The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-03-20
IN new ORLEANS.
What We Saw, Heard and Thought.

Special Correspondence Ne,o North Vest.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. I've are here in
New Orleans among its mud, mules, mo-
lasses and mulattoes. A city of nearly q
quarter of a million of people, near the Mex.
lean seas the Crescent City with a history.
New Orleans is not the only French city in
the United States, but it is the only one
which
PRESERVES THE FRENCH QUALITY
and language perfectly. The present Creole
population are the descendants of the fol.
lowers of the Chevalier Dorinsbourg from
Alsatia, the Arcadian exles from Nova
Scotia and from Spain. The Creoles pride
themse Ives OH being what they are, and they
can never forgive Mr.. Cable for saying in his
latest book that they were quadroons. They
are not but compose the best society of New
Orleans.
Before coming to this city we were told
that the
DEAD PEOPLE IN THEIR GRAVES
outnumbered the living. We were inclined
to doubt this, but now we know it to be true.
We have visited cemetery after cemetery.
One cannot 60 anywhere, scarcely, without
finding a field with large marble boxes.
These are the graves. They are built on
top of the ground. They look comfortable,
but we did not try them. We have learned
to check our Yankee curiosity and not try
everything we do not understand.
CHALMETTE.
One cemetery that we particularly ad-
mired is where 1000 soldiers are buried at
Ctalmette. The grounds are beautifully
kept. 1t is absut seven miles from the city.
We went out on the street cars, walked over
a mile through the IN ost sticky, muddy COM
position one could ever imagine. Others
had gone that way before and made little
to pull an empty two-wheeled cart through
the sticky, ieathery mud, darkey in the cart
and one n either side of the mules laboriDg
with them with long "black snakes" and
shouting at The top of their voices. The life
and energy of this city seems 10 be in the
mules. They can make them stir, and only
one hour at midnight are they given to rest.
We returned by boat and saw the great ship
ping fleet, almost sea of masts aud smoke
stacks. Five large "man-ofwar" vessels
were lying at anchor near the leves.
THE SPANISH FORT.
A little historical souvenir still remains on
Lake Pontchartrain called by Gen. jackson
"The Spanish Fort" Here still remain the
walls of the old fort butt in ITO and some
times known as "Bloody Reilly" Two old
cannon are here that have done their duty
and been laid by; also one of the first tor
pedo boats made still remains, and at the
risk of fall we mounted the shaky steps to
view the interior. This fort is reached by q
small steam motor. On this lake is another
resort called West End. The grounds where
the buildings are is all "made ground"
CHARACTERISTIC OF NEW ORLEANS.
The city has the most complete systems Of
street cars of any we have visited. The
cars all start from Henry Clay's monument
on Canal street and all one needs to do Is to
60 and ask Henry where to 60 and the car is
there. You can 60 anywhere, all over the
city. One popularity we notice Is that they
carry out the French idea and all 60 to the
left instead of the right. The streets are
paved with cobble stones aud large square
stones-when they are not paved IL is almost
impossible to get through in the rainy season.
Their wagons or "foats" have large tires and
when once they get their mules to going one
would imagine that the buildings were fall.
ing /; the noise is almost intolerable.
They cannot build tall houses here-not |
over four or i've stories high-on account of |
the uncertainty of the earths crust. They |
dig down and then put alternate layers of |
cotton bales and stone and make the founda. |
ton. There are some very fine business |
blocks. The Sugar Exch ange and Cotton |
the St. Charles and Royal hotels, |
the Custom House and many others are |
models of stability and beauty. There is an
immense amount of business transacted In
this city; 6,523, TAT bushels of wheat were
shipped to twenty mine foreign ports from
1880 to 1881. The river barge transportation
has . carrying capacity of nearly 5000, 900
bushels per month. The grand total clear
ings and balances for the year ending March
81, 1881, wss-clearings, $465, l25 ,557; bal
Mills have been in operation for more than
twenty years. They contain 5000 spIndles
and Is looms and employ about ninety op.
sratives. The wages are from the small
sums paid beginners to one dollar per day
paid woman at the looms and spindles. The
lime is nine working hours per day. The
lost Of coal Ii about $3.50 per ton on the
barge. The consumption of cotton Is some-
hing less than 1000 bales annually. The
,,ders for cloth knd yarns Is sufficient to take
he goods as fast as they can be made. A
new mill Is to be erected At the cost Of $l40,.
100.
A United States Mint is situated here.
There are some very fine private residences,
specially on st. Charles street. These have
Inc lawns with magnolia aud evergreen
rees neatly trimmed In many shapes. The
,lder houses have no lawns, but are built on
he street. Some are fenced In with six foot
'uncheons, pointed ct the upper end. Some ,
# the streets are very broad with two or
hree rows of tall trees, but generally the
treets are very narrow aud the sewerage Of :
he city Is near the curb stone, out In the
aylight.
THE SERVICE APPROVED.
We attended colosed Methodist church.
he pastor. Rev. Dale, was . student from ,,
berlin, Ohio. His son preached, and it /,
Tas indeed . very able discourse. They
ang with their usual fervor, aud during the
srmon both men and women asssnted to tie
rmarks made by good hearty round yells. '
Il the close the pastor said that they wanted ]