The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-07
A SUNDAY IN NEW ORLEANS.
What the Poet of the sierras Has to Say of
the Crescent City.

" hdL tie Goe5 OF bhe SltFftS kEaS TO Say OF
the Crescent City.
joaquin Miller, in New Orleans Times Democrat.
l arose at 6, my first Sunday and tool, car
to the French market Returned to my hotel,
breakfasted and went to hear the celebrated
Carolina preacher DR.. Palmer-a strong man in
every sense. Dinner and then a four hours
drive with an editor, native of the city, about
the vast Exposition buildings. More than fifty
acres under roof More than thirty acres in
single building 'Win you get her ready!' l
asked. Get her ready! We have fifteen hun
bred hammers driving every day. Fifteen hun
dred thousand nails every few hours will get her
done mighty soon now"
The buildings are trile shot from the banks
OF the Mississippi The place is high and dry
now, of course, above all approach of floods:
level as a'lawn, green, COOL beautiful, with ave
nues of oaks that have no equal on earth; but
the grounds are going to be muddy. The ground
is deep black Oregon Camas muck; it is the
mud of Illinois, in fact, worked over, and washed
down, and made tenfold more sticky by its long
transportation. But, of course planks-and
there are plenty of them here-will keep your
feet from the mud. 1t is going to be simply
tremendous success. / can tell you more of the
details two weeks later. In the three great ex-
positions of the past | was sent to report upon
the show grounds. / was sent to Vienna, to
Paris, and also to Philadelphia, as | sent
here, long in advance of the opening; and l can
only say that things here compare most favora-
bly, with the best prospects, as | remember them
and recounted them, at these other places And
that is about all that | am justified in say
ing now. 1 will say this, however, to my
friends and readers have about million, |
believe-that any one who fails to visit this city
and these scenes at this coming fair, health and
all things permitting, is simply silly. This city
hopes to get some good out Of the coming show
The main good, my friends, will be to the North.
You want to learn something of the size, the
story, the glory and the splendor of your land
You want to see these people here too. van
pushed, beaten and impoverished people, but
brave, and good, ana true, and warm at heart
as the sun above them | am already assured
from what see, that it is going to be the great
est thing of the kind that has ever been on earth
That is saying very great deal. certainly. But
bear in mind that, outside of the million dollars
these brave, sunny-hearted and show-loviug peo-
pie have perpetuated their carnivals through all
their trials, and have long been celebrated for
their matchless skill in getting up such things.
So you safely calculate that to miss this
Exposition will be life regret.
But to continue the Sundays excursions.
went to see the Bandit King and Bunch of
Keys" at night, alternating between the two
theaters, which stand close together The heat
was too intense, and before the plays were over
| went out and walked down Canal street,
stripped and plunged into the river from the
wharf which slopes to the waters edge Not a
soul in sight, not even a policeman The cleo
trio light made the water a sheet of silver, and
did not see that tho swift, strong river had
caught me up in his arms and was rushing on
with all his might to the sea- PerilOusi But
what did it matterl When [ got back and sat
catching my breath on the edge of the wharf,
saw a lot of jet-black bugs as big mice sitting
on the edge of the plank at my side. i never
saw such creatures in my life Now and tl2en
they would dive off into the water. One of these
bugs finally elbowed around and, lifting upon
his hind legs, looked me squarely in the eyes.
He had moustache like the King of Italy I
fed precipitately, as soon as l could dress.
sauntered up Canal street three blocks and
turned down street to the right L heard
men calling out games and names which had
not heard called for thirty years. Up wide
bright stair of brass, and gambling was before me
in all its Doubtful glory A policeman looking
on, good order, no noise except the men calling
out their games Twenty seven tables going
in this room. No woman in sight
The dealers were generally little otbellied and
bald-headed Frenchmen The language mostly
spoken English. I went out, down. up
again; saw four other places, all so alike that 1
need not mention them.
passed on, down a hundred yards or so to-
ward the French quarter, and heard wild, dis
cordant music and cracked and squeaky voices of
matured women who we're dancing and singing
by dozens right and left pushed open some of
the doors; and dingy floors were packed with
men and women.
1t was time to 90 home 1 wish I had not
seen it all | wish l did not, as a truthful chrou
ieler, have set it down here 1t mars my pic
ture of discoveries and of the mighty scenes that
have been before me, God, how pitiful is man,
and how contemplate he can be, even in the
presence of all this majesty of nature.