The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-19
Historic Buildings Make the
Crescent City Attractive.
ARE MANY FINE STATUES
The old French and Spanish Quarters
and the French Market Are In
teresting Places The
Shipping of Cotton.
BY SAM F. cLABAuah.


New Orleans is a great city--in fact. al
most as great as Birmingham, and in
some respects little greater. The two
cities cannot be ce&pared, however. the
one being 200 years old and the other
only about 80.
Every Birmingham person after visiting
other southern cities return home con-
vinced that Birmingham is the town, and
the writer is no exception.
The first thing that a visitor from an
inland city wants to see in New Or
leans is the river. There Is much of Inc
terest to such visitor in the big ocean
ships and the Mississippi steamers. and
the hundreds of negroes busily engaged
on the levee in loading and unloading car
goes. They are scenes interesting not only
to the stranger but to people accustomed
to them. Along the wharf scores of sail
ors can be seen discussing their trip, and
the accounts of their experiences would
fill volumes.
french Quarters.
Probably the most attractive feature
of the Crescent City" however, Is the
old French quarter. This and the Span
pean cities of two hundred years ago,
and are more European, I am told than
the majority of towns in the old world to-
day. Several square miles are taken up
by the quaint old French and Spanish
residences. The streets are extremely mar
row and the houses open right on the
sidewalks, strongly resembling medieval
Europe
On every square there are grocery
stores, liquor dispensarles and oyster sa-
looms combined Some of the names on
these shops are real studies. and almost
make one forget he is in America
| OF course the French market is always
interesting. The first thing one is re-
minded of ON entering the place is the
battle of the tongues French, Spanish,
Greek and italian, with a little Eng
fish mixed in each, can be heard along
with the dialect of the negro. When
greeted with such voley of lingual bull
let's the average visitor is not inclined to
ask many questions. but contents himself
with what he can see.
The Old Cathedral.
| Every visitor to New Orleans sees st.
Louis cathedral. This fine old building is
a most magnificent piece of architecture,
and is one of the most interesting places
In all America The architect Is buried
under the altar. After the ancient fashion,
the beadle in cooked hat red coat. sword
and halberd is present at all ceremonies.
| The Crescent City" has many beauti-
| full though not large buildings. The post
office, the city hall and Tulane university
are all fine specimens of architecture. The
| residences, unlike those n Birmingham,
are nearly all white. and they stay that
way. People seem to take more interest
in their homes than In other cities, and
consequently they are well kept. Being an
old city, New Orleans has many imposing
statues, that of Stonewall Jackson. Rob
trt E. Lee. Margaret Haughery. the
Mother of the Orphans" John MELON
ough, whose legacy helps toward sustain
Ing the public schools General Albert
Sidney Johnson, Trad Ferry. and many
others, grace her parks and squares.
Historic Cemetery.
The Metairie cemetery is visited by all
visitors to New Orleans, owing to Its his
torical interest. AS required by law, all
corpses are buried in vaults. This makes
! the burial grounds quite beautiful, as
many of the vaults are practically monu-
ments
The desire of the strenuous American
for money, prompts him to visit the mint.
and most American citizens have seen
money coined. OF course there is little
to see at the mint but money, and some
machinery, but this Is enough. and many
visitors see the mint every day.
Yes, New Orleans is a great city, with
q population of over 100000, not including
the mosquitoes. 1t is growing at a rapid
rate-more rapidly in the rast three or
four years than at any former period
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