St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-29
THE WORLDS EXPOSITION.
Preparation Delayed by a Leaky
RoOf-What the Minnesota
Folks are Doing.
Chances at the Crescent City-A Stroll
Through Freneh-Town-
Ispeeial co.-espondence Of the elo.-As

past week has been truly astonishing. One
great reason for the delay was the leaky con-
ditiOn Of the roofs OF the two main build
fngs aud as the weather has been quite
ehangeable with copious supplies of rain,
many, in fact the most of the exhibitors,
had felt it the part Of discretion to keep their
goods boxed. The roofs were originally Of
matched pine and painted. The boards
shrauk and then tarred paper was applied
and Asbesto paint was used. The shrinkage
continued, and finally it was found neces-
sary to cover all with iron. This important
matter is now in the hands IF competent
parties, committee of three, of which the
Minnesota commissioner, Oliver Gibbs, is
member having it in charge. Matters will
be rushed now aud the finest exposition the
world ever saw will be in shape in about two
weeks. Minnesota and Dakota are getting
ahead and will be in shape as soon as any
The educational exhibit of Minnesota will
eclipse anything in that department at the
exposition, and Prof. Kiehle and Phelps have
done some splendid work. Mr.. II. d. West,
in charge OF Minnesota publications and
newspapers, has his exhibit completed and it
attracts great attention. His device for filing
three hundred or more newspapers in a very
limited space is truly excellent, aud it has
been so much observed and complmented
that he has applied for patent. 1 will ex-
plain IL more FULLY some time. Commissioner
Gibbs has been furnished with shorthand
and type-writing man by Major Burke aud
he is thus greatly relieved from clerical
work which had embarrassed him in his
many duties.
Major j. 2. Pond is still unassigned to
duty by the director general. and he is max
ing himself generally useful. Drum Major
A. c. Fiese has u fine lunch room near the
grounds snd il doing well. Col. Knauff
is here with his crippled son Herman ami he
expects to make good thing with pictures
etc. There are quite number OF other st. Paul
men here among them, John Wincker, Dave
Grammar anu E. Marks.
KEW ORLEANS
This is city iull OF interest to a north
erner and visit here would be one of pleas
ure even If 1t were not for the exposition. I
fud that many have a wrong idea in regard
ereoles- They seem TO think that creole is
colored; this is not the case; they are sim
ply the children of foreign born parents
The most of the creoles here are Spanish or
French, but the children of dutch man and
woman are ereOles not only here, but in
in MINNESOTA, or anywhere else
out of their own country. The
eOlOred race have three degrees,
African, or full blood, quadroon and octoroon.
a French creole woman here is very hand
some and so are the quadroon and octoroOn
girls as rule. OF the aristocracy Of the city
shall have more to tell. The city is in two
distinctive parts and suggest that we now
make
A TRIP THROUGH FRENCH TOWN.
Canal street, the wide street with its grand
stores on each side, is the boundary between
the American and the creole element the
separating line between progress and adj
yancement, and stagnatiOn, the adhesion
10 old principles and doctrines, the rubicon
which divides the new and the old world. On
one side there are broad, well paved, vel
laid out streets, with stores and offices, sig
uihcant Of the commerce of to-day; on the
other side are small, narrow, Ill paved streets;
where you can almost reach from one side TO
the other, reminding one of Paris before the
genius Of Baron Hausmann demolished the
old streets and built up the glOrius boule-
wards and avenues, which are now the pride
and glory of modern Paris. but which YOU
still find In the southern cities
of France as Lyons, Marseilles
and Toulon. By just walking few steps
you are all at opcc transplanted from modern
America to old France, from 1884 to 1884.
To the western visitor it is absolutely bewil-
dering; and he stands wondering, awed and
astOnished before the picture of France under
the old regime as i: is here presented before
him. But let us cross the boundary, let US
polish up the French OF our school time aud
plunge into this curious world, so strange
and so new 10 US. Let US make our way
down Bourbon street. Low buildings, some
with stores, some closed up with big wooden
shutter, always green, present themselves to
US on either side, and whenever we see u
store, the sign il in French; it is: Modiste,
msrchande DIES heurs, Teinturier, etc, etc
ad infuitum. We pass the Restaurant
Victor, where meals are still to be gotten
prepared by real Partisan cooks, aud come to
the corner Of st. Louis aud Bourbon street,
when We stop US at the Cafe de Ia Renais-
sance.
A low-ceilej, long room, small tables
spread over the whole room, and each table
occupied by 4 couple of Old monseurs,
with their gray mOustaches, their pointed i'm
perials, playing domino, smoking cigarettes
and slipping their absinthe, preparatory to
going to their frugal dinner of meat stewed
with garlic, some maccaroni and a bottle of
sour elaret wine. Alas the glory of mon
sieur has departed; the railroads THOSE
ID railrOads"-with their smoke and
their screeching whistles, have ruined the
business, and IL all came with the war this
cruel war which took the slaves from mon
sieur, reduced his fine afilueuce to poverty,
and deprived him of his position and his
prestige. with the war came these diabol-
zeal railroads, which have done ali the harm
TO New Orleans. No more good brandy, no
more good wine, no smuggling schOoners
that would stealthily enter Lake POncnar
train from the RigOlets and bring the
inestbrandy, aud these exquisite wines and
cigars without paying any duty to those saere
Yankees, who now have possession of this
CITY," Alas, these times have passed, and
monsieur can only stroke his gray moustache
and with his old cronies at the Cafe de Ia
Renaissance, or any Of the other cafes, play
his game OF dOminOes. smoke his cigarette,
drink his absinthe, and bewail the past, the
glorious past, when the creoles were masters
of this city, when a creole was governor of
this state, when dueEng was daily pastime,
eud when these ''sacre Yankees'' had not
yet any power over creoledom and creole
comforts. In his household it has not made
much difference, because even when he was
well-tO-do he would send to the grocery at tine
corner and get his quartie OF coffee, his
quartie of sugar, etc. You know, be will
tell you negroes will steal aud YOU
must not keep much in the house
But for word Of explanation. l suppose
you do not know what quartie is. Well.
quartie is half OF five cents. This city does
not know, nor has ever used cents, The cop
per cents OF the west and east, but the small
est coin is the i've cent piece. Nov these
dear old CTeoles, first not 10 let the negroes
steal, and now by force Of habit and neces-
sity, will send the servant to buy quartie