The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1878-03-08
OLD.TiME SOUTHERN nuEl.S.

Last Hrring, IN visit 10 New Orleans,
wins entertained hy an old resident with
"reminiscences u famous ,lnels. Twenty
ycan ago. the 81. Louis Hotel, now nsei
- State House. was the fashionable
resort 81 New Orleans. Its rotunda WAS
frcqnentci nightly hy men q! wealth,
cotton and sugar brokers, lawyers. poll.
ticians, slave..lcalers and piofess innal
dnslisiS. During the winter season. the
Oh planters 81 Louisiana and Nlissis.
Nippi brought their families 10 New Or.
Ia ms and lived in the ST. Louis and St.
Charles Heels The French Opera
House WAS nightly packed with nh audi.
cucc ri beautiful women, rcrplendcnt In
ur.ss md blazing with ,liamoads, accom-
panied by husbands. brothers, fathers
Anl lovsrs-a gay, Chilly throng, intent
upon quafling 20 the very dregs the cup
81 pleasure. Three nights in the week.
after the opera, an immense swinging
flor was swung over the larquct. and
dancing followed. sometimes until dawn
From the Opera House, on nights when
there were no balls, the young blcols,
after the opera WAS over, congie 1ntc.i il,
the rotnn Ii Of thcSt. Louis Hotel, which
was then one cf thu finest public rooms
~ the United States. A grand dome.
beautifully fr.scoed. snrmonnted IT.,
II ;hte,l during thr day II I'M the top by
~kyli2hss. and ii night ly magnificent
chandelier and one hundred gas jets
around the sides. Small marble-top
tables were placed around tie sides
III the rotnnln. where parties u two and
three goHsiped over their wine. Al one
ste stood the rlave block, anl nearly
every night there WAS slave anrtion.
A gallery from tie second story tnablei
the Indy guests nj the hotel To look upon
Nil that " Ut on hcl,w. When tho ST.
Louis Hotel was purchased by the War.
moth Stssa Government, Il few wears aco.
the rotnnla. was converted into q Senat.
Ghah,btr. The oil slave block stood 1,
the right Of the Presidents desk, md |,
there yet i Il has not been removed sine
tie Nicholln Government came into pos
Ne.sion ~ the State House.
Oi course, the % 4 ~as recognized i,
everybody. Dnels were NJ common tina,
thy scar vly excited curiosity. III,
large French population of New Orleans
together with m admixtnre III Spanish
% .dc tho rapier the favorite weapon
Tie famous sluelikts were pra.ticet
HwoFsitmen, ~ well m expert pistol
Nllots. II was the custom III those peat,
Of society Ia frequent the rotunla Of IN,
~. Louis Hotel, and, like the freshman 4
the Donnyhrook Far, they were spol'nt
for light.
A young gentleman from Missirsippi
the .on Of wealthy planter, went /.
New Orleans 10 spend the CAV season
IL conld not have been n typical youns
Soulhefner, because he was anict. md
.M AM unasTnming. His great wealth
hno personal appearances, cultivate,
mind aud engaging manners had marke,
HIM ~ superior being among Ill,
throng 81 hnrl drinking, loud.tAlkinr
ewAggciinR young men of that pcrioi
He wss favorite with the ladies'. and Is,
his general department excited the eny,
m thn ire oE the hravoes, who. MT
witsstand'ng their well.known dissolnte
neM, xcre admitted into society. Nor
than one 81 them had attempted i
fastrn quarrel upon him, hnt had 10
succeeded. At length one u the mos
reckless Of the famous dnelists deter
mined 20 grossly insult him. Accor,l
inEly one evening. while the Young Nil
sissipPian Was sitting at a table in IN
roennda, sipping = glass Of wine with
friend, the professional cut thro
stepped mp to the table. anil, seixiup ii,
glaAs of wine. dashed IL in his enemy
face. II was supposed that. accor,lin
70 the code, percmptory chnllenr
munh fnllnv R..t Az Nt..-ts1
knew his man, and had perfc.t contrc
81 himself. Hc taid nothing, diL moth
Ing; but quietly retired. liz wAs vote
acowMfd. of course, by The throng. III
next day passed and hc was not seep. i
wAs supposed he had omit the city. TIN
evening the staggering dnelist who IN
given him = mortal afTront was In III
rutnndA, the lion Of the night. Hudder
II the Miasia.ippian appeared II
etrolled acrOss the rotnndn 10 where N
duclist was standing. and, without
word, seixsd him by the mussnche m
goatec. jerked hts mouth open and sps
dawn hia throat. HI VA. rAalle nge.l 4
the spot. He accepted. anil being Ii
challenged party had the choice
wcApons This was why he Ind hide
hin thine. He selected Mississippi ria.
q forty yarls. The meeting took plal
the following day out on the old Meta
rin Course, and at The nrst llre the IN
fcsai0nal fell deal. with m ounce ba
through his brain.
Such wAs the state II socicty in Nc
Orleans n that tiinc tint II wan The M
versAl custom q oil halls and reception
tven II select character. given
either The ~. Louis Or 81. Charles Iii
tells. 70 require every gentleman 10 \
searched for concealed weapons IL tl
vS&s..n k..f~.m L. 4