Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-01
borne, and they appear to be fairy palaces

borne, and they appear to be fairy palaces
floating on this living sea.
High up on the summit Of the first float,
in sombre state, with gilded horns and be-
decked with garlands, stands fatted bull,
''Le Boeuf Gras," for this feature of the
celebration is travesty on an old Roman
festival in which q bull was sacrificed to
the gods, and so for this poor fellow it is
not triumphal march, hnt funeral pro-
cession, for at its close be will be offered up
on the butchers block, and happy is that
butcher, and golden his rewards, who can
advertise to his customers steaks and fllets
from 'Le Boeuf Gras-"
The Theme of the Procession.
Then follows Immediately before Re1's
own chariot. the title page, as it may be
called, the theme OF the procession. This
year it was the Kings Visions" and after
the royal chariot follow visions OF industry,
war. pean, history, beauty. poetry, and the
whole long list of abstracts that are accus-
toned to do duty as composition subjects.
Indeed, it is claimed by the local press that
these are Compositions, vast object lessons,
lmpressing the minds OF the spectators with
the dignity of these themes and cultivating
their imaginations. 1t is admitted that if
these thousands of dollars were expended
for a mere passing show, aiming only to
please the eye, it would be an unwarranted
expenditure; but the aim is to instruct
Which all sounds very we'll, but it would
be safe wager that not one in hundred OF
that promiscuous crowd sees anything in
the Rex procession but gorgeous parade.
On the different floats, throwing favors to
the crowds and emblematically costumej,
are mum berless maskers Parade is hardly
the word for this spectacle, it is rather a
series OF moving tableaux. The floats them
selves run rather to the fantastic than the
elegant, but elegance may be justly claimed
Tor the costuming of the maskors. It is
specially rich, and not q mere attempt at
orllllancy and gaudy effect, but the result
OF long and careful study, and in such cases
as the nature of the subject admits, designed
with historical accuracy.
Features Little Out of Harmony.
And yet even here there are grotesque
features which the kindly disposed critic,
however, can readily overlook. Fair
ladies" watt kisses with hands that were
made for heavier work, and their awkward
ness of movement bespeaks them all unused
to feminine apparel. Not so easy to over
look is the inability of many of the maskers
to diyest themselves of the notion that they
are on circus parade and must make clowns
OF themselves, or distort themselves and
stare like the hideous maskers that ride be-
side the drivers of the animal dens. The
Kings mounted mobiles, too, grow rather
tiresome. They are all masked alike, and
that set, unchanging expression, as they
stare vacantly around, becomes first ridicu-
lous, then stupid. -E
1t would be too much to describe here the
different floats in detail. Before nightfall
they have disappeared from the streets, and
fta IL ~
and 'Proteus" with their "Mistick Krewes. !"
These night professions are camparativelyf
late growth, and are given at cost OF tens
of thousands of dollars by two q the city's
wealthiest social clubs, the Rex parade and
ball being given Jointly by three clubs.
Shrouded in Mystery.
Proteus and Comus keep the nature of
their parades, the place of forming and all
about them a profound secret Forming in
some out-of-the-way quarter Immediately
after nightfall, they steal toward the center
of the city in shadow and silence, to burst
suddenly upon the expectant multitudes in
a flood of golden glory and music. Rex"
was grand, indeed, but cold beside this
dream of loneliness. Here are the same
magnifcence, the same prodigality
and richness, while over all and
around all is poured a harmonious
profusion of soft-toned lights, converting the
whole into scene the fairy's wand could
scarce initiate.
These professions, too, are artistic units.
This year Proteus gave TALES of the Genii,"
car after car of bewildering Oriental rich
ness picturing familiar scenes OF Mohamme-
dan lore, while Comus flashed out in % daz-
zling studies In demonology. "Wraiths of
the Rainbow, "Imps of Darkness, ''Sirens
of Temptation" Demons OF Remorse," and
like subjects furnished unlimited oppor-
tunity for display.
Rex and His Reception.
The parades over, all interest centers in
the balls. Even the theaters give way to
them. Their name is legion; rybody goes
to some of them, and some 60 to all Of them.
First there is the Rex" where the King re-
ceives in state with his chosen
Queen, the "Queen of the Carnival"
Personal invitations to the Rex are COM
paratively easily procured, and q large pro-
portion of the visiting thousands secure
them. Truly it is a noble and pitilul
sightl Thousands of patient sufferers, worn
and weary, pressing close upon each other to
catch a glimpse OF this ephemeral kingl
What would it be if we had a real one? 1t
is the thing now to speak lightly of our
English cousins and the homage they pay to
royalty; but, after all, if the New Orleans
visitors may be taken as representative Of
the American public, there is good deal.
even to them, in the name of king.
There is little to do at the Rex ball but to
stand, perspire profusely. and possibly be
pushed into the current that struggles past |
the royal dais.
The balls of Comus and Proteus are more
silent and less crowded, but even these are
very dense. They are attended mainly by |
New Orleans people, and are looked forward |
to by the home bellies with deepest interest, |
for their sweethearts have been the maskers |
in the night parades, and will attend the |
balls in gorgeous costume. Magnificent
favors, too, are given, and altogether the |
Comus and Proteus balls are the society |
events of the carnival.
With them the carnival ends; and is no |
sooner ended than its moving spirits set |
about devising plans by which the next shall |
,urpass the last and every other. W.