Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-03-05
"Bods" in New Orleans.
SEEING THE EXPOSITION UNDER DIFFIcuL-:
TIES.
A LADY WHO DOESN'T "FFEn YASks FOR
GLORY"
New Orleans Letier.l

New Orleans letter.
| am writing in a room which is so cold
and damp that even the paperless walls are
clammy TO the touch and the door rattles in
sympathy with the rickety window with ev-
cry blast Of wind. With heavy overcoat
and big muftier wrapped around me and
my hat fixed well down over nv ears am
waiting for the dinner bell. The charges
for this room are very moderate-a quiet
little - day secures all the comforts Of
the house. II is typical boarding house.
and on looking over the exioriionate de
mands of the people in charge Of the houses
here compared to the miserable accommo-
datlons offered | am not surprised that the
New Orleans exposition is not a pronounced
success.
\ word about the climate The train
which arrived here last Sunday morning dis
gorged several hundred Northerners into a
city tha, was simply sweteringiy hot. AZ
ter a sultry night in the sleeping cars the
tourists wandered out on the platform of
the station, heavy eyed and discon,ented
Beads of perspira:ion stood on their fore
heads and they began the usual fgh, with
hackmen laugudiy. They had ioretaste
Of The spirit of greed which has suddenly
tsken possession Of the citizens Of this city.
with the haekmen, who charge all sorts Of
fancy prices and will not fall below - an
hour. They are raw -bouei and persistent
Southerners. and the, will fgh, for an extra
half idollar with persistent that would put
a yellow oab-driyer in New York to the
blush. Their vehicles are modelled some
thing after the stlle Of Victoria except
that they are much smaller than thar slylc
Of open wagon. The horses are Of the sol
emn. unhappy and morose character COM
mon 10 hack horses all over the world, 1t
vas so sultry and close on Sunday morning
tha, the travellers all rode and the hackmen
reaped a small harvest The new arrivals
were driven TO various parts Of the city, but
their experiences VeTe similar. The board
ing housekeepers they never cal! them bl
that name here. il Is always "the lady of the
house had put up theit prices b, a seem
Ingls united movement. and prices Cor the
most meagre, unsatisfactory and unpleasant
accommodations were from SD 20 -
day.
drove to six houses and then. tagged out
by the heat, took up my present abode in a
street equally distant from the city, the cx-
position and al! other points Of attraction
Il was the best of the houses visited. bat
What a house II IS The muddy stree. With
is three feet CUTTERS standing a foot deep
with green water. siops and refuse covered
by green 'itm i hordered by narrow side
wax. \ big wooden gate leads 10 the front
door Of a mammoth two-stor, house which
spre ads over about as much ground as the
Bronksn Academy OF Music and VET ha,
small accommodation for guests The door
was opened when | rang ~ a slovrniy
dressed n"Eres,. Who showed me into the
raflor aud Hrnf 10 call "the adv" There
were two par'ors, both Of extraordinary ,!le
and 50 large that the further end Of the
second one VAS quite out Of SIGHT ia lie
du~sy Interior. \ sma., modern bed,
which had not been made ap. though 1t was
then o'clock IN the afternoon. stood op.
ra>ite sp.nde-irsged plano. aud there
we're a fev pieces Of horse har furniture,
pretty vel aorn, scattered about the place
Prot, Of famous leader, daring the AZ hang
an the walls. There were np ear le', On th.
door and old newspaper, were tarn,t thraUgh
the hoe, male bl broken panes Of gia,s III
lhe windows. L. was coo.er than IN the sun
without, however. and leaned back on N,
chair while waiting for ''ghs LADY to appear.
" hen leaned back the char creAked and
Jumped up Jnst IN time 20 avoid wrrcking
II. She entered a momen, later had en-
countsred half a dozen earlier editions Of her
au.! was not surprised 10 NEE, a very lauk.
sullen end snappl,h looking female il q
greasy black dress. She vas a pronounced
snui iakrr, as most Of these women are
down here, and the evidence, OF the
habit were not very pleasant. She
sat down stiff, while stated ny
erranl.
''lo want to bode heah ?" She sad SLOWLY,
with the accent of a full blown negro. as she
stared at me hard, and iwirlcd her lon. fingers
SLOWLY. We'll dunno as can bother with
any mo boders. In. js worrid to death now
1'ih the Northern people in tins house, and
don't take kindly 10 ans mo sich likes Coin
10 stay long in our city ?"
"A month or two. il il il amusing"
Seems 10 me YOU must be hard to muse
if YOU can't be
'ies, ye', quite SO. What d. you Jay
about rooms ?"
Il SAID only had one room in the house
1T You want 10 see it 20 right along with
the man and he'll let you look at it all
over"
went up an uncarpeted pair of stairs to
long dark passage, and after stumbling
over several pals emerged on narrow
wooden gallery which ran along the outside
OF the wing Of the house A narrow
stairway, which was as steep as a ladder and
led 10 a second gallery, was then ascended,
and We worked our way around to the rear
of the house. where | was shown int this
room. II is the sort of an apartment cne
can rent in New York tenement house for
81 or 50 a month. | made up nv mind to
move in, however, as the day had grown 50
sultry that felt as tagged ou, as the hard
est worked Of business men at the end of
an August day, when the thermometer TOYS
With the 99th degree.
threw myself on the straw bed, after
getting out Of my coat and waistcoat, when
the door opened and the negro serving man,
with his face cleaning with the heat walk
ed in without the ceremony of knocking
I'm mighty sorry, boss" the negro said
musically, but yos dun got ter come down
an see de lady now ter once, cause she's
awaiting for yo'."
| rose and said with the calmness begot of
four DAYS travel and suit of heavy flannels
in torrd atmosphere:
Il give in. Tell her I'll be down in a few
minutes
| found her erect and forbdding. She
sat on the very edge of the sofa and her
mouth was screwed up determinedly.
"You have forgotten something" she
SAID snappishly before | had got through
the doorway. land Ill thank you to attend
to it ter once"
'How much do you want ?" laconically
"Two weeks in advance shortly.
"But | may not stay two weeks" with
forced calmness.
Il don't care if yo an all yo'r country
men leave tomorrow want my money
just the same. I'm lady, | am, and don't
feed Yanks TO glory" angrily.
From this point on the coversation was
personal and lively to an extraordinary ex-
tent. | was amazed at the bitter and i'm
polite manner Of the woman, and talked TO
her as much for the novel experience of the
thing as anything else, and before We had
come TO any sort of an agreement found
that she lost all control of her tongue when
her hatred for anything from the North was
aroused. She stuck out strongly and the
best compromise l could make was to pay
N