The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-25
The Crescent City's Carnival

+ W hen we were IItlle children. mother
told us so many charming stories about
the Carulya! season III New O.leaus
hat it was with very conflicting feelings
that ] stood to watch its gay pageant
sweep along. Feelings. III which lone
illness. and sorrow. and a passionate re-
gret had a much larger share than curl
osity or pleasure. 1t was the rcaliza
I ton of a dream when all the glory haG
departed, for by a strange, and lneXora-
/ bic destilv all Joys come to me with
their wings clipped For the week be-
I fore the Carnival workmen were busy
/ bracing, and undertaking galleries, (ol
/ which every house in New Orleans has
/ from two to four) and erecting tiers oi
seats all along the public squares, and
on the streets, which by time honored
/ custom, are always selected as the royal
/ line of march.
1 These seats, which rented for fifty
cents each were gaily decorated with
evergreens. and painted in the royal
colors, purple, yellow and gree. And
for hours upon hours were filled with
/ dense crowds of hundreds OF patient
/ siohtseers.
For days before the 10th various proc
lamations and royal edicts were pub
lished in the city papers arranging the
details of the ceremonies to be observed
on the august occasion of the arrival OF
his Majesty Rex, and by Monday morn
ing all the city was thoroughly embued
with the Carnival Spirit.
At II O'Clock Rex suddenly appeared
on St. Charles street and began his royal
progress through his favorite capital.
\ the city hall the Mayor surrendered
the keys of the city to him, and his reign
had begun.
1t was very pretty pageant las the gay
procession swept down St. Charles street
to Canal on its way to the lcyee where
the royal fleet was anchord ready 10 take
his Majesty to the Exposition, where it
was his gracious intention to hold his
court First came. in full dress, the
Marines from the u. :. Man of War
Tennessee, which his Majesty had con-
deCended to commission as his ilag-ship.
Bands We're playing the royal anthem
IF ever | cease to loye!" drums beat,
and general throb of excitement and
pleasure was in the air.
The Marines were followed by the
Baton Rouge Cadets, these in turn by
the Continental Guards, then the Wash
inJtou Artillery, next the Royal Body
Guard. The Crescent Rifles, then the
officers of the ROYAL Household, all
masked and gorgeously arrayed. Pike
men followed them, aud comedy in fan
taeti, 9tiioe surrounded by masked Nam
mons came next, mounted on splendid
ear, and drawn by horses covered with
white :rappings emblazoned with the
royal arms and led by tootmen in crimson
blouses and coral. Then armed horse
men rode in rich attire, and then, right
in the heart OF this most commonplace,
prosaic, nlneteeth century, bareheaded
aud regal-loOking rode his Sacred Ma
iesty. Rex; a royal dladcm crowned his
head, a kIngly mantle OF rich blue vel
vet fell from his shoulders, and as he
rode slowly along. bowing graciously
right and left to his loyal subjects, it
seemed as if time had rolled backward
a few centuries and we were in the heart
OF the middle ages, for all trade and or
dinary business was suspended, neither
cart nor carriage was allowed to be on the
streets. the street ears were, by the Of
der OF the Mayor, su pended from work,
and a clear pathway was left for the
royal progress. There in this most COM
mercial, mOney-making age, trade and
traffic was absolutely suspended. A
great city deliberately laid down all care,
and work, and business interests, and for
two whole days gave itself up to revelry
and masquerade, heartily enjoying it all
with no regard to the cost; and coming
back to It's work-a-dly life with renew
ed spirit and vigOr from the respite from
all care or toll
Down Canal street to the wharf swept
the gay cavalcade. There great fleet
of twenty ships was in line to convey
the King and his train up the river to the
Exposition. And as his Ma.iestd went
on board the guns of the Washington
artillery fired a salute, the bands play
ed, IF ever | cease to lOve!' With
renewed zeal, and all at once ten Jhous-
and flags were run up over the ships
the Rex colors mingling with the flags
of all nations, and the L. S. Men-of
War and Mexican and the French Men-of
War fired salutes and all manned their
rigging, and turned out i'll full dress pa
rade as if to receive a veritable crowned
and annOinted king.
Faith, it was pretty sight. a masque
SC deity managed that it was hard to
believe that it was only Carnival.
That night the crew of Proteus held its
gorgeous procession.
This Proteus club is one of the secret
societies of the city. And its pageants
are always splendid. 1t is impossible in
the limits of letter to even outline a
description, page upon page would be
filled before the subject was half eXhaus-
ted.
1t was clear dark night, and we were
invited to Mrs. Townsend's to view the
parade, as Carondelet street was one OF
the chosen routes. First came mount
ed policemen to clear the way, then a
band in tull dress, then the torch
bearers in crimson blouses and hoods,
then the first of the floats, as they are
called, large long cars, on wheels, drawn
by four horses, all covered with white
and red housings, and led by footmen in
the red blouses and hoods.
The subject represented was the
myths and worships of China; and even
if my limits allowed. words would fail
to convey any idea Of the gorgeousness
of design and coloring, the richness OF
dress, the gay abandon of movement,
the sert of dreamlike beauty and splen"
dor that was visibiy embodied there.
Eighteen of these immense floats passed
slowly before us, each one seeming more
beautiful than its predecessor. Some
lowered to immense heights that took
both nerve and skill in the riders, and
all were as perfect as superb taste and
absolute disregard of cost could make
them. In an hour they had passed by
on their winding way. and we walked,
or attempted to walk down Camp street
to see tb. illuminations and decorations
that were saia to be splendid. But oh
the crowds! the whole face of the earth
seemed to be one dense swaying black
mass of heads, and sensitive ear was
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