National Republican., 1885-03-07


New ORLEANS, La, March 9, 1885,
Before we came to New Orleans we had
read a great many suggestions from a
great many people as to what you ought
to wear and to bring with you when you
came here. / take this opportunity to
add my drop to the torrent of informa-
tion on that subject with which the
country is flooded. Whatever you leave
at home by no means come without your
parasol and rubbers. BY no flight Of tho
Imagination could one picture dirtier
town than New Orleans. The wonder is
not that they have yellow fever OCCASION
ally, but that every person in town does
not have 1t all the time. Their papers
tell us, by tho way, that the fever is now
under the present vigilant and active
management entirely stamped out, and
could not possibly break out unless inn
ported and the careful quarantine will
prevent that.
1t Is interesting TO know this, but
all tho same ono would think the resi-
dents would feel an occasional twinge of
unessiuess whom they survey their gut
ters. There are no sewers, and every
gutter is q dirty, sluggish stream, pictur-
esquely diversified by orange and ban
mana skins, cabbage leaves, potato par
ings, and oyster shells, and coated with
thick, green scum, suggestive Of all
manner of doadly diseases. The side
walks are broken and irregular, and the
frequent sudden sharp showers settle in
numberless little pools, aud rain of half
an hour makes tho whole town muddy
or a day. There isno way for tho water
to run of, as the place is as fiat as the
palm Of your hand.
THE STREETS ARE EVEN WORSE.
There aro very few of the principal
ones paved with irregular cobble stones.
With these exceptions the entire town is
mass of deep, black mud, and will be, l
suppose until 1t dries into equally deep
and disagreeable dust. What the place Is
in the summer, with hot sun streaming
down upon these masses of filth, IL makos
one shudder to imagine. No wonder the
principal buildings of interest in New
Orleans are hospitals and orphan asylums.
1t is well they are SO abundant, but It
seems TO the casual observer rather pity
that the money to found and support
them could not have been spent in sani-
tary arrangements which might prevent
the epidemics that keep them so full.
Think Of city of 240, 600 people who all
have to 20 somewhere and pay to take o
bath, for there is no water supply, except
the immense cisterns which one sees ris-
ing like enormous towers in every back
yard, and when there is no rain there Is
no water, in spite Of the fact that the Mis-
sissippi river aud Lake Pontchartrain are
at their doors.
The day we arrived, after travelling
through miles and miles of snow, when
found in my room palm leaf fan and
pitcher of ice water, and looking out of
the window saw a lady sitting on her
front steps under a parasol, We thought
it rather an exaggerated effort for local
color, SO to speak. But we were soon
convinced of our error Itis true that in
the mornings and evenings their CHEEKY
little CRATE fres-made of soft coal that
burns with bright fame like wood, and
is perfectly fascinating to punch with a
poker--look very pretty and feel vory
comfortable. But in the daytime
THE sUNsHINE Is ALMOST HOT,
and you see everywhere people sitting by
their open windows or out on their door
steps, or In the galleries, as they call the
verandas, which are on every house,
often up to the third story. These gal
leries are very pleasant feature Of Now
to one objection. They hold the water
for hours, and no matter how wary you
are aud no matter how long it is after the
shower you are pretty sure, from-t time to
time, to feel drop splash on your bonnet
or trickle down the back of your neck.
They are useful to view professions from,
however, and that in tho eyes of tho
natives is Of paramount Importance.
The leading: industry of New Orleans
would seem to be the lottery business,
for every one Of the innumerable cigar
stores has its windows festooned with
tickets, which always seem to command
ready purchasers. One store has an entc-
ing sign bearing tho hopeful legend,
Tickets sold here always draw prizes"
The dealers in soda water, too, seem to
have an immense trade. 1t is sold by all
the confoctioners as well as the druggists,
and they have introduced marked i'm
provement by having rows of chairs for
the use Of their customers, which are
almost always filed with thirsty people
imbibing soda and mineral waters, mead,
and lemonade. Nor does it seem at all
difficult to obtain beverages of more
stimulating nature. There are innumer-
able saloons, and they are secluded by no
devices Of closed doors or screens. On
the contrary, they court publicity, and the
big double doors are always wide open, af-
fording to the public fine view of the
gentlemen
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BAR.
If the inhabitants of Now Orleans me-
glect cleanliness it can not be attributed
to their excessive devotion to godlness.
Ones attention il attracted by tho adyer-
tisement in the papers of some of the
stores mo goods sold on Sundays" as It
III I'D
AS indeed it is. Most Of the dealers arc
trammeled by no such scruples. The sa-
looms, cigar-stores, confectioners, and
many others open their doors wide, and
apparently do Il more thriving business
than on any other day. 1t is on Sunday
night too that all the new plays begin at
the theatres. The stranger who starts to
20 to church on Sunday without any
previous information on the subject light
think that the finding of church was not
much less difficult than the tabled guest of
the Holy Grail. If you inquire tho way
to the horse-races which are loudly pro-
claimed by a band in an open wagon, or to
the prize-fght which is widely adver-
tised there would be no difficulty in ind
ing directors, but a church is a very differ
ent matter.
AT last, through the intorposition of
the omniscient small boy, we find one,
and are agreeably surprised at its size
and the crowds that are thronRing into
it, perhaps regarding II as novel species
of entertainment. The visitor is reminded
where he is by seeing, Oh entering, q sim
pie tablet to the memory of the first pas
tor OF this church, who died at the age of
"a Of yellow fever Tho inscription adds
briefly: His last sermon was from the
text, For me to live is Christ and to die
is gain" We cannot help thinking
for few moments of the young preach-
er called go early from his work
TO his rest and we think
perhaps New Orleans is not such a wicked
place after all when we 20 in aud see
the big church crowded in every corner
with people. While we are inside we