St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-29

don banking house, handsome as an old
| time Greek god. The girl-for she was
| only about twenty-to all seeming was
| as white as he. She had that clear,
white complexion that is only seen to
perfection among the best bred Octo-
rooms of Louisiana and the highest rank
women Of Rome, Naples and Venice.
They were very much in love with each
other, and there was no more sign of
coarseness and vulgarity-such as one
usually associates with relations OF this
character-visible than there is in the
prettleSt nest that man could select
for dainty bride, in which she could
be shut out from the world. And, after
dinner that in refinement and correct
ness or service and arrangement could
not be surpassed, the girl sang some
sweet, low foreign songs in a soft for
elgn tongue, for, like most of her class,
she spoke very little English. l won
dered if there could be any sin where
there was no knowledge or intention of
evil, for our first mother Eve herself,
over whom no priest droned service
when she mated with Adam, was not
more perfectly without guile than was
this child OF the tropics.
There Are
in New Orleans to-day perhaps 800
couples whose relations to each other
are those | have described. 1t is mat
ter that is extremely difficult TO write
about, because of its delicacy, but some
hoW the innate vulgarity which is
| always part of relations between the
sexes not sanctioned by law or religion,
does seem absent from those that have
ever known. As a class no women are
more fascinating than are these quad
| rooms or octoroons. They have the
| prettiest little hands and the daintiest
| feet, scarcely larger than those of
| child. And, then, such eyes! Large,
| full OF languOrOuS sweetness, and
| fringed with the deepest black lashes.
| 1t is not difficult for one who has ever
| seen these women TO understand their
| wonderful power over the man of the
| far South. There is larger percentage
of beauty among them than could be
found in any equal number Of ladies in
the
Best Society Anywhere.
They are well educated and nearly all
of them sing beautifully; for, with their
faint of negro blood, they inherit the
| marvellous negro voice; and because of
these things, perhaps, it is that the men
keep faith where one might think they
would tire with safety or disgust.
The women usually have a strain of
foreign blood. in which Spanish, Portu-
guese or Italian predominates. They
have inherited all the fierce passions Of
their Latin sires. Once aroused they
are unforgivIng and dangerous in the
extreme, and they are prone to jealousy,
especially in case of the attentions of
their lords to ladies in society, who,
knowing nothing of all this, and only
see in NJ. X. or Y. an extremely good
looking and accomplished gentleman,
who papa says is fast growing rich.
These place. women know all the
deadly secrets of the obeah, and possess
a skill in poisOns which is marvellous.
Some dark stories could be told by New
Orleans physicians, if they would speak,
of poisons defying medical skill, that
and brain, and others, like the loco, that
produce insanity and death almost
instantly.
Many Tales
| could be told, and true ones, too, of men
high IN the fashionable world, rich, with
| everything material to make life worth
| the living, who have tried the jealous
| patience of the place. too far, and of
| the creature who is as true herself as
any welded wife could be, and would
! endure patiently anything but Snper-
cedure. who has turned at last at real or
fancied wrong and quickly used the
dread secret only known to her race.
One evil of this system is the lllegiti-
mate children. though they seldom ex-
| coed two. The sons are usually we'll
educated, and some eff them have hand
! some fortunes and are the fOunderSsOf
families respected by both white people
and colored. From this class came
many valuable citizens and wealthy and
energetic Louisiana business men.
| There was well known broker in New
Orleans named John Clay, who died
| several days ago, said to he the son of a
noted politician. At his death John
| Clay was worth $4,000 made in honor
able trade.
| A Curious Character
named DelacroIX was another son born
| of such relations. He became a great
miser and owned at his death nearly
| 100000 worth of real estate in New
| Orleans and its vicinity.
| There are many caSeS-Well known,
too-of men who had two families, one
quadroon and the other white and legiui-
mate. have in my mind now such
case, and the cOlored sons have done
far better pecuniarily than the whites.
| though both bear name hOnOred for
years in the state in which they were
| born. Most of these women inherit
some money, and often handsome fort
unes. They help the men whom they
are places to with a zeal and earnest
that would do honor to any wife. | had
| friend, prominent cotton merchant,
who in the panic OF 1878 was in terrible
straits. He would surely fail and his
commercial credit was gone unless he
could get $4,000. The banks would not
help him, and he was almost upon the
verge of suicide. He was place
To a Beautiful Woman.
She somehow heard of his trouble, and
did a thing these women never do ex-
cept in matter of almost life and
| death. She sent for him. us this true
| which l hear, Alphonse?" she asked, in
soft, graceful French, to which beauty
| was added by the perfectly mOdulated
voice. "Mon ami, why did you not tell
me? Here is something for you," and
she put into his hands an envelope. He
opened it listlessly, and there was
check upon the strongest bank in the
city. the Canal bank, certified, for $70,-
600! She had heard of her lovers
peril. and had gone to her brothers and
sisters, who were very well to do. and
obtained this money for him.
In 1876, when the visiting statesmen
were in New Orleans trying to insure a
| fair count, remember to have spoken
| to gentleman from the North of this
peculiar New Orleans institution. and
he told the others. They immediately
became very anxious to see some of the
| place. women.
should have said before that about
all the recreatiOns of this class are going
sometimes to the theater and twice a
year 10 grand ball, to which none but
they themselves, their protectors and q
few of the friends of the latter are in
vited. Certain custom house officials in
New Orleans at the time spoken of,
anxious to crafty the desire alluded to,
got up what they called 'Quadroon
ball." and the visiting statesmen were
out in force, with all the newspaper cor
respondents from the North, who were
1 there to find out what was gong on. AS
none of the visiting statesmen spoke
French, and but very few of the ladies
knew English, very much conversation
| ilaIa hut IL ID