The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-07-20

New Orleans is creeping out from her dol
far nsente and waking up to the knowledf
that the possibilities of greatness are almos
within her grasp. Not yet are her eyes full
opened, or, rather, not yet do all her peopi
realize that the shell is broken which so Ion
has held them, and they must either crawl OF
and move on in the march OF progress, or |
left to be kicked To one side by their moi
restless neighbOrs. No doubt go0dly mum
Der would rather be kicked than to move OF
There always have been and there always wi
be enough sour mash individuals to keep III
q pretty steady howl over the fact that tb
world must be going TO the dogs because
is not treading the path they staked out to th
new Jerusalem. ft97a :
Nor has the spirit of enterprise which ha
built up our prosperous western cities broker
out here in yellow-feycr fashion, it is her
and it has come TO stay; but not yet has it al
sumed the epidemic form. Maybe it is OWN
to the climative influences, for we all, know
that Dame Nature does not push things her
through with rush as she does in NOR
northerly ATTITUDES.
How often have smiled at the vigorous Ian
guage of isme Northern or Western man VIII,
has come South to settle, and is in chroni
state of disgust over the slow and easy habit
Of his Southern bred-and- born neighbor.-
| Catch a weazel asleep when you find m,
drawing along that way. I'll show YOU how
to farm, will" So he starts out, bound Il
set bright and shining example before al
his shiitless neighbors. He works early anc
late; he plows deep, and is 30 bent upon
| showing EN- how to farm, never notices
that he is turning the good soil under and
bringing the hard pan to the top, nor does he
find out his mistake until he discovers thai
the crops Of his lazy neighbors are better thar
! his-his neighbor who sat on the fence Will
a dozen years old boy and one mule pfowed
his field. 1t doesn't take many seasons to
make risky northern man an easy-going as
lifelong southerner. He finds that in its
own good time tile corn crop is sure to ma
ture-frst the blade, then the ear, and after
that the full corn in the ear, but it does not
jump from the green blade into roasting ears
while he is hoeing his potato patch. There
ID no need OF haste in climate where frost
seldom comes much ahead of: the Christmas
guests. ...4 f
This principle would hardly apply to daily
newspaper Office nor am I sure that it viii
to any business beyond that pertaining to the
cultivation of the soil. But people down here
used to think it would, and if they cannot see
the fallacy Of their faith all at once. what diff.
ferent are they from the rest of mankind :?
That big stride forward has been made in.
the last two years Is avery manifest fact. Men
who were idling then are to-day at work =
Some of them, two years ago, had not quite
determined that labor was proper thing for
a'gentleman," but that sort of nonsense ia
disappearing, and shall be surprised if an
other decade does not show us much larger
number of men in the South and heavy de-
crease in the list of those whose only recon-
mendation is that they "are gentlemen" Bear
In mind, please, the Frenchman's definition of
the term gentlemau-"a man who does not
work for his living" New Orleans builds
big hopes upon the good that is to be brought
to her by the railroads which are to find an
outlet at her door. One man said to me the
other day: D
"New Orleans will be the second largest
city in the United States am not mistaken.
am an old man I've watched the develop
ment OF every city in the Union. Except
ing New York 40 city had such prospect us
this.'
l do not see through such large telescope
as that old man did, but l do see very f1atter-
ing prospects for the town. Galveston hopes.
to cut OFT some of her trade which it is ex-
pected the Mexican roads are to develop, but
the great West and Northwest are bound to
find their Southern port at this point. m
The completion of the road which will con-
meet New Orleans with Cincinnati, known as
the Erlanger Syndicate route, ill make two
competing lines between the two cities, and
secure reduced rates. New Orleans people feel
very much like shaking hands with them
selves. they feel 30 good over the fact that
the Cincinnati Southern, to build which Gin
cinnati had to 60 elbow deep into her pocket
book, is coming to them without money and
without price. In fact, they felt 80 good over
it they began putting on airs, and hung back
anG laughed over granting mere nominal
favors asked for by the roads. There is no
accounting for what folks will do, and sus-
pect some people imagine it detracts from
their dignity to appear willing to be blessed.
New buildings are going up in many por-
property is rapidly increasing. A business
house On Camp street bought in 1879 for $780,
OO0, its present owner refused $55, 600 for it a
little bit ago. just let the yellow fever keep
away from this city for two years, and it viii,
ast0nish people who haven't bump of faith
bigger than a bean pod. si ~. -as4
Arrangements are now in progress to pur-
chase large tract of land either at Gretna or
Algiere, on the opposite bank of the Missis-
slppl River, where grain elevators, store
houses, Ware-rooms, &c, can be built to &C
commodate the vast trade anticipated. Lack
OF room on the New Orleans side is one reason. /
another is found in the fact that the trains
from the great West all have TO cross the river
1t AlgieIs, and ships can load from that as
well as from this side
One fact that shows this city is arousing
from it's dreamy state is the interest manifest
ed in migration. The people really want TO
have their State helped in that way. 1t took
me some time to believe my ears heard Alright,
but l am satisfied they did. Brains and
Drawn are both needed, and both can find
plenty to do. .-'I..,- 4
Il isa good omen that the citizens speak
no Ifxaof 40 - al - 81,
IN process of erectiOn-the mill which is to
furnlsh labor for 20 many. A few wears ago
only the business men would have heard Of
the enterprise; the women would have skipp-
ed That part OF the local news and have bent
their energies to finding out what the BUSY
Bee" had been buzzing about. ,.....,-.t
Some people pretend to believe women don't
amount to much in q community beyond do
ing their social duties and keeping the buttons
on their husbands shirts, but when want to
see II there is any enterprise in town look
about to find what the women are doing. In
New Orleans two years ago could find moth
ing except dinners, balls, parties and sewing
societies in which woman was the controlling
element, and the sewing societies were pretty
much at their last gasp.
Now find everybody busy. Over at 208.
Canal street is Woman's Art Association
which is only year old but which has grown
with tropical rapidly. 1t numbers more than
one hundred members, and they, are all in
dead earnest" If the taste of New Orleans
ladies fails to be cultivated they are boundnot
to be responsible for it. They have fitted up
attractive and accessible rooms, where they
have for sale something like hundred pic
lures in oil and water colors, mostly by local |
artists, but some of them excellent. Then
there are all sorts of needle work, from
hand painted black silk robe down to q negro
rag baby. Strange to say the latter found
purchaser first .-itt 1921.
They have engaged the services of Miss
TIFFANY, of Chicago, to instruct classes in all
the mysteries of embroidery and high-art
needle-work, and she bids fair to have a gener
GUS attendance upon her lessons. Molinary.
the best artist in oils here, has charge of the
oil painting classes, and Parelli attends to
those learning to paint in water colors. Both
these men are capable instructors and from 4
Parelli, at least, one may learn far more than
how to WELD brush and mix paints. His
whole artist life has been one of patient en-
dnrance, waiting tor the brighter days which
seemed to move on with each setting sun. All
too often he has been compelled to silence the
artists soul crying out within him. and to do
the common work which would sell when bet
ter would not, in order to keep the pot boiling.
In his studio are many things Of very great
interest, and some Of them are Of rare beauty.
But he does not bring forth his treasures at
al times. He is a shy man; a man whose life
has tended to make him wait to be sought
after. Had his life been spent in Boston In,
y - Al = Il r. -~nl