Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-06-12
A CHAT WITH CABLE.
The Origin, Descent and Language of
the Creoles.

uiIs NabAc - u Ilau pOsScsSeu OI Il
wonderful amount of personal mag
netism, and one is unconsciously at
tracted toward him. He is of slight
figure, quite short, and was plainly at
tired yesterday in black frock coat,
dark pantaloons, and wore very little
jewelry. His beard is worn full and
pointed, and heavy, dark mustache
shades his mouth. His thick, dark
hair is brushed carefully back from
high forehead, and his bright gray eyes
are very expressive. In casual CONVEX
sation his voice is soft, low and pleas
ant, and he is a very fluent talker,
never at loss for an expression which
fully covers his meaning. In man.
ner he is modest and unassuming, and
he is always careful to abstain from
referring of his own accord to his lit
erary work.
PERSONAL HISTORY.
"Were you born in New Orleans ?"
"Yes, born and brought up in that
city,"
"By the way, how did you first hap
pen to strike the fruitful field in
which you have been carrying on your
literary labors."
''Well, it was sort of an accident.
was free lance in New Orleans for
a time, doing work on the Picayune,
and l was called upon to write up q
series of articles embodying the past
history and present conduct of the
charitable institutions, churches and
schools of that city. You know they
are all old, and in writing these arti-
cles was obliged to delve considerably
into the old traditions of New Orleans.
These articles brought out a good deal
about old Creole life in the city and
they attracted good deal of atten-
ton. This brought to my notice the
field of work you refer to-"
"What were your first literary
sketchesp"
"Those short sketches published in
Scribner's and recently collected by
the Century Company and printed in
volume called Old Creole Days The
first of these was 'Sieur George
which was printed in the old edition.
The last edition includes that little
story entitled Madame Delphine.
THE CREOLES OF TO-DAY.
''Do you find in New Orleans at the
present day any of the type you have
individualized as Narcisse?"
"Oh, yes, indeed. Thousands of
them. You will find Narcisse in every
bank and counting-room in the city,"
'Do you not find that the Northern
people generally possess mistaken
identity of the Creole?"
''Yes, and | find that many North
erners believe the Crcoles have negro
blood in their veins. l am always
glad to give the, definition of the name
Creole. 1t is correctly applied to
natives of the West Indies, the Flor
idas, and Louisiana, whose ancestors
came to these territories direct from
Europe. where they had descended
from the European Latins. They are
mostly white, and the pure Creole who
has pure white complexion is very
proud. Natives of Mexico and South
America cali themselves Creoles, l be-
lieve, but they are not recognized as
such by the pure Creoles. Then there
are the descendants of the European
Latins, who came to the Southern
States, after first going to Nova Sco-
tia. These are properly called Area
dians, and they are the small farmers
of Southern Louisiana"
"Are the Creoles patriotic?"
Every. They will fight for their
country, but the country of Creole
does not extend very far beyond the
range of his naked eye. In Jackson's
time the Creoles said they would
fight to defend city, but not State,
and they had considerable trouble with
them at the time"
OLD ARCHITECTURE.
"Do YOU find in the city any traces
of old Creole architecture"
"Yes, quite frequently. And when
they rebuild they observe tho old
forms. | remember that I vas asked
in the East if the cathedral down there
was not very old building, and when
I said that the old building had been
torn down and this new one erected
on its site in 1852 my questioner was
very much surprised. The French
quarter, SO called, is becoming more
circumscribed, and the Creoles are set
tling all over the city now.'
CREOLE FRENCH.
"How is it that the Creole French is
so different from the pure French?"
''Well, the creoles are indolent peo-
pie who live in q warm climate, and
they relax in every way-even the mus
cles of the throat relax, and they talk
with q lazy drawl."
THE AUTOGRAPH FIEND.
''Are you greatly troubled with the
autograph fiend,' Mr.. Cable?"
"Well, receive numerous requests
for autographs, and in most cases it is
a pleasure for me to comply, as 1 es-
TEEN it an honor; but [ never like to
see a person send two cards, for /
think he wants to swap and I never
care much about long letters in which
l am told of the writer's large collec-
ton, and assured if 1 could see it l
would certainly like to put my name
among the others.'
NEW WORK.
"Have you any new works in viewp"
Eyes, intend writing q novel ideal
izing the Acadians, and in the Century
safe I have a rare lot of old manu-
scripts which I collected in New Or
leans, and think that these l shall
edit, with but very little in the way of
L.