The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-03-03
THE LAST OF REX.
New Orleans After the Carnival'--Che
Cost OF Playing king---Does IL Pay:

Cost OF PlayiRg ktn.---Uoes ~ raw
Mardi Gras Is over, the king" has re
tired TO private lite, and New Orleans has
resumed the quiet like graveyard of its
ways, after the grandest carnival season
ever witnessed In the Crescent City; and
now the "outs,de world" that Is, outside of
New Orleans, Is asking what 1t all means :?
Does this display of "tomfoolery" pay u
wouldn't il be better 10 contribute theI
money spent for ,insel and lace, In clean
ing the city and thus preventing to great
extent the appearance Of yellow jack"
and all such questions. All Of which
may be well timed, BIT, what have private
individuals and private clubs to do with
the health or management of city affairs !!
They pay their taxes" rs a gentleman
remarked to me IN reply to just such q
question, land if the city officials were
judicious and honest In the distribution of
the funds raised FOR such purposes there
would be no cause tor grumbling and the
filth and stink so obnoxious IN the streets
of New Orleans would not be there. Pri-
vate individuals have the right to give
grand parties, balls and receptions, without
asking Tom, Dick or Harry's opinion or
what they may or may not think Of it."
But all this Is more plainly told than
can do it by the correspondent of the Al.
bany IN. " Eceatng Jonrnal. Ha says:
There were three pageants this year,
Verified information places the cXpendi.
ture entailed By the organization of the
show at between Rl50,0O0 and 100000.
Last year. when the "Krewe Of Proteus"
came into the field for tho first time, it
spent 100000 in the preparation OF It's
procession, representation of Egyptian
mythology. have the word of gentlemen
who have had access TO the accounts that
the cost of the display to-day was not much
below that figure. The "Knights of Mo-
mus" are as lavish as their rivals. The
comic clement of the event is provided by
the "Phunny Phorty Pne!lows,' an organ
lzation OF gay spirits, who made their
parade during daylight. The other pro-
cesslons are reserved Tor the night. The
tablcauX, or floats" as they are styled,
are mounted on cars designed Tor the pur.
pose, built on the track ct the street rail-
ways in order to facilitate their movement
through the principal thor0ughtares. The
motive IS spans of horses, 10 or ~ Ia mum.
her, gaiy caparisoncd and plumed, each
held at the head by Il groom, and each car
under the escort of Il Gordon of link.boys,
uniformed as becomes the subject OF the
procession. The length of the pageant
varies from - to 40 floats. The tabeaux
! are constructed IN the cOttoS gins of the
city, the high roofs OF which permit Of the
u fullest scope in the use OF Ornamental arch.
Iltecture The character of the procession
is KEEP, the pro,oundest secret until the
date of the Carnival On the day OF the
] show the roofs Of tic g!uS are cut away to
allow the cars to be brought forth. Mill
Il tary discipline is necessary to organize the
4 procession and mobilize the vast number
of men required TO see it safely on its way
l To comprehend the incentive 10 this
mummery the visitor must become &C
qualnted Ivy CONTACT or observation with
: the allegiencc which the old families of
the CITY owe 70 their clubs. There are
: several of these social institutions, entrance
to which is as securely guarded as the
! portals of Buckng CHAM Palace. Club life
1 in New Orleans seems to be the chief end
OF man 1t GIBBS and flows and has its he
ing in houses palatial in their appoint.
ments. The Pickwlck Club, which has
the first rank, it Is generally conceded, IN
cludes the flower of the city's population,
including the progenltOrs and scions Of
some of the blucst blooded Creole faml'
i lilies IN this exclusive aris,ocracy. The
a., 81, tb,,
u Clubs, too, have membership limited by
the most arbitrary rules Of progeniture
4 Your citizen of New Orleans Is nothing II
not social. II not gentleman of elegan,
leisure, as thousands are, he devotcs only
, an hour Or two day 10 business. lie
Isups coffee in beu at 3 O'Clock and break.
fasts an hour later. lie is at the Office, If
he goes at all, at u O'Clock, from when
hour he stays until :, when he lunches al
his club That is usually his hermitage
3 for the remainder of the day. AT 6 he
drives home to dress for dinner, "a mea
which is discussed between . ana lC
O'Clock. Any one who has had the entret
!, of Southern home knows what IL is to
dine at a table which rarely finds cGun
7 terpart in the North. Cards and the bill
lard room fill out the fleeing hours until
it is time to retire, process not so much
) governed by the clock as the INCLINATION
I, This volup,uOus existence IS cultivated
E nurtured and eyemplltied as yeligiously as
If salvation was the dependent considera-
!; ton. To the rather perfunctory devotion
which Is paid to the club IN cities, where
life is iInbucd with broader conceptions OF
/. profit and pervaded by wider ideas OF
: pleasure, this fOndness for sedentary eXis-
tence of this morbid description is alto
gether unaccountable.
II, however, explains the perpetuation o
5 the Carnival Is 1t exists to-day. The heart
mess which enters into the rivalry between
the clubs takes form IN the glittering pan
:; oply of the professions. The social fabric
Of this Over.wrought city - pierced by ;
universal inqulsltveness concerning the
I scope, design and formation of the tab
{ leaux. The lights having been extin
!, gaished at the end OF one celebration Of
The festival, the initial steps are at once
taken TO make ready for that which Is to
: follow year hence. Committees are al
once appointed by the clubs participating
, to take IN hand the multifarious cares and
!. duties incident to Il proper arrangement
The subject Of illustration Is first decided
. on, after which artists are dispatched Il
select and superintend the manufacture o