The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-03-09
NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
: : -. Nrw onIrAnu. Feb. q. ,ss.

market, flowers are made speciality on
Sunday morning, and the varieties are
numerous and pleasing. We attended
church at the First Presbyterian, Lafay-
eite Square, the Rev. DIR. Palmer oificia-
ting. He is noted as the ablest OF the
clergy of this city. In the early days Of
the rebellion, he advised his church to
90 with secession, and they went. He
Is an able and vigorous expounder OF
ton is large, and from Its appearance,
should think il composed of aigh order
Of citizens. The number of old persons
present was truly remarkable. DR.. Pal
mer is an able man. He is not an orator
in the general definition of that term in
the South. He Is neither florid nor
There is none of the Sam Jones
about him. He would make good Unl-
ted States Senator, after the style of La
mar.
On the way home from church, we
passed the Academy of Music, where
there was crowd purchasing tickets for
the opera in the evening. This repre-
sents the other Sabb tn side of this two
faced city. No where else have ever |
met with such marked contrasts as one
finds here. Within the shadow of the
very spire OF DR.. Palmer's church, q |
cock-hght was advertised for 2 p. IN. In
the same morning paper there was mo-
tice of prize fight to come off in the af-
ternoon within three blocks of Canal ST. |
In the evening every theater was rum
ming, with lively prices and immense
audiences. Civilization and barbarIsm,
religion and the devil, run up against
each other here, in style quite bewil-
dering to the more staid and moral mo-
tons and habits of the North. 1t seems
to me that the Southern people are in
tense and enthusiastic in their very ma
ture. They are thoroughly religious, Or
thoroughly sinful. When taken hold of
by religious conviction, it combines earn
estness and enthusiasm; when they take
to pleasure, they want the cup to sparkle
and foam, and 1t does. The amount of
singing and praying done IN New Or
leans, probably Is not equaled by any
city in the world of like population. The
free and-go-easy habits of another part
of its people, are without rival in these
United States. 1t is true gambling and
open saloons on the Sabbath, are now
both forbidden by law, vet the law is
quietly evaded, but all other amusements
are wide open on the Lord s day. 1 find
that there are about one hundred and
fifty-five churches in New Orleans, and
are truly and intensely religious. Or
these churches, about forty belong to
| the colored population. Of the prote-
slant churches, the Baptlsts are In the
lead numerically, both for white and
colored. AS the sequence of this relig-
ious feeling, we find the city to abound
in hospitals and asylums of all kinds,
both for colored and whites, for the aged,
| for infants, for children, for widows, and
charity hospitals for all manner and con-
ditlons of suffering humanity. Most
creditable TO the benevolent impulses of
the people are these noble institutions,
and right we'll are they supported. l
know of no city where charity hospitals
and asylums are so numerous, or cover
so wide range for mortal Ills.
Now over against this noble array of
churches and rare benevolence, must be
presented the other side of this extraor-
binary city, and the side, too, most read
lily seen by the visitor and casual OBJ
server. Lotteries run the town. Thea
tiers are on every street, and are open
every night In the week. Horse racing
is matter of every day occurrence, and
spacious grounds and buildings are given
up to the sport. Gambling is notorious,
and keno" is an open game, held not
| W OC Wy 0hC SOuIL Vi
the State. There are saloons in sWarms
everywhere you 90. The trail sisters of
the pave, of every shade and hue, have
streets and localities given up to them.
So runs the world of sin and pleasure
here, and thousands visit New Orleans
who never know of the deep, religious
fervor and warm-hearted benevolence
which have a home in this gay and
sporting city.
In the afternoon, drawn by curiosity,
l went to hear Bishop Wayman, of the
African M. E. Church. The colored
conference was in session, and l could
take the colored clergy in a flock. L
found them able men, of culture and ell
oquence. That at least was the charac-
ter of the Bishop and three elders, who
spoke. There was, however, a crowd OF
other ministers who looked the type OF
the proverbial colored preacher; but the
Bishop didn't tnEn them loose on his
New Orleans audience. By the way,
Bishop Wayman looks for all the world,
like Gov. Ramsey. If the Gov. was a
shade or two darker, or the Bishop q
tinge or two lighter, they could pass for
twins The same full, round head, the
same full face, the same in figure. The
Bishop talks we'll, and is genial and de-
lightful in the pulpit, and Ramsey
needn't be ashamed of his colored twin
So you have had another blizzard
Well, down went the thermometer here
We had frost this morning, and ice the
morning previous. 1t cut the flowers
and half. grown strawberries badly. Ac
cording to the Government bulletin, the
thermometer has skipped from 81 down
to SO, since have been here. SO you
see this land of flowers is not exempt
from rapid changes in temperature.
New ORLEANS, March l.
We came here to see, as we'll as fol-
the genial warmth of the climate. A
MinnesotIan is nothing if not audacious
Whenever we notice in our walks, thai
sign which intimidates the ordinary
traveller, mo admittance except on
business" we are pretty sure to walk in
and see what is going on. So Yesterday
a mile or more down the river, on what
was once an old cotton warehouse, we
read that forbiding sign and entered
We found 1t one of the five places in the
city where ice is made. 1t is quite in.
teresting 10 witness how science has tri,
umphed over climatic condition, and
amidst the heat of summer, supplies q
tropical city with cooling beverages
We found place where ice is made al
the rate of 40 tons day. The building
is quite open, with driveway through
the center. Ascending a few steps on
either side of the driveway, you come
upon large platform. Here the super
intendent shows us the simple process
of manufacturing Ice. Lifting up covers,
on which we walked, was revealed long
rows of vessels filed with water in proc.
ess of freezing. These tin vessels are
about 81 inches deep, and IL inches
square. They are submerged In strong,
salt brine. Every hour men stir the wa
ter in the vessels. Between these YES
sells, and in the salt brine, are numerous
coils of half-inch pipe, through which is
forced, by steam, the liquid gas of am
monia. The freezing begins, of course,
from the exterior of the vessels, and
/ when all the water is frozen but two or
three inches, that water is drawn ont
and new water put in. This process
takes out any impurities which may
have been in the water. The water used
is all distilled, and it would seem there
are that the ice should be perfectly
pure. The block of ice looks clear and
bright. The ammonia and salt do the
business. The philosophy of that / will
pupils, to more fully explain. The cold
of ammonia pipeing, stood at 8 degrees
below zero when we examined the reg
lister. The degree of cold required, is
about one degree below zero for every
inch of water to be frozen. 1t takes
about "a hours to freeze the water in the
vessels to solid block of ice When
the freezing is completed, the blocks are
dumped out and put In sawdust, or car
ried away in wagons to customers. These
blocks weigh ITO lbs. and are sold at the
rate of cents pound, or 81 for block.
The business is said to be remunerative.