The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-05

The Trip sf a Hoosier Party to the Crescoc
City-Incidenss.

OuI party blnItcu 14Om @nuAHIupSi-S ~
a. M, AID arrived ct Cincinnati in time to |
eat hzrried breakfast get our tickets for |
the "Msnn Boudoir" car Tor which We had |
teleeIaphed several days before) AMI board |
the train for New CrlesnA The scenery be. |
TIVE, Cincinnati and New Orleans, vithfew |
exceptions, is monoton7us and urinterest.
Ing. High Bridge over the Kentucky River
Is The most picturesque and romantic spot
on The whole journey. On the evening OF
the second day we neared New Orleans. en-
teIing ii by crossing the famous twenty-one
mile trestle across Lake Ponchsrirain, which
is said TO be the longest bridge in the word.
Workmen were repsiriIg 1t where it had
recently been burned and our train want
over the first half of it at snaips pace, the
timbers cresking and groani7g beneath our
weight. Arriving st New Orleans we took
carriage for the Hotel Roysle, and were for
tunate enough TO secure tie very last vacant
rooms in the house, where we were snugly
enscopsed during our entire visit The Ho-
tel Royale is the finest Aotel in New Orleans,
and has quite history. 1t fronts on three
streets, the first story is of granite, and the
other three stories are OF stuoco. pair te 10
initiate granite. 1t has wealth of yerIn-
CAS- on all sides, and great dome in the
center, the ceiling of which was irescoei by
Canova, nephew of the great sculpto-. l.
was originally the st. Louis Hotel, and after
many vic.ssitudes 1t was sold to the Govern
ment and used as State house. If the old
walls could speak, they would tell many
taie CT strife snd blood shed enacted there.
After being given up as State house, the
building stood empty for several years, aud
was a regular tumble-down old rookery,
until purchased by the present proprietor
and transformed into the elegant Hotel
Royale." We had read all about the
historic interest attaching to the
dining room at the hotel,
where slaves were said to have been sold in
former days. But We found those romantic
tales TO be entirely fabulous the real place
OF sale being an old ruined and haunted
bank building in ihe rear OF the hotel.
There were pointed out to as the remains OF
the old slave rens, where the slaves were
barred In until suob time as they were pat
upon the block above to be sold to the high.
est bidder.
Opposite to the hotel, on Chartres street,
is q quaint, old-fashioned succeed building,
which at the time of its erection was the
| finest house in New Orleans 1t was in
tended as gift to the great Napoleon, from
an enthusiastic admirer in the pers u of Mr..
Gircd, who, with other patriotic Frenohmen,
| was engaged in a deep laid scheme for tbs
| rescue of that unhappy nor arch from the
| barren rocks of St. Helena aud his transpor-
| tation 10 New Orleans in a fast sailing vessel,
| built for the purpose. when the news reached
| America CT the death of Napoleon.
One bright afternoon we took a
| little stroll along the "Rus Royale"
| and the adjacent neighborhood, in
search of some of the queer old houses
immortalized by George W. Cable. We
thought We recognized several and wsre
| quite satisfied with our ramole through the
French Quarter" with its Irregular tile
rooted houses, and little gardene which were
entirely hidden from eur curious gazs by
| the high brick walls which surrounded
Il EN-. We visited the Cotton exchange ST.
| Charles Hotel, Custom House, where we saw
the finest business room in the world, and
the United States mint, where we were in
| terested, not only in the old building, bat in
| seeing for the first time tbs various processes
through which the silver gees before ii Is
turned out bright and slluring mighty
dollar"
Early Sunday morning. in the rain. we
visited the old French Market, where We
had q glorious opportunity to study
human nature. in all its various phaues. On
the way back to our hotel, we passed
through Jackson Square, the old "Place d AR.
mes" which in the early days of New Orleans
history, was the religious, social, business,
and military center OF the city. It was here
that public executions took place, the gal-
lows standing in tbs middle OF the sqlars.
And here tie miserable criminals were eth.
er hung, shot, or nailed alive IN their 1ffi 8,
and then slowly sawed in half. rhs old
place d'Armes," which has bsen the scene
OF so many tragic and romantic events, has
| teen trans formed into the beautiful park.
| MI &c hall al + n
cifully clipped shrnbbeIy. and equestria 1
statue CT Andrew Jackson, which was the
frs. equestrian statue with the horse in th
set OF rearirg, ever erected. st. Louis ca.
thedral, built in l7SS, faces the square on
Charities street. We attended O'Clock msss,
and there saw mingled With the rest OF ths
congregation, devout French and c)lored
women, who had stopped in to say their
prayers, on their way home from market,
and reverently knelt on the marble floor,
surrounded by their baskets, bundles, buck.
cts, fish, live chickens a1d geese. After
church We went out to West Fad IA popular
| New Orleans re- ort, on Lake P0ntchartrain)
and the cemeteries, which owing to the
marshy soil contain few graves. the dead be-
ing laid away in tombs or vaults which re
semble miniature white marble houses
minus chimneys or windows. The cemeteries
are all laid off IN avenues, which are lined
on either side by rows and rows OF these lit
during freshet, these TENDS crumole to
pieces, and collins OF all sizes can be seen
sailing about in every dire ction.
New Orleans Is bountifully supplied with
parks and statues, She can claim the honor
of being the first city in the United States
to raise statue to woman. In front oil
the Female Orphan Asylum stands the
"Msrgsret' statue. A white marble
figure of woman, seated in q
chair with one arm about the
neck OF o child who stands at her sids. S1e
was o poor Irish woman unable to read o,
write, Who by her own exertions acquired a
fortuns, which at her death was bsqueathed
to various orphan asylums. reg ariiess of sect
In Lafayette Square is q marble statue of
Franklin, by the great American sculptor,
Hiram Powers, with whose name We always
associate that MASTERPIECES of art. the Greek
Slave.
The statue of General Robt. Z. Lee. in Lee
Circle, was unveiled in 1888. 1t is Of bronzs,
standing on marble pillar one hundred
feet high. 1t represents Lee standing with
folded arms. looking over the scene of battle.