Smyrna times., 1883-03-14
For The Smyrna Times
Letter from New Orleans.
THE MARDI GRAS.

New Orleans has long enjoyed the
reputation of the Southern Metropolis,
having two seasons of opposite charac-
ter the Winter and the Summer.
The first is far famed for its delight
full gayeties, its operas, its constant
rounds of balls and social parties,
dramatic and musical entertainments,
but being largely Catholic the Lenten
season breaks in upon it, just before
which the grand carnival, better known
by the old French name of Mardi Gras,
is unerringly celebrated with pageant
and glittering magnifcence unequaled |
by any sister city, and unrivaled by |
European carnivals. Indeed, to main
tain this costly reputation, every bust
ness man feels pride, and takes a
part. Handed down as French Gus
tom, the Americans have dignified it
to grand street display of personified
historical events, in living characters
in ancient costumes and surmounted
on floats preceding which is the King
of the carnival his majesty Rex, who
always arrives from some foreign port
on the previous day, surrounded by his
body guard the Knights of Comos, the
Phunny PhOrty PhellOws, who with a
band of music proceed to the City Hall
for the ceremony of delivering the
keys of the city. and the proclamation
by his eXccllency of suspension of bust
ness and holiday and grand carnival
in honor of the Kings return to his
own. Programmes are distributed of
two distinctive displays, one for the
day and the other for the night, end.
ing with grand dance at horticultural
hall at which the King and his beauti-
ful Queen preside, before whose throne
every gentleman and lady in the vast
hall are supposed to pass in the circuit
before the throne, bowling gracefully
before their sovereign who returns it
by nod of the crown.
The Printer says the number in at
tendance this year was $4,000, and the
amount spent per capita $1,000; beside
this it has come to be grand pay day
and the occasion of the clearing out of
all things for sale. AS we have init
mated, the solemnities of Lent are now
entered into, with repose of body and
mind, if not a peaceful cOnfding heart.
The Summer is long dreary day Of
desolation under tropical sun. The
thoughts of the lurking of germs Of
dire disease of which she is the harbin-
ger, if not the mother, dispells every
thought of former festivities.
Not all her Crescent beauty OF
commercial pride, her grand drives
her beautiful blooming Winter parks
her pleasant promenades, royal ram
parts and historic battle fields cal
prevent her population from thinnin!
out like birds of passage and returning
on more propitious day.
A GREAT CITY.
But still New Orleans is a success,
city of great opportunities, the chic
cotton market of the world, and that
a great deal to say. Besides, it export
sugar, rice, tobacco, -four and pork
etc., to the value of over a hundre
million dollars annually. Her trade t
more astral lands is very large: he
customers are Mexico, Cuba, Centrs
and South America.
All rail connections is complete
the cities and mines of Mexico. Th
first ton of tin found in Ell Giro del Il
Remedois has Just been received. Th
value of that product must be readil
appreciated by all Delawareans WI
buy so much for hermetrically sealin
the fruits. Though the Mexican treat
- is postponed a few months, still, it wi
%. inevitably come, and more than tina
the development of the whole Soul
West under the energising and civil
ing influence Of the Southern Pacii
r. r.. recently finished of which Ne
~ Orleans is practically its eastern tern
SFA nus. With all the attractions of Il
public lands, it has opened up and t
excitement of mineral develOpmer
and the additional fact that Mexic
land is offered at 40 cents an acre, '
can readily see large space for breat
ing room for the inhabitants of our ev
. crowded Eastern cities.
~ JETTIEs AND RAILROADS.
The successful operation of the j
ties in the lower delta of the Mississ
md pi river have cut the channel so as
anu give % to "a feet of water at low til
which admits the larger class of Oce
orl steamers up to the Levee of n
Orleans, and that fact coupled with
establishment of a line of grain tigh
:" barges has augmented the volume
that business from four to fourt'
'rse million bushels per annum. In
last decade quite o number of L
If railroads from various directions h
been brought into the city, and
dqs. such feeders are now being construC
will from the North West side, while in
! stfhrs ne Western quarter very recently, un
your the Gould Huntington combinatio