The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-10-09
draw from Une Antilles, Mexico supplies

draw from Une Antilles, Mexico supplies
to Texas.
"Lemona tawenta centa dozna; ap-
pelay, banan, grapa-all cheepa," they
assure one as he goes by.
Very foreign they look, with gold
rings in their ears, men though they be,
and red mGffiers around their throats.
They seem to give endless amusement
to the respecta ble-looking colored man
and woman opposite, who keep a stall
where they sell cold food-fried catfish
and tender chicken, hard boiled eggs
and heaps of golden corn-bread and
roasted potatoes, with thin-sliced sand
wlches, all appctizing indeed, and
where many darky stops to eat meal
and treat his dusky ''Dulcinea.
Beyond is the meat market, the
butchers nearly all Germans, with q
Frenchman and an American or two, t
mix the nationalities. Passing through
that, we enter what may be called the
bazar-little stores of ready-made
clothing, both male and female, tin
ware, cutlery, baskets, fancy articles
candy, all separate, and tho last-namee
stalls presided over by handsome Italia1
and pleasant German girls. 1t is vcrl
ola pOdr dI of merchandise.
Back of this again, the fish-marke'
and game of various kinds; and here
once more does the Dago find an occu
patton. There are shrimps, crabs
oysters and all sorts of fish, but the cat
fish, in infinite variety, stands out il
marked prominence, for it is the favor
ite of the negro race, and they are rarG
good customers.
In and out of the building surge the
crowd, for all of Houston is here. It i.
a singular custom, this making fash.
ionable promenade of the market, yet
it obtains, and the fine ladies do moi
seem to mind the mixture of peoples OF
the place itself, but dress in ''purpla
and fine linen" for the occasion. The
dude is in force, and the ''masher" is
not wanting; the men who stare and
the girls who love to be stared at.
sober matronS on housekeeping
thoughts intent; firtatious maidens
who push through the crowd, and seem
to have no idea that their manners are
not of the best; natty negro wenches,
pert of tongue and loose of demeanor;
respectable colored ''maumus. ample
of girth, in spotless white aprons; strap.
ping negro men and saucy bootblacks;
merchants, lawyers and physicians;
servant-girls and cooks, the haute-roIst
and the denai-monde, and both in theil
best attire; policemen and tramps; old
women, men on crutches and babies
in arms; black, white, brown and vel.
low-negroes, Americans, Mongolians,
Irish, Dutch, French, Germans, Italians
and Spanish-they are all there, laugh.
ing, talking, quarreling, gestieulating,
bargaining, gossiping, staring, keeping
appointments and making new ones, be.
ing proper or improper, polite or rude,
as the case may be. And this goes on
from four to nine in winter, from five tc
ten in summer. Every Saturday even.
ing it is re-enacted; the people never
tire, it seems, but congregate weekly,
year in and year out, in an endless
repetition of the same thing. 1t is a
wonderful scene, bustling moving
picture of contrast and characters, and
helps the traveller to better understand
the prosperity of the State, which at
tracts one, and its rudenesses, which re.
pei G. Hardy, in Harper's Maga