Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-15
GLIMPsEs OF NEW ORLEANS.
How the Crescent City Impressed .
Georgia Visitor.

NEW ORLEANS. April 81 am writing
this letter from s'Elysian Fields" but lot
10 mislead your readers, I hasten 70 add
that the same is only a street in New Cr-
leans, and while il may be the nearest ap-
proach 10 Elysian fields 70 be found hete,
Il would seem 70 ire residents CT your
beautiful Forest City" an amusing traY-
esfv OF the name
New Orleans must have been dlsap-
pointing To those whose first yisl, il was,
and who had II view the pleasure Of see
ing the famous city as well as the great
Worlds Fair" and, doubtless, all, VINO
Ike myself. have read and admired Ca
bie's charming novels on Creole
life il NV Orleans have maryeled
much from whence he drew the inspira-
ton for his fascinating works. Tine
Crescent City" may have charms for the
initiated. but the eve that cannot pierce
the yelled portal Of Us inner life sees only
large city, irTegularly laid out. Of
monOt0nous and inartlsfc architecture,
narrow streets. wret. nedly paved. and the
worst system of sewerage possible to con-
celye. Inc wide. open cutters are ri. 81
staEnant water. and take ZIP room that
the narrow streets can I'D afford 70 spare,
and seeing the slende- plankway thrown
across these formidable cutters
at street CROSSINGS brought us 10
the conclusion that II has been
only by long practice tc2t even the saoer
portion of the community nave learned
70 traverse their city md keep out Of the
gutter. In the spirit Of exploration. we
boarded car on Tchoup'toulas street.
and the ride was as long and painful as
the name. Great Cesar, we thought
street was paved 10 make it p2ssable Tor
teams in all kinds OF weather. 1t was
distressing sigt ( to see the mules attached
70 heavy cotton draws climbing the slip
perry bOulders on TeF0upitoulas street, 70
fall into the inevitable mud hole on the
other side of every biz cobble stone, IN
danger Of slipping of into the gut
ter on one side or encroaching on
the street car on the other. still,
it is only justice to say that this is the
great cotton thOrOughGTe. and allowance
must be made for SO difficult an element
t. deal with as Mississippi river mud. A
fine avenue aifordin0 drive on an asphalt
pavement. wide enough tor several car
rlages abreast, is found in st. Charles ave-
nue.. and shows by its handsome modern
residences on either side that it is recent
growth Of the city. But now one misses
here one of the prettiest features Of Sa-
yannah, the little public parks in every
street with their grand oaks sheltering
the merry children. To the rich, with their
handsome private grounds, the absence
Of public parks through the city may be
no priyation, but the loss to the poor IS
inca.culable. their only nealthful diver
sion, among the lower classes, being the
hour or hours they can spend restfully
under the trees, soothed unconsciousiy by
the huence Of nature.
A very pleasant excursion to he made
from New . leans Is q trip 10 Lake P0nt-
eHnVfrNfn f4LinH in IL 6n-IrgE the
cemeteries. which are about halt way out.
line Of steam cars carries one comfort
ably and cheaply. and during the hot
weather in the city Il must be very re-
ir shin to get the stiff breeze blowing IN
from the immense lake. A large hotel,
tasteful walks. a handsome h0at-house
and many lunch stands would Indicate
that 1t is popular resort.
Coming from Florida. we were con-
strained to notice the absence, in New
Orleans, q Jacksonyilie's greatest adorn-
meut, orange trees and live oaks. Here
many of the shade trees are decIduous.
and the orange tree has not been cult
waited within the city 10 any extent. so
that it has the tropical appearance
that, at this season OF the year, il IS
entitled to have by right Of latitude.
A Sunday in New Orleans is not the
day of rest and quiet usually given to the
sabbath. but 'the best day IN the week.
Beginning at 6 a. IN. with tour through
the celebrated French Market which
on that morning is al its be-t. the magni-
tude OF which is only exceeded by its
noise ard babel of many tongues IN divers
languages. Wnere you can buy-nay. are
ureed to buy verifying the inner or
outer man could possibly make use Of.
from Carr0r to a cargo OF bananas, or
tve-cent wooden spoon to a set Of
Kitchen furniture, and YOU have been
fairly ushered into the busting dav. If
you meet on your way home to breakfast
a gorgeous procession celebrating the an
nIversary OF some society, or a stately.
shining funeral cortege. it is no more
than you have a right TO expect. Since
the advent of so many visitors to the city
the odd st. Louis Cathedrat" has been
thronged duru- the Sunday morning ser
wee, and the interior of the building is an
interesting study Of the old Franco
spanish times.
On sunday afternoon there is much car
riage driving hy those fortunate enough
10 own or able o. hire a carriage, but the
middle class avail themselves Of the street
and steam cars or ferries, and dispose
them elves among the various parks and
res0r,s outside the city.
All the theatres are open on Sunday
nights, but the class which attends IS
quite different from that which attends on
other nights.
notice that the guidC-h0oks 10 the city
advise the visitor 10 make "a point Of see
ing the cemeteries. Cool reader. now
would you feel after going the rounds Of
nineteen eraye-yaTds, ana where, TOO,
the bodies are ia vaults above ground, or
ccmented into pigeon-toie apartments.
tier upon tiery One seems TO have a more
realiz ne sense of The presence Of decay
ing bodl IS when they are not consigned TO
the embrace Of Mother Earth; ana in
New orleans, Were iuterment is ple.
vented ny the wafer underlying the i'm
mediate surface OF the ground, cremation
would Je 2 good sanitary measure. After
all. ia beautiful cemeteries, handsome
streets, arusf meniS-iH every Way-sa-
yannah Is tne queen u southern cities.