Telegram-herald., 1889-07-11
'TheObSerVel'
PARKS AND SQUARES.



Parks should have hsen started years
ago. 4na Ne would nov h4ye ttae benefit
Of them. No other tang improves >
elty as much As nne sgezres aud parks.
The handsome AID hlstoEac square sta
aIed IA front of tbs Ae~ Orleans c4tfe-
drai Is known as Jackson square"
Ia former times. before tie grounds
we're transformed into a garden, TIE
square w4s called the Place u 'Armes.' -
aud served, as Ia the cites Of EurOpe,
a. = parade ground for the troops Of
tic garrison. Ia the center OF the square
= al equestrian statue Of Gen. Andrew
Jackson, after whom the place VAS
named.
Ia former times has st4ff stood ia
the center Of the square, and from a,
At different epochs IA the history 0i
the COLONY, aoated the royal banners
OF France aud SPAN, which we're sue
eeeded o. the flag OF the Union. rhs
square has Deea tbe scene OF many lm-
Portant events, for on this spot the
different transfers of the Province have
taken place. On August 10, 1863,
Captaln-General a Reilly, the Spanish
commissioner, IN the presence of the
royal troops OF SPAN, received
the transfer OF the Province of
LOUISIANA from France through
the French Governor, Aubrey.
The banner of France was lowered
and that OF Spain raised amid salvos of
artillery. Ca November so, 1901, the
Spanish commissioners transferred
the province, with less ceremony, TO
Monsieur de Saussat, the representative
of France. The flag of Spain was
lowered and that of France was raiSsd
IN its stead. On December 20, 1903, NJ.
de Saussat transferred the country TO
the United States, and the new flag was
saluted with cheers and salyos of ar
tillery. After the battle of New Or
leans II was determined TO celebrate
the victory.by a "Te Deum" ut the cath
edral. Great preparations were made,
and Gen. jackson. the victorious
general, was met at the gate
OF the square, near the levee, by
committees OF citizens, and escorted 10
the cathedral through an avenue of
children, each representing state of
the Union, who scattered flowers IN his
path. At the door of the cathedral the
clergy, IN their sacerdotal robes, pre-
,t...t a q.
ceremonies terminating by a grand ''Te
Deum" and a service of thanksgiving.
The square was formerly surrounded
on the upper and lower sides by row
OF old Spanish buildings, which be-
lOnged to the Baroness de Pontalba, the
granddaughter of the founder of the
cathedral. The baroness destroyed
these buildings, and on the spot erected
the present rows of dwellings, with
shops beneath. At the same time, at her
own expense, she improved the square
| by laying It out in the French style of
gardening.
The cathedral has undergone many
changes, but the buildings on the right
and left of IL emain as they were IN
| Spanish times. These buildings are
now occupied 10y the courts and are of
heavy style of architecture. The
upper building, formerly the ''CablldO,"
OF city hall of the Spaniards, is used
by the Supreme Court of the State and
as n police station. In It's principal
| hall the deeds and process verbal of the
successive changes of the Government
were signed, and the proclamation
made frOmits balcony. When Lafayette
made a tour of the United States,
| the general was lodged and enter
tanned by the city in this building. OPP
| pOs,te this, on the corner of Chartres
and 1T. Peter-sts., stands r low and
massive building which, during the
/ colonial days, was the principal hotel
I of the city, and may be called the old
| est hotel building IN the Mississippi
/ Valley. Jackson square Is a great re-
| sort for children, especially on sunday
! afternoons, between and O'Clock.
| The stcanger then has good Oppor-
| tunity To see the different types of the
| population. The stranger will notice
| many trees and shrubs, such as the
orange, banana, fig. lemon and palm
trees, not seen IN the North, but which
| flourish here IN the open air and bear
fruit.
| Congo square.
/ Five squares back of the cathedral IS
| Congo square, some times called HPlace
! a. Armes," formerly the site of Fort
st. Ferdinand. This square has a
/ fountain IN the center, and is used as 4
parade ground. During slave times
n cannon, which stood IN the center of
the square, was fired by jthe police at
. p. m, after which any slave found
on the streets without pass from ms
| master was arrested. The square de
/ rives It's name from tho fact that IN
former times the negroes, who were
| mostly from Congo, used 70 CongTcgate
an tins square on sunday and dance
| some of their EatIve dances To the
I music of a rude drum and bones.
L Lafayette square.