Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-11-27
ROUNDABOUT NEW ORLEANS.

Last Monday week While awaiting the
arrival of the John w. Cannon, just after
dusk q whistle blew and we hurried
down to the landing to find there in
stead brand new side wheel steamer
named the Wheeless, q craft on her way
down to the Balize, thence around
the coast Of the Gulf and the Atlantic to
the Savannah river. Besides our towns
men Messrs Heron, Skolfeld and
Strenzke the passengers consisted Of an
elderly stalwart built gentleman from
Colorado and his young wife, a tall and
handsome Western beauty Of some twen-
ty-two summers, apparently. Like old
Dan Tucker we had come aboard too
late to get our supper, 30 that we phil
osophically pulled out five center and
opened conversation with two Of our
travelling companions while the presid-
ing elder Of the quartette proceeded to
interview the Coloradean who proved
to be o red hot Hancock man, On
tour Southwark for his health. La
ter o. we were invited forward by the
Clerk to listen to a. improvised band of
negro singers, organized from among the
crew. These darkeys were Of the genu-
inc Dixie species and for upwards Of Nh
hour their songs carried us back in
thought to the old plantation Of before
the war; There was pathos and melody
in the familiar chorusses and we must
acknowledge that at times we almost
imagined that we were boy again, at
the time when Louisiana was at the re-
NTH of her happiness and prosperity,
just before the drum had begun to gather
the thousands Of her noble sons, hosts Of
whom sleep in deaths eternal embrace
along the hillsdes and in the valleys Of
their Southland. The anguish of the
epoch Of the downfall of the Confedera.
ey and the fierce scenes Of the recon-
struction period, all these memories
seemed softencd as we listened to thu
darkey singers, who, themselves, APP
peared to lie dreaming of "old massa."
We retired to our couck with gladstone
feelings in our heart to awake amid a
dense fog on the following morning.
At 10 o'clock the boat reached New Or
leans when we landed, our elder
CALAMITY escerting the young western
dame, while We brought up the rear with
eur friend skol6eld, just behind the Col
sradoan who proved to be o good ne.
tured and hardy old Westerner. The
party vsnded ito way to the same stop
ping place, after traversing some Of the
busiest thoroughfares of New Orleans,
which we found booming with business
and hustle.
The sun was shining brightly and q
cool norther was blowing as We made
our first start from our hacienda on our
way to tho boulevard Canal, on reaching
which the cheering sight Of . dense
crowd ofpromenaders passing in and ont
of the magnificent stores, filled with the
largest and most varied stocks we have
seen since the war, denote the return Of
tho halcyon days Of prosperity. Indeed,
except during the Nardi-G ras period we
have never seen New Orleans look so
animated as at present.
Business seems tlourishing in every
branch. There is activity every here
in the restaurants; the saloons the thea
tres, all in full blast, render their per-
formances before thronged houses. In
deed, on last Sunday, the grand Opera
House was issuing standing room tick
cts. At the French Opera, where the
troupe is equal to the finest that we
have ever seen, great numbers are night
ly in attendance, ladies and gentlemen
dressed in the height Of fashion, causing
one to feel that the almighty dollar is
circulating as freely as in the palmy
days.
The most encouraging sign that we
noticed was the fact that we heard less
growing than ever before. Scarcely any
body told MS that business was dull and
a great many actually said that "busi-
ness is very brisk" Then too we saw
very few patriots combating for the dear
people by denonncing vehemently the
public officials from the Governord Own,to
the humblest policeman. Heretofore one
would have been led to suppose from the
expressions of the constitutional grow
lers that the body polite was in the
hands of pickpockets and burglars. A
half dozen sets of the most honest and
self-sacrifcing neutrality-suspicious. Of
the public veal had their tilt, at the late
municipal election, and q sufficient num-
Der to fill all the positions were elected