The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-09
SNOWSTORM IN NEW ORLEANS.

AS every one knows, New Orleans is pre-
eminently city of pleasure. Whatever
may happen, Let joy be unconfined," is the
rule of life in this semi tropical city. Balls
are the mediums through which this thought
finds chief expression as Carnival Tuesday
approaches One Wednesday, following
that browning day of the season, the morn
ing papers chronicled two hundred balls,
while no man might count the number in
cluded in that closing phrase of the society
column, land others
OF all the balls, the most popular-solely
because OF it's rarity-is the SNOWFALL. So
soon as the snow begins to fall with suf-
ficient rapidity to make a SNOWFALL possi-
BILE all the schools are dismissed and
the young American hastens to his
happy hunting ground Usually he takes
his stand at street corner where several
lines of cars pass When the motorman sees
"de gang he turns on the power and comes
inside the He holds the front door,
the conductor guards the rear door, while
the passengers hold the windows. AS the
car speeds by the attacking party it is en-
veloped in a miniature Gave of the Winds"
of snow. The fieecy mass comes from all
Sides from above and below. Woe betide
the car which does not carry enough pas
SengerS to hold all the windows fast. In
such a case the unguarded windows are
thrown down and snow is thrown into
the car in scoop-shovel lots. Safely past
the corner, the motorman stops his
car and all hands set to work to clean
the car. The company furnishes extra
brooms for each car while the sport lasts
Every one joins in the sport. Servant and
mistress unite in the bombardment of pass
ing cars. 1t is amusing to see woman
throw at any time, but when she is a serv-
ant girl with large leghorn picture-hat
on her towsled head her kitchen apron
tied crooked, her skirts pinned we'll up out
of the way; then, when she aims d killing
glance at the mOtorman (Which always, goes
true) and, in trying to follow the look with
an equally killing SNOWFALL losses the ball
clear over the car, While throwing her feet
toward the horizon, the effect is enough
to turn a comedian green with envy
Down town the Board of Trade adjourns,
While the bankers and cotton brokers who,
fire minutes before were making and break
ing fortunes, are now making and break
ing snowballs. The clerks, set free from
the daily contact with the books they
loathe gather along the streets, and uniting
forces with the newsboys, pelt their en-
ployers to their hearts content. But let
some old or-for youth is sometimes ram
corous-some, young curmudgeon pass by
with supercilious stare, and the thought
which comes to him, so soon as he is capa-
bic of thought, is the immortal question,
Where am / at?"
AT one crossing Chicagoan was disposed
to punish a small newsboy who. had the
temerity to strike his silk plug hat The
man had begun to shake the little fellow
before the bystanders took in the situation
and this outrage under the sacred shadow
of Henry Clay! A blue-coated officer of the
law saw the fracas, and with smile of
delight he siezed the irate Chicagoan and
said in eager tones: See here, none of
that If you can't hold your temper you
better stay indoors
With whoop, the crowd set itself the
task of making an interesting time for the
stranger. He stood it for a moment, and
then the Crescent City had Chicago run
ming. Five minutes later, as he stood bare
headed and gasping in a sheltering drug
store, it would have required a mind
reader to tell what the shapeless mass he
held in his hand had once BEEN The fol-
lowing day a barrel organist stood in front
of the Cotton Exchange, unheeded by the
passers as he worked away. Finally the
cylinder brought forth well-known strains
The passing crowd paused and laughed
loudly, and the organist went off after the
performance with a broad grin as he rat
tied the nickels in his pocket. The fetching
aria was the plaintive melody-"After the
Ball. ALBERT r. Atkinson.
Indianapolis, Jan. Z.