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

this time, and already many strangers
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 IL OBJ
tanned much foothold. The Mardi Gras
of these cities is an American modi-
6cation 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 serve
as a sort of goodby to good tines till aft
er Easter. Indeed the very word sscar-
nival" (carni-vale) is supposed TO signify
farewell to flesh" and was applfed to
these festivities because no good church
man may eat meat during Lent. In all the
carnival cities, whether on the banks of
| the 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 moref for its own
sake than in America. There are ex-
cesses there unheard of here, and there
il also far less of systematized and inn
posing display.
This latter feature Of the carnival in
New Orleans dates back only to 1857
and is doubtless the result Of ENGRAVING
upon the Latin idea of harlequin frivoE
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 characterizes
the same period abroad.
The organization of parades was at
tempted several years before it was &C
complished, but the first appearance of
the Mystic Krewe did not occur until the
evening of Feb. "a, four years before the
beginning of the civil wal. The first pa
rade was a satisfying success. The char
acters in the procession, which was held
in the evening, represented the denizens
of the Internal regions as depicted in
Milton's Paradise Lost, and the unique
display was followed by q brilliant ball
at the Varieties theater. From this time
until the war storm broke over the land
the Mystic Krewe paraded yearly, with
annually augmented splendor, but after
1851 it was suspended until 1866, when
the festivities were revived and have
been repeated every year since, ave when
interrupted by pestilence or political up
heaval. The Mystic Krewe, however,
disappeared in 1884 and was not seen
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 "a
hours. His sham sovereignty was ex,
tended over all classes, including even
'the strangers within the gates" Thit
new departure was a success from thu
start, 80 much so indeed that the reigr
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 thi
knights Of Momus" appeared on New
Years eve, hut in 1875 this organization
became q feature of the carnival itself
In 1878 the ''Phunny Priority Phellows
added themselves to the parades. in 1873.
, the "Krewe of Proteus" appeared, ant
. every year since then these division
. have increased their gorgeousness q
new ones have been added until it j