Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-17
City. There are many Of them in the wesf
Indies and Mexico.
rHEY Aar BORN SWEET AND pnxTTY.

general thing they are not l0rge-ln ihOts
rather Detite-but have very pretty, grace,
full figures and the tiniest OF hands anu
| feet. Their eyes are dark and dreamy;
From the surreptitious glances cast az
them imagine 1t is as hard to keep rom
| loving these Creoles as it is TO abstain rom
investing in the Louisiana lottery. THOSE
among the higher classes are also very cul,
| tivated, speaking English. French, ana
| Spanish. and being skilfnl musicians ana
| conversationalists. At least found those
| whom l met to be possessed OF these ac-
complishments.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE.
One of the sights that particularly I'M
presses O stranger in New Orleans are .ns
| gigantic iron structures now being erecte9i
at every other corner for the purpose Oh
| assisting the firemen in extinguishing nres.
| They are built very much after the styiee
| of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, though OF
course on not so complicated q scale, ana
their height is only about 175 feet. IheSss
| towers, which are constructed entirely OF
iron. being a mere framework, rest on
| four legs, each one of which touches one
corner of the street. Thus vehicles can
pass under them WITH perfect facility ana
| the streets are in no wise impeded.,
Ali of the telephone, electric, ana otnel
wires will be attached on these structures,
so that in case of fire the fremen Will not
have to cut their way through them as tney
did in this city recently at the fre on Mhin
street.
ELEVATED c1sTERNs.
There will also be cistern on the top OF
| the tower, and this will be connected py
narrow piping with a sort of culvert oI
tank at the foot of the structure. VI
course this tank at the foot Is covered
with iron cappings like the ordinary celar-
cap, so as not 10 render the streets lmpass-
| able. In case of q fire, however, TINS can
be lifted and the water obtained from the
tank, and coming as it does. from sucn
| tremendous altitude it can be sent ire
mendous distance by the hose.
| The fire department of New Orleans, py
| the way. is excellent and, although all the
houses in the city are built very close To-
gether, the flames can make but little mead
way when once the firemen reach thein'
| Six regular men are employed az every sta
ton, while the city also has very large
volunteer corps of firenen. The horses
which pull the apparatus are said 70 DC
wonderfully trained and help in large oe-
gree TO make the department what 1t is.
THE CRESCENT CITY POLICE.
Speaking Of the New Orleans fremen re-
minds me of their police. Somehow these
didnot impress me very favorably, althoug1l =
| they are certainly very courteous ana
| oblfging 10 strangers. As class they are
| by no means so large and handsome as our
| Richmond watchmen, and / do not believe
they as polished in their manners.
Whenever bar-room or theatre OF low
caste has particularly bad reputation po1;;
! licemen are detailed to stay there at all
hours to prevent bloodshed. Their badges
are very pretty. representing q star and
crescent. As in the large northern cities,
patrol wagons are used to carry prisoners
| to the stations, and the unfortunate sot
who falls into the hands of these guardians
| of the law is hustled off to prison-baIs ID
the twinkling of an eye,
THE PRIVATE RESIDENCES.
The private residences in New Orleans
are very beautiful, though rarely over two
stories high. They are generally built OF
wood, as brick renders their interiors very
warm in summer.
Some of the grounds adjoining the
houses are simply exquisite and exactly
fulfill the poets descriptions OF typical
southern homes, with palms and orange
trees growing along the walks and fragrant
roses clustering over the porches.
Nearly every house has its balconies,
which generally extend around the entire
building, and on these the handsome
Louisiana maidens spend hours and hours.
At this season of the year nearly all the
people SIT on their porches and enjoy the
sweet zephyrs which are waited from Lake
Ponchartrain and the Gulf OF Mexico,
though recently a cold wave touched the
town. and, chilling the atmosphere, blight
ed many fair flower that nodded IT'S
pretty head TO the tepld breezes.
The oranges which grow in New Orleans,
and which in themselves make the city
beautiful TO strangers, ure not at Cor food,
as they are exceedingly bitter and the
trees require grating to make the fruit
palatable. They make attractive, orna-
mental trees, however, and when IN full
fruit are surprisingly lovely.
SOMETHING ABOUT IT REMINDS OF RICHMOND.
In describing New Orleans it is a hard
matter TO indlvidualize, for everything
within this mighty southern city is inter
esting and there are so many things that
strike the eye and please the fancy. Yet,
notwithstanding all these, something in
the quaint and hospitable old town re-
minds me of Richmond. 1t may be the
courteous and kind-hearted Louisianians
who are so nearly akin to the proud Nir-
einians, or perhaps it is that reserve and
good-breeding which prevent them from
blowing" about their home and its supe-
rIority-a good quality which the inhabi-
tants Of certain " hustling towns" do not
possess.
New Orleans people seem to idolize Rich
mond and Virginia and TO look upon them
They do not boast of having more inhabi-
tants, more life, more energy, and more
goaheadedness," but simply say when
they meet us: How do you like our
city! Come and take something with u.s."
And right here may suggest that by the
initiating process carried on in certain
other southern towns. Richmond with her
facilities could puff herself up to the size
of second London.
KIGHT-INCH SMILES.
It is my misfortune TO see something lu-
dicrous even in the sublimest of things.
and as / cast my enraptured optics upon
the exquisite floats in the Rex procession l
could not refrain from letting my classic
features occasionally ripple into an eight
inch smile, for there seemed at times some
thing so inexpressibly ridiculous in the
masculine nymphs and goddesses who
skipped around In the tableaux and kissed
their tobacco-stained fingers to the multi
tude.
For instance. in some lovely flower, just
opening one would see fairy clad in the
most exquisite garments, but one glance at
her forty-two inch waist or her No. slip
per would dispel all sentiment. IL l re-
member correctly one or two of the mer.-
maids | saw were smoking cigars (not that
it has ever been proven that mermaids do
not smoke) but somehow it looked incon-
sistent to me.
And then all the creatures had on such
awfully short skirts, and seemed to think
that everybody wanted to see them dance
the ballet. However, Will say that those
New Orleans club men who personated the
nymphs and goddesses made about as
good-looking females as any fellows in the
world could, and | simply argue from the
standpoint that without women the grand
est Of spectacles are nought. E.R. @.
Would-Be House-Bnrners Arrested.
In the early morning of the I'd instant
the residence of John j. Lawson. ESQ.,, of
South Boston, was set on fire. which was
discovered and extinguished before doing
any great amount of damage. A short
time before Mr. Lawson's smoke-house
was burned.
Satisfied that there was fire-fend about
he determined to have the matter investi-
gated and secured the services of Mr.. A..
III. Brownell, general manager of the John
Wren Detective Agency, of this city. The