The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-26

the other foreign population. as the Ital-
ians. and -the-larger- number ofthat
strangely interesting and composite fac
tor, the Creole population. III you ask a
parts OF The North is well founded, that
"a very attenuated portion or Indian or
negro blood may be I'm the veins OF a
Creole, you Will run the risk of forfeiting
for all time his conndence In your JudS-
ment. IL you ask him II he ever reads
the stirring, masuerly tales OF Cable, he
Will look at you with eyes askance and.
mayhap. there will be glitter In them
gin with the same letter, but that this 10
as far as the friendship goes; no, he does
not read Cable. Gable is not popular In
the French quarter; Creole. sir. may
have Spanish and French blood inter
mingled, but the slightest t-ace OF the
other two races-never!
II you ask an American-how strange
Il seems constantly TO hear this distinc-
tion!-if you ask an American resident OF
New Orleans, as did the other day, II a
Creole might have just the faintest touch
OF Indian or African blood In his veins,
coming down through some distant an
cestor, he may respond. II he r. In the
mood for 1t, and IL not 10 be quoted in
person:
Certainly. sir; a Creole doesn't have
such blood, as rule; the word Creole
does not warrant IL, but he may have II
and still be Creole" And so leave
the matter where I found it. no better
satisfied In my own mind than before.
In the French quarter OF the city are
many OF the most interesting places In
this southern capital. largely in an excel
lent state Of preservation as old places
go. and yet. TO the eye OF the outsider,
not valued or cared for as should be the
case when one considers their historical
weeks knocking about this quarter, con-
stantly running into new-old places, very
many OF which not only have the curl
ously interesting foreign flavor OF today.
streets are very narrow and paved. for
the most part. with blocks OF stone about
more than three stories in height; recall
none more than four. Everywhere are
open sewers, where all the surface water
may nov ,I,nyion sWayi in ne bath tbe American
and the French quarter. On these gal
leries or balconies, many OF them made
OF the most delicate ami interesting iron
work designs. you may see In the French
quarter In the golden sunlight Of warm
March day, the fiuttering family wash,
or a couple Of comfortable gossips ex,
news across the slender street, or you
may see a snarl OF curly headed children
Cabling away in French. or gumbo
Creole, or, mayhap, in good mother Eng-
llsh.
In some other street you may see
soldly- built. three-story house, set nush
with the banquette-there are no side
walks in New Orleans they are all ban
quettes-its curlously fashioned doors and
windows covered with heavy WOODEN
shutters or blinds. with no sign OF nfe
about It, and yet inside the doors. II you
be so fortunate as to have the entree,
you may see a beautiful court with palms
and roses and violets and greensward and
noble magnolia trees and nome or su-
perb appointments, where Creole hosbi-
tality Is delightfully."- dispensed. on the
Esplanade, the fashionable street OF the
French quarter, as ST. Charles avenue ~
OF the American, are many OF the nne
old homes OF the Creole and French fami-
lies while lower down In the city is the
Garden" district, a beautiful locality
with many superb old mansions. the
homes OF some of the best-known families
OF New Orleans.
III YOU stroll toward the river. soon the
long, low roofs OF the French market APP
pear and IL you close the eyes or the
American present and forget what soil u
miaiature Haiies Contrales, OF Paris.
where fish and game and fruits and now
ers and vegetables are being sol9 ~~ff
much as they are sold In the booths and
stalls OF that most famous market In tha
world. The French market Is one OF the
show places OF New Orleans. and on an
early morning "a you stroll along It's
stalls YOU will find the streams OF many
civilizations merging The market was
some OF the present buildings are cen
fury old. Creoles, Italians, French. Amer
leans. Indians who still remain In louisf.
ana. remnants OF ancient tribes, Mexi.
cans. negroes--the whole mosaic life OF
this southern city meets here. Hard by
is fhe ugger landing. where the oyster
sloops or iuggers. which come up the river
from the .gulf laden with the hsA and
days famous IN the calendar OF the cpl
cures You will linger long In the French
quarter N there Is that In your blood
which is touched by the rare and the plcs
turesque-and then you VIII 60 again.