Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-16
THE CRESCENT CITY.
Observations Of a West Virginia
Gentleman.
Description Of the city-Its Public Squares
and Monuments nts-0elightfuI Resorts
The Celebrated French Market
Benevolent Institutions.
THE CHARACTsR0F ITS INHABITANTS,

NEW ORLEANS, March 12.-Several friends
in West Virginia have requested me to
write them something about the Crescent
City and this beautiful land of sunshine
and fowera. take this mode of comply
| ing with their wishes. ... .....
We arrived here on the 4th of last month,
after making short stops at Cincinnati,
Nashville and Montgomery, and have been
spending our time most pleasantly sight
seeing in and around the city.
La Salle formally took possession of
Louisiana in the name Of Louis XIV on
April 9th, 1852, yet the first permanent
settlement was not made till 1893 by Iber-
vile at the now fayorite lake shore sum
mer resort, Biloxi. New Orleans was laid
out in 171S, and named after the Duke of
Orleans. 1t is called the Crescent City from
its location in a bend in the Mississippi
river, which more than half surrounds the
city. Strange to say, that though situated
on the east bank of this father Of waters,
every morning, when get up early enough,
| see the sun from my front window rising
on the west side OF the river.
Canal street is the
Great Artery
of the city, being nearly 200 feet wide and
lighted with electric light. 1t runs from
the river back six miles, dividing the city
almost in the middle. The old French and
Spanish settlements are below Canal street.
The streets are very narrow, the houses are
low, quaint and unsightly, many Of them
being nearly 200 years old. Above Canal
the streets are wide, the houses three to
five stories in height and comparatively
new, having been built within the past SO
years by Americans, Germans and Jews.
Public Squares and Monuments.
New Orleans, like some of our beautiful
Northern cities, has many public Squares
and monuments erected to her honored
dead. Jackson Square is the Oldest and
most beautiful of all. 1t was before the war
of 1872 called the place D'Armes," but
after that it was selected as the site OF the
statue of Gen. Jackson. The old veterans
name was bestowed upon il, while its former
cognomen was transferred to another an
cient park. The old Cathedral st. Louis,
the first church built in Louisiana, in 17lS
or 1920 fronts the square on the west. In
the centre, and by far the most eonspicu
object in the square, stands bronze eques-
trian statute of Old Hickory. 1t represents
the stern old hero in full dress uniform OF
those times, lifting his military hat in sa.
lutte, his sword dangling from his belt and
his left hand grasping tight the reins Of
His Fiery steed.
The horse stands balanced on his hind legs.
1t is said to be a faithful copy from life.
Diverging from the statue in every direc-
| tion are beautiful walks, bordered with the
| rarest flowers, luxuriant vines and ever
green's of the South, which at all seasons
presen a pleasant picture. Magnificent
orange trees with their golden wreath Of fruit
stately magnolias, clustering bananas under
their shade of gigantic leaves, birds OF rare
| plumage, the notes Of the mocking bird
| mingling with the n erry voices OF happy
| children, the tread of pedestrians, the rat
| tie of cars and carriages, the sonorous
breathing of steamers and locomotives and
| the warning echoes OF the old Cathedral
clock, whose strokes have sounded in the
ears Of generations forever passed away,
| render this one of the most interesting
| places in the land of sunshine and flowers.
| Here in this spot languishing Spanish
| beauties piquant French bellies, sweet
| faced daughters from classic Italy or storied
| Greece, the women Of every cline, have
| listened to
The WItching Tale
they loved TO hear. Here, too, soldiers
have been drilled, armies stacked or dis.
tributed to the defenders OF their. 'ain"
| firesIdes, in fact all the phases OF human
| Joy or woe, honor or disgrace, hope or
fear, have been enacted and experienced
| in the historic Jackson square. What
history if all could be told A tale more
thrilling than was ever conceived in the
brain of the most vivid writer.
The grounds of the Louisiana Jockey
| Club are as beautiful, but without its 70.
mantle history Lafayette Square comes
next in beauty and importance. A
white marble statue of BENJAMIN
Franklin, lit should have been La Fayttte)
executed by the famous Hiram
1t is q fayorite stand on Mardi Gras day
with those who wish to see the magnificent
psrades of the King of the Carnival.
Lee Place, formerly known as Trivoli
Circle, has beautiful marble column about
| 100 feet high standing on a mound in the
center of the circle, upon which will soon
| be placed a life.sized statue OF General X.
| +. Lee. We saw the model and think 1t a
| fine likeness.
Annunciation Square, Douglas Square
| and the new city park are places OF note.
The French Market,
distinctively New Orleans institution, and
the stranger who fails TO visit 1t misses
what he can never see elsewhere. 1t was
established during the Spanish supremacy,
about ITO. To see it in all its glory one
must 60 there on Sunday morning Such
a confusion of tongues, a modern Babel,
French, Spanish, Italian. Dutch, Germsn,
| Mexican, Creole, etc., each in hds native
language extolling the quality OF his
particular article OF trade. At this season
Of the year you find all and many more
vegetables and fruits than We have in
West Virginia during June. BY the way,
most persons outside Of Louisiana, have
supposed that Creole had negro blood in
them, this is not true. A creole is the of
spring OF French or Spanish parents, born
! in Louisiana. Again some persons even
here think that child, horse, COW, chicken
or anything born in the State creole
The woman's Christian Exchange
is something new, and most praise
worthy institution, designed TO help the
worthy poor, to help themselves. IL IS IN,
der the auspices OF Christian women OF all
denominations, and divided into two de-
partraents, bazaar and restaurant In the
bazaar fancy articles Of needle work, many
| relics of better days such as silks, iine laces,
old silver and gold ware are offered for sale,
these are all numbered, and except 70 very
few no one knows by when offered. The
restaurant, We often lunch there-is said
to be the cheapest and best in the city,
every article of food sent in is expected,
AMI nothing but the best received; one
poor lady the widow OF former Bapust
minister supports herself almost
entirely by baking bread, which
is purchased here; some buy
and cook fowls, Others make preserves,
cakes. pickles, etc, which they sell here.
The walters are all white girls from II 70 Is
wears old-children OF the needy and de-
serving. The ladies who are at the head OF
this institution pay IS per year for mem
bersbip, each member is entitled to three
tickets. They give these tickets to poor
women whom they know are worthy. Moth
ing is received for sale except from holders
Of tickets. Many poor deserving women
support their families this way who once
we're wealthy. There are more
Beseyelent Institations
here than in any other city Of Its size in the
United States. The people are unifor mly
polite and kind to strangers as well as TO
each other. Strange TO say that during
Msrdi Gras when nearly 10000 visitors
| were here, Canal and ali the leading streets