesterday saw him sitting
in the steps of the auctioneer' 8 restrum,
smoking a vile cigar and wagging his
vacant old head while the last remains
of his fortune was being waited away
on the echo of the crier 8 voice.
Lacroix' g history is singulariy inter-
esting. A quarter of century ago he
was the fashionable tailor of New Or
leans. The popular shop "Cordieville
& Lacroix' was on St. Charles street,
one or two doors below the present site
of the St. Charles Hotel. Both were
colored men. Cordieville was fashy,
snowy fellow, quite an exquisite,
prone to brawls and duels, but pol
ished artist in his line, He affected
France very greatly; had a chateau
near Paris, where, during the greater
part Of the year, he used to maintain
an establishment of great luxury and
splendor. Finally he withdrew from
New Orleans to spend the remainder Of
his life in his favorite country. Lacroix
was a man of different tastes and
habits. An octoroon like Cordieville,
he was, unlike him, penurious, frugal,
plodding. Once year he went to la
belle France for five or six weeks, and
wild stories are told of his extravaganza
and debauchery on those occasions !;
but here at home he lived in positive
meanness. His house on Dumaine
street, in the French quarter, where,
by the way, he still lives, is an old col
onial structure, built of wood, with
high roof and long dormer windows,
rickety, infrm and uninviting. 1t is
scarcely better than the average plan
tation cabin, certainly not half so cheer
full and attractive. | went down and
took look at it the other day, though
the survey was attended with difficult
ties. The interior is q picture Of dis
order and discomfort, with four rooms
in the main building, divided off by
partitions of what seemed pasteboard-
one great room. so far as sound or
smell might be concerned. The
otter apartment, the only
one gained access to,
was crowded with preposterous old
furniture, mangy-looking bundles, box
es, odds and edds, the whole forming a
collection which the negroes call ''plun-
der Enthroned in the midst of all
this confusion, propped in huge and
infrm rocking chair, was an appalling
old woman-Lacroix' mother. | had
not expected this. Lacroix is trife
over 70 himself and l never anticipated
being called On to confront his mother.
Much to nv surprise she spoke little
broken English; much to my disap.
pointment she informed me that her
boy was sick and invisible. I glanced
around the room-a perfect chaos of
curiosities, useless but ancient. What
any body wanted with such a lot of alb
surd old traps | cannot imagine. In
only one instance did see an article
that pertained to civilization or the
nineteenth century. That article was
a safe-an irop safe Of ancient pattern.
1t looked as thong ID it might have been
purchased when Lacroix was a Growing
infant bought in some extravagant out
burst by his father. | suppose it con.
tanned the title-deeds and so on. As
bowed myself ont l observed lima.
layan head-dress of yellow and red
cotton surrounding Lacroix mere.
Here the miser lives and has lived
since the time when the now fashiona
BILE district Of New Orleans was snipe
ground. 1 suppose the annual expenses
of that establishment must figure up a:
high as S40O. This, with whatever hs
spent in those Partisan revclries, made
up the total Of his expenditures: ane
all the rest, for nearly half century
has been going into new land., more lot!
and additional houses He made money
at tremendous rate so years. Hi
shop was the center of fashion. Hi
coats were the sire qua non of society
No dandy of that day could hope t
shine in the foyer of the Orleans Oper'
until Lacroix's touch prepared him TO
the effort. The bloods of Dauphin
and Royal streets never dreamed Q
strutting near the shadow of Cabildo O
the Pontalba palace until Lacroix hat
dressed his legs. Money was no objec
then. 1t came easily to these youn
, Iroysterers, and Lacroix had no grea
. modesty As to his charges. Making
|, immense sums and spending nothing
putting his accumulations into propert7
that rose every day in value. he grey
rich by almost magical advances.
tailor's shop would scarcely seem tn
cradle Of Cresus, yet in 1861 Lacroi:
was more than wealthy man. he ha
properties in every growing quarter q
the city, mortgages on a score of plan
tations, and rentals of princely magni
4 tude- Hewas Lacroix the millionaire
How hls tax troubles commenced n
!: one seems exactly to understand.
+ fancy he has always been '.tax regis