The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-23
FEATURES Of
new ORLEANS
MR.. RICHMOND WRITES CON.
CERxS1Na HOME OF CREoLEs.

MR.. RICHMOND WRITES CON-
cERSINa HOME OF cREoLEs.
Graphic Description of the Strange
City and Its People--The Creoles
-..~ Not a Mixed Race, but the De-
soendants of French and Spanish
Nobility - The Splendid Electric
System, Pleasure Resorts. Cotton
Presses, Oil Mills.
n ROTARLY no feature of the city of
New Orleans strikes the visitor so
ravorably as the spendidly
equipped electric ear system, operated
by the street railway companies and 1t
is with no little pride that the average
citizen can nut forth the undisputed
statement that the day is past for the
large bob-tail car, drawn by one mule
and rope traces, as was the case on a
previous visit here Today New Or
leans has the finest street car service
of any city in the world. The system
operated by the New Orleans City Rail-
road company embraces fifteen lines of
cars (over two-thirds of all the street
cars of the city,. reaching from one end
of the city to the other and penetrating
every suburb This company has ia
miles of track and operates $50 to 800
ears daily, on car routes embracing 150
miles. The ears are of the very latest
design and build. with new cross seats.
Syp1 iS yN.tS "a ft,,&.t
by sprinklng the streets through which
the cars are operated. Four sprinkling
:ars are constantly used in this SER
'ice-Canal street being the main bust
ness artery Of the city. is the starting
point for all cars of this system.
PLEASURE RESORTS.
New Orleans is especially well sup
piled with places of open-air resorts for
summer and winter, in addition to the
numerous squares which stud the resi-
dence portion OF the city and the city
park. The lake resorts are the most
popular West End, Spanish Fort and
Milneburg--all located on Lake Pon-
chartrain and easily reached by cleo
trio and steam railroads Each has a
hotel, d fine restaurant. a theatre, and
other amusements the year round.
While all the country north of Mason's
and Dixon's line is locked in ice, it's
trees leafless, and it's homes stormed by
fierce Arctic winds, New Orleans, dur
ing the entire winter, smiles through
the green of orange and magnolia trees.
Her gardens are bright with flowers.
the streets are filled with loungers and
sight-seers: all the open-air resorts are
crowded. and there is busy hum of
gaiety and music and laughter every
where. New Orleans has a characteris-
tic easy-goins music and amusement
loving people.
THE SPANISH FORT.
The resort is some five miles distant.
reached by steam trains. 1t is "a small
village with pleasure gardens, situated
at the mouth of Bayou st. john
stream navigable for schooners and
connects with New Canal CarOndelet
leading to the center of the city. The
fort erected by the SDaniards (called
st. john was armed and garrisoned by
them during their occupation of the
colony. being too far inland, was of no
service and abandoned. a part of its
armament remains. also the contour of
the fortitication. which is built of small
brick. is yet well preserved-the vener-
able walls showing as little signs of de-
cay as when the proud banner of Cas-
tile waved over them. Outside of the
fort are pleasure gardens with walks
ana flowers all kept in beautiful Or
der. Nearby is concert hall. Il sum-
lner theater and Sundry amuSementS
AN object OF interest in the garden is
an Old torpedo boat. iished up out of
the canal as Il relic of the Civil war.
General jackson occupied this fort in
lsld when he engaged and defeated
General Pakenham at Chalmette.
PONCHARTRAIN RAILROAD.
IT may interest the reader to know
that this is the second oldest railroad
IN the country, only being ante-d dated
by the Charleston and Savannah and
considered in it's day a wonder. Along
its line We're erected the first freight
platforms ever used. The railroads OF
England and the United States for
many years unloaded their freight as
wagons unload, until this road invented
the simple platform which was speed
lily adopted by all railroads. The car
track was first laid down in the middle
OF the canal route which had been
drained: the tops of the cars being level
to step from the ton of the car on
terra firma." 1t is also a curious fact
in those days when the primitive loco
motive used then could not generate
steam sufficient sails were attached to
the cars to propel the trains. This road
is owned by the Louisville and Nash
vile railway and reaches Milneburg,
small village and famous resort in early
"CreOle" dayS-and named for Min,
wealthy Creole citizen. The village
is composed of series of restaurants
and bathing houses and at the end of
the long pier is IA light house with a
tiash-lght. Here are the remains OF
notifications erected by the Confeder-
atcs during the Civil war to defend the
rear of the city.
COTTON PRESSES.
one of the great sights of the CITY
are the cotton presses and an eXamin-
alton of their powerful machinery is
worthy of attention, These congresses
cost from SS0CO0 to 100000 each The
bales OF cotton received from the in
terror are reduced three fourths of their
former size. The cost of compressing
bale is fifty cents, which the shin
owner pays, for thus it is enabled to
take larger cargo. 1t is curious
sight to see these steam giants-some
twenty-five In number--with their
strong arms at work. The bale Is
seized by stout negroes rolled into the
compress and squeezed by it with a
demOniac-like kissing sound. The iron
bands or ties are frightened and then
this iron giant let's go it's victim with
n eaSD and the hale rolls olIt raa,,na1