The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-04-06
Mardi Gras In New Orleans.
THE WONDERS OF KING REX A GORGEOUS
PAGEANT GRAPHICALLY DkSCR
special Correspondent of tho v1na1srAs.1

Every DOQy mas nearU OF Mardl GraS, an(
those who have never seen it want to do SO
and am of the opinion that those who hao
seen it desire TO do so again. 1t fell to me u
count one among the thousands Of strangers
in the Crescent city at the last celebration o
of the King of the Carnival, and the spiri
moves me to tell you something about it
just as the small boy who goes to the cir
Gus comes home and tries to describe the won
ders of the sawdust ring and the jokes of thu
clown.
New Orleans people are, as rule. given tt
a very considerable amount OF fun and frolic
as if the warmth of the sun which shines
the genial part of their natures, leaving tht
ribbed side of them in a stunted condition
too puny to assert itself. So they revel il
the sunny life they make for themselves
and spirit away from their sight the things
which might sadden and depress.
There IS a dark, dark side OF life in New
Orleans poverty is as unflinching and char
ity's hand little colder, think, than in some
less sunny spots; sorrow and sin and shame
have their home there as in all cities, and
sometimes fear there is less effort to save
the straying, to comfor! the sorrowing, to
lead the blind, than there would be were ma
ture less kind in her gifts of warmth and sun,
shine
But our path leads through the pleasure
grounds, not by the charnel house, and these
more important things must be put aside until
u more convenient season.
Just as the well regulated housewife com.
mences preparations tor Christmas day be,
fore the arrival of that Festival day, so do
the people of New Orleans prepare for their
grand Carnival by arranging attractions which
shall pave their way to the chief display
Strangers come from all parts of the country
many of them arriving days in advance of the
coming of King Rex, and no trouble is spared
to keep them well entertained during the in.
terval of waiting.
This.year the chief entertainments during the
work preceding Mardi Gras were the ball OF
Mems Benevolent Association. and the grand
fancy dress ball of the Liedertafel. Probabl,
no where in America is there to be seen u
greater variety of elegant and unique cos
tunes than are worn at this m1sque ball, and
ingenuity, as well as purses, is heavily taxed
to invent new designs.
The prettaest entertainment was that givel
under the name of The Childreu's Festival, al
The French Opera House. 1t was both FEES
tival and Baby Show, and whichever al
racted the m 'st attention is IN ore than CAL
tell 1 saw baby show in Boston in 1880
and begin to think "babies is babies" whelh-
er they be found in Yankee-land or in til.
flower land of Dixie. They are given to tn,
collie, to teething, to drooling and TO wakeful-
ness now as well as then, and fail to discover
any more music in the shrieks of a colic-in-
h.cted New Orleans baby than l did in on,-
seen in the same condition "away down
East 1t may be rank treason, and perhaps
King Rex will cut me off forever from IN,
rights as loyal subject, but herewith make
confession of my faith in the fact that Boston
mothers were not behind the door when hand
some babies were parceled out any more than
were The mothers IN this Crescent City.
OF course the handsomest baby must have
prize, and somebody must be the poor wretch
to decide which shall be the winner. Gen. G.
T. Beauregard was chairman of the commit
lee having this delicate task to perform, and
if he don want to exchange places with ii
penitentiary convict for the next decade he is
a 1pcc hap folya
Think Of it We gods and pity him. Why, the
fury of a whole regiment of women scorned
isn't to be compared to the fury of one wo-
man whose baby has been, metaphorcally
speaking, sat down upon by a committee
The tabeaux given at the Festival were as
charming as such things can be when beauti-
full children, in garb from fairy land, are ar
tistically grouped. 1t was a beautiful picture
from beginning to end-one we would all like
to linger over, as we do the engravings of
some rare old book, but there is such crowd
ing of pleasure if one fingers long at any one
the crowd will trample him as it goes hur:rying
on to 1.-The next"
Even Sunday was made a day of merry
making. Out at the bycicle grounds of the
city Miss Elsa Won Blumen rode byccle in
a race with two horses-Mary Wilson and
Stella-mie heats, best two in three. The wo-
man won the race, as she is quite apt to do in
all the races of life if given half chance.
l did not attend any of the Sunday shows,
but can assure you the crowds were simply
immense, and to the strangers from afar, who
in their native cities could not buy a match to
light fire if the pump in the kitchen were
frozen, imagine the sight of ''such doings"
ON the Sabbath day is rather startling. Its first
effect is something like having cold water
poured down ones spinal column on win
lers morning. The churches were open, OF
course, but when the strains from brass band
came floating through the open door, ming
ling with the voice of prayer, the spiritual
and material world are apt to get into fear
full tanglc, and we struggle to say, Lead us
not into temptation" while our toes are un-
consciously beating time in our shoes.
THE COMING OF THE KING.
Monday morning came, very warm, very
windy and very dusty, but no one murmured.
There was hurrying to and fro" everybody
in eager anticipation of the arrival Of His
Majesty King Hex. People held on to their
hats with one hand and stood ready
to wave their handkerchiefs with the
other, Juggling the meanwhile at the door OF
their imaginations, in an endeavor to drive
all practical, hard sense out, and let romance
revel unconfned.
The booming of cannon, the screeching of
steam whistles, and the shouts OF the people
mingled in one grand announcement:
THE KING IS HERE.
The procession was composed Of details
from various military companies, detachment
from the u s. steam ship Kearsage, brass
bands, now and then a merry masker on a
handsome horse, carriages containing first the
King accompanied by two Dukes, followed by
members of his royal household.
The Continental Guards, acting as special
bodyguard to
HIS HIGH MIGHTINESS,
presented very fine appearance, their quaint
costumes, solemn bearing, and powdered hair
making one feel as if those who lived in old
colonial days were reaching down to shake
hands with us as we 60 on our hurrying, he'll
ter-scelter gallop to the Great Beyond.
The procession marched up one side of Ca
nal street and down the other side until the
Grand Opera House was reached, in which
tho ceremonv Of welcome was held Seated