The sun., 1898-06-19
vOUDoO QUEENS GRAVE.
TWO NORTHERN PILGRIMS HEAR
ABOUT MARIE LAVEAU.

G0i0Fou-She
That Were to Happen, and Fine Ladlos
visltca Her-DemAnd for Graveyard Relics.
Graveyard relics are not in 30 great demand
In tho North as they arc down South. Southern
people pick up the superstitions Of the negroes.
OF course they laugh at a good many OF these
weird notions. but, good deal In Jest and lit
tie bit in earnest, they observe the forms of
these beliefs. Two Northern women who were
In New Orleans not long ago wero good deal
amused by the information they picked up along
this line.
1t all camo about through their hunt for the
cottage OF Marie Laveau. At one time Mario
Laveau was the Queen of tho famous Voudoos,
who held their strange rites and dances in
Congo Square. The voudoo scot was broken up
long ago and their dances forbidden. More re- |
Gently, in order to Danish completely all such |
memories and ideas from the minds Of the /
darkies. the city authorities changed the name |
OF tho open place to Beauregard Square, but |
1t didn't do much good. They can call It that In |
the directory and paint the namo at the corners,
but the negroes call 1t Congo Square. |
Tho two Northern women, guide book In |
hand were wandering about the French quar-
ter locating various points Of interest, when |
they arrived at st. Anne street. Tho guide |
book informed them that a certain "low.roofed
cottage"in In o certain block was once the home Of
Mario Laveau. As matter Of fact. five out of
low Of roof. and tho two explorers finally APP
poalod to a great darky woman who was ma
jestically approaching with basket of clean
clothes on her head.
"Can you tell me which was Marie Laveau's
cottagef' they asked.
Marie ther namo turned out to be Marie
Smth) grinned. She had only three or four front
teeth left, and when che spoke her tongue
seemed to get all tangled up with these teeth.
Fta TAIA Ma-fn
Laveau. that was Mis- Lejane's mothah she
| died ten yeah ago. Mis- LejHne, she's daid too.
| That was huh house, that one ovah thah. Yes
sum-"
The house she indicated was almost falling to
/ pieces 1t was hidden behind a high, tight board
fence. so that only the sagEinE. heavily tiled
| roof could be seen above, and through the opon
! gateway, the bulginR sides and racked window
| frames.
"Dats pow'ful ole nouSe dat is. Yessum.
| Dat house is oldeh n my mothch. You know
| DIR. Foote'S house 'roun in Canal street Well.
them two houses Is de olest houses in New
X9H % Ssn de-
topheh Columbia he lan'ed in New Awl'ns two
hunnered yoah ago. dey was jes' dis heah house
Marie Layeau. she was Injun., yo know.
| Yessum. Folks thinks as she was culud Lawd,
mol l was brought up right lonRside o. huh an
know. She was great woman, she was. Yo'
an show e'S You NV whah she's buried y
There is absolutely. no way Of spelling the
Of S
women said they would be delighted to be car.
ing invitation from Marie to be carried over to
be introduced to the owner Of the clothes in the
"she's a ye'y nice lady" said Marie persua-
siycy. mis- Joblots from Tennessee. Yessum.
IT'S 'Ts 1,tr funny name amt it' But she's vo'y
The Northern women refused to be persuaded
ens np HSrs MTs for S
cemetery. She carried " them over. as agreed
old St louis oro%aaS Of th tS %SIs
S or odE feet
around to one Of the best OF the tombs and there
And was she really the voudoo Queen -
Marie looked cautiously over her shoulder and
glanced around the corner Of the tomb.
"Yo' neveh knows who may be a-istenin' to
IN Shs said gr.a in hushsd Momsn vosS sSs
eTsS to R% %
told huh, Ireckon. 1t sho' wasn't any bad spirit,
,, gal used to have to step ovah the lniuns i In
Yessum. They lived oveh cross the lake then
! an whom they come in town she used to let EN-
: "She didn't only tell de cullud people what to
do and how to git luck ay hawd' fr p. put h I've
. side o Canal street. She made lots o money
l. she did. But she was good! Fur instance
TO bo fg use" hiring ssE
wuhk an was bad, they'd bring him off dowr
%Jus, whip him gooqr they'd say to huh. =
I; gives yo' my free puhmisson. they s"y.
d But laval she nevoh whipped none Of EN-
No. sub! she was jus good to en- and tole EN-
how much betteh OF they'd be Of they didn'
git into trouble an sho, nu. they Em was a
a. Eodmotheh 70 the ole jail an when anybod!
a stay ed with 'enl. An she always had shrou,
made fur EN-. too. an she paid fur em to gi
The sun was beating down pretty hot abou
this time. so the NortheTners 11, suggested ths
and finish their talk there; AS they turned t
go Marie brushed some whitowash from thei
hen .sSHn against the ,n tGmb she Re
Sas 81 hsnP sG II. 0 s S rRS sR
q to the door when they appeared:
Marie and Henri stood and talked. ~
well know nSSps What doT seems ems ot TO thin
;. % Sdie" p passed in through the gate hesh an
IN lookin' through my window. ohsuhved that
ea1 snthnE Il in heT n,.b Sh% bSs
them approachin' along that aise an one OF e
ne was carEyin' pSp?h bag: ,S:v 3essmm stepPt
ID ovoh an, looked in that bag an. as expected.
~ seen skull thah. ..... 49,.
of take that skull Outen heAh.'
T. 80 Oh, but We need IT, says one of EN-.
oi yo woSidas Sc tTyn P' 70 carry ar UT Il or
could ha' done it 'thout my seein yo', 'twou
to. ha' ben all right. You could e had the & sku
es, what SEE to en-"
)u "And didn't you let them have itT
No" very solemny II couldn't Why. l.
'rS beon offered plenty o. money TO skulls an bon
'h- OF various kinds. Some people they wants o
ha bone an some they wants anotheh. Not lol
ago they young man como heah and he
fered me 90 TO- the fust joint O. the thud fng
ng o. the lef han OF g lii chile bout five yeahs
be, age. He was awful paht tickleh: yessum."
,os Did you got him the bone
res ies "Oh. no, missf' reproachfully.
eh BY this time Marie was getting little Il
MS patient because she was left out of the CO
o. versation. so she plunged in.
eer eer- "Oh. pshaw!' she exclaimed. " / reckon tn
no mus ha' bon Baptis', them people. ain g
- no use 70 de Baptis'. Dey make too much moi
ne ne TO- to suit me. YeSsum, Use Catholic. O. COZ
Ar- But love to try all de religions what ] g
me ne In de Baptis chuhch. Yessum."
iee- Then why are you O Catholic r.