The New York herald., 1877-02-14


door OF tho Varieties Theatre Tho torchbcsrcrs aud
grooms silently marched OF Ia different dctach-
ments the platforms slowly driven away and tho
has passed forever In the theatre the charac-
tcrs subsequently, appear in appropriate taoleaux
! upon the stage. alter which grand dress
| ball winds up the festivities. Al twelve
O'Clock shri whistle IL hoard. and in
Aitccn miputes all the characters none OF whom are
allowed to speak whe on duty, vanish from tho
to either reappear In citizens dress or attend
ghosty banquet, which generally cnds the proceedings
| with the dawn OF Ash Wednesday aud tho Lcntcn
season.
PLANNING YEAR ARRAD.
Immediately thereafter preparations arc naueurased
| for tho succeeding year. Meetings are held A.
which the merits Of designs arc discussed, sew
eral put tho hands Of tho artists regularly en
! poyed Tor tho purpose. who produce them roughly
in water coors Finally one IS selected, and by
May tho artists have completed q carefully
executed painting OF each Ggurc In miniature
each group upon tho platforms and each stage tab
leau. The latter pictures then framed and hung
upon tho walls OF the "Den," where every member
study his character, position and distinctive
number at leisure The individual! pictures arc sent TO
Paris. where contracts Immediately made for The
man ufacture OF tho costumes and other necessary
plianccs BY October or November ali tho material 10
received in New Orleans, when The work Of the car
pentcrs and artists commence under the eye and spc
cial direction of the association officials who have,
meanwhile, read up and fully postcd themselves
upon all tho details and capacity OIL
the subject 10 BE- represented All this douc quietly
expeditiousiy and in thorough business like way,
nobody being admitted to or evcn enlightened rs TO
the place where tho preparations are being madc by
officers selected for that duty
OPENING THE COSTUMES
A month before Mard Gras the costumes are opened
hv cd cost
many years ago IRON Paris for that sole purpose
Euch member Is then forced tc call at some ap-
pointed time, when his costume Is carefully
fitted, every detail thoroughly examined, and
every possible contingency provided for II Is
then locked up and stored away In box
bearing his number, by which, as IN tho Penentiary,
he is only known thereafter The Captain reiens like
Rchclicu, with 'absolute power" Tho most implicit
obedience orders is exacted and from his will there
is no appeal Thus everything moves with military
precision and the grave responsibility resting upon
him invariably proves tho best guarantee OF his sue.
cess
Such in brief q sketch OF the work undergone for
the production Of Of these beautiful VISIONS
worthy OF the sublimes conceptions OF Dante. Homer
Pctrarch, Spencer, Milton or Moore, all Of whom nave
been moro exquisitey illustrated by the Krewe than
ideazed by painter or sculptor. Apropos OF the
latter, sometimes the display consists entirely
sculpture "Amcrlcan history,
STORY OF the Humorists," &c. Effects thus
produced grand in the extreme. The theatrical
tnblcaus anordng they do, the opportunity to pile
up forty or nfty figures in a single marble group
under the rays OF strong calcium and coorcd lights,
are almost awe inspiring to the spectator
THE EXPENSE
OF one OF these displays, including the rent of the
theatre ball expenses, &C. averages between SIS 600
and $50, COO II would probably cost more but for
much Of the labor beng performed by the parties in.
tcrested This money Is raised by assessment from
the individual members Of tho association, Which
usually number both active ana honorary about 200.
In com pensaon the ball tickets, after deducting
number for the OF distinguished strangers, are APP
portoned among them II becomes, therefore, exceed
ingly difficult for outsiders 10 obtain tickets and this
very scarcity gives them value which tho assess.
ment only family represents-t least such has
proved the experience SO lar.
arc conducted under the most rigid rules No trans
fcrs are allowed, aud an offer made by any party to
purchase admiss ION enectually debars him from all
future hospitality. One of the rules is to receive
aid from tho outside on several occasions handsome
donations have been sent by strangers and other ad-
mlrers. In every case these have been promptly re-
turned being understood that the least stain of the
mercenary would prove fatal TO the wholo character
and stability of institution purely aesthetic in object
and nature. AS before stated, the krewe occasionally
essays the realms OF the purely imaginative, where
originality has iu play, and these efforts have gener
ally proved the popular, in the "Old English
Holidays" Triumph OF Epicurus' 'Seven Senses"
.Darwns Missing Links" &c. This year they at
tempted under the title OF The Aryian Race or Evo
lutons of Fashion," to unite the imaginative
and historic portraying the vagaries OF Fashion
the earliest times to the remote future. giving II
dash OF exaggeration which did not however. trench
upon the limits OF burlesque. II extended from the
dreamy past, when the sacred lotos flower was wor-
shipped in Egypt, down and out to the prospective
day of Minervan rule, a. u. 1876.
THE CARNIVAL OF 1871
In anticipation OF the festivities, for weeks past the
city has decorated holiday ATTIRE the royal
banner literally drapng the streets in all directions.
Never did Mard Gras receive more enthusiastic well
come than upon this occasion.
DISPLAY
The day opened cold and with drizzling rain and
everything looked unpromsing for the contemplated
festivities. But few individual maskers appeared on
tho street, general interest seeming to be settled
the great event OF the day. Notwithstanding the
favorable weather, however, the crowd early out
In full force, bat for long time 1t a matter Of
doubt whether the procession would appear not
About one O'Clock the skies ghtencd little. when
the procession ventured forth. From this time ont
the drlzzling rain and although great
credit accorded the King Tor hIs determination
dlsappont expectations, yet detracted greatly
from the effect of the display.
The Rex procession was quite handsome success
The King the middle of tho procession instead
Of at the head surrounded by twelve knights IN full
steel armor, and escorted by the Royal Guards, a
battalion OF boys equipped, uniformed and armed for
his SERVICE The bore design In close imitation
OF tho usages established by his cousin Comus. AL
though the display rich and costly lacked the
carnival element of royal fun, which the public had
learned expect from tie days reign OF the jolly
king, and was, therefore, somewhat OF disuppoint.
mcnt. Tho subject selected the 'Armg Of all
Ages - and represented soldiers OF every known
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