The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-01-19

AL LALlT AA aiAUdAN 81
have spoken for places at the hotels.
Mardi Gras Is observed in Mobile and
Galveston as well as at New Orleans.
but nowhere else in America has it OBJ
tanned much foothold. The Mardi Gras
Of these cities Is an American modi-
ticatiOn Of the carnival of the cities of
southern Europe. On both sides of the
Atlantic the festivities held just before
the beginning of the Lenten season serve
as a sort of goodby to good times till aft
er Easter. Indeed the very word car
uivalT tcarni-vale) is supposed to signify
farewell to flesh" and was applied to
these festivities because no good church
man may eat meat during Lent. In all 1.-The
carnival cities. whether on the banks of
tine Tiber. the Seine or the Mississippi,
one Of the chief features of the period is
light hearted gayety. But there are great
differences between the carnival observ-
ances of the old and the new worlds.
In Europe the fun is more sponta-
neous-more extemporaneous, 30 to
speak-and entered into more for it's own
sake than in America. There are ex-
cesses there unheard of here, and there
Is also far less Of systematized and i'm
posing display.
This latter feature of the carnival in
New Orleans dates back only to 1867
and is doubtless the result of ENGRAVING
upon the Latin idea of harlequin frivol-
ity the American bent for organization.
In the old days. when the creole element
was supreme in the Crescent City, the
last few days before the beginning OF
Lent were celebrated by promiscuous
maskers upon the public streets, and
there was much rude fun Of a sort some
what similar to that which characterize
the same period abroad.
The organization Of parades vas at
tempted several years before it was &C.
compllshed, but the first appearance OF
the Mystic krewe did not occur until thu
evening OF Feb. "A. four years before the
beginning OF the civil war. The first pa.
rade was a satisfying success. The char
acters In the procession. which vas held
III the evening. represented the deniZenS
Of the Internal regions as depicted il
Millions Paradise Lost, and the unique
display was followed by brilliant bal
at the NarIetie5 theater. From this time
until the war storm broke Owe the LAND
the Mystic krewe paraded yearly, with
annually augmented splendor, but after
1861 it was suspended until 1866, wher
the festivities were revived and have
been repeated every year since, save wher
interrupted by pestilence or political up
heaval. The Mystic Krewe, however
disappeared in 1884 and was not seer
again for five or six years.
The first day parade took place in 1872
when Rex, king Of the carnival" as
sumed regal power over the city for 2
hours. His sham sovereignty was ex
tended over all classes, including ever
the strangers within the gates" Thi,
new departure was a success from thu
start, so much sc indeed that the reigl
Of Rex was shortly extended to cove
two days, on the first of which his maj
esty arrives, and on the second of which
the Mardi Gras parade proper is held
In 1872 and the year following tn
knights of Menus" appeared on New
Years eve. but in 1876 this organization
became a feature Of the carnival itself
= In 1873 the ''Phunny Priority Phellows
added themselves to the parades. in 1888
the ''Krewe Of Proteus" appeared, ant
. every year since then these division
: have increased their gorgeousness o
new ones have been added until it j