Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-12-19
NEW oRLEANS CELEBRATES

New Orleans. Dec 1.-THE pres.
ence OF the warships OF three nations
and the attendance OF scores of prom
i1ent visitors from various parts OF
the country give promise that the
celebration of the Louisiana Purchase
centennial, which begins tomorrow
and continues three days, will surpass
IN scope and brilliance the most san
Luine expectations of its promoters.
Visitors are already arriving In large
numbers and the crowded streets and
public places resemble the Mardi
Gras throngs
New Orleans Is particularly pleased
over the presence of the Spanish man
Gf-war Rio de la Plata, which is the
Lrst Spanish war vessel 10 visit this
country since the SpanishAmerican
war. The new French man-of-war
Graviere Is also here, while the Unit
cd States navy Is represented by the
cruiser Minneapolis and several small
| lor vessels.
During the three days OF the cele-
| Lration there will be civic, military
and religious ceremonies. a colonial
| tall, colonial exhibit and o naval
/ parade. Though there will be several
,.arades and other spectacular feat
ures. the program in its entirety has
been so arranged as to appeal more
| to the student of history than to the
ordinary sightseer. Conditions are
| favorable to this arrangement, as all
the old buildings connected with ths
transfer are still standing In very
much the same condition as they
were a century ago.
Thus the main ceremonies will take
place in the Cabillo. the government
house under the spanish and French
regimes, now the supreme court build
ing. II has been furnished exactly
as II was on the day OF the transfer
The exercises will include the read
ing OF the original transfer, and Lous
sat, Claiborne, Wilkerson and othel
commissioners will be represented
by prominent citizens in the costumes
of the times.
The religious ceremonies in the ST
i-VhAC NoNh'hAai VIII bt IufHNlfdl VIII
those of hundred years ago and thu
salute will be fired from Jackson
square formerly the Place d'Armes
and from a cannon a century old
The colonial exhibit Will remair
open a month in the Archiepiscopa
alace, formerly the Ursuline Con
vent, the Oldest public building il
the Mississippi valley. The exhibi
will include large number of In
teresting relics which have bee
preserved by the Creole families o
New Orleans
The program as finally complete
will be opened tomorrow with a recer
: ton and ball In the Cablllo. TIL
: celebrated beauties OF New Orlean
will dance the mnuet in costume
: duplicating those of colonial days
: and an old fashioned New 'Crlean
: supper will interrupt the dancing a
: midnight. This event ia in charge @
: the ladies of the Historical societ,
: its patronesses representing the bes
: and oldest families of New Orleans
, Saturday morning the commemor;
!, tive exercises will be held in the CT
, Lido at which there will be addresse
!, Ly Governor Heard and the Frenc
!, and Spanish ambassadors, nollowe
: by a military parade and a naval n
: view before the city. In the evenin
|. the guests OF the city will attend
|. special gala performance at th
!, French opera house.
Sunday. which will be the real Gel
tenary OF the transfer, the day wi
legin with high mass and TIE Deul
IN the old cathedral, after which. {
\ the hour when the actual transfs
took place, there will be an cratic
from the balcony OF the Cabildo an
the national colors will be raise
\ amid the booming OF cannons in Jacl
L son suuarQ