The Republican journal., 1904-03-10
THE CARNIVAL CITY.
Orleans. Down the Mississippi to Meet
REX" Visit to Chalmette Battle Ground.
Sunshine Fruit and Flowers.

*.
Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers.
Correspondence of The Journal.
New ORLEANS, Feb. %, 1904. Mar
di Gras has come and gone. Lent has
begun, and the Carnival of 1904 has
passed into history as one of the most
brilliant on record. New Orleans
claims the distinction of introducing
this festival on American soil as fal
back as 1927, and remains supreme as
the Carnival City" No rival can
wrest from her the laurels she has
made, won and wears so proudly. The
beautiful balmy air and bright sun.
shine, the lavish expenditure of money
on the part of the public spirited eiti,
zens and the thousands of visitors who
yearly flock to the city, all unite in
making a harmonious whole. and give
to Mardi Gras distinctive character.
When a year ago 1 sat Oh a balcony
overlooking the beautiful Saint Charles
Avenue and witnessed the gorgeous
parades | hardly expected ever to see it
again, but a year has rolled away and |
ind myself seated on the same gallery,
surrounded by the same pleasant south
ern friends and admiring, if not the
same. even more brilliant scenes than
one year ago.
The gaieties of the Carnival, which
have extended over a period of more
than a mouth, beginning with the
Twelfth Night Revelers, who derive
their names from the day they cele-
brate, January 6th, the twelfth night
from Christmas when succession of
balls, parties. receptions have taken
place eliminated February 10th with
she Mardi GIas. The city was gaily
decorated with the Kings colors-pur-
pie. green and mingled with
our own national red. white and blue,
~ nile all the trolley cars, market wag-
ons. coal carts and many other vehicles
showed their patriotism to their king
and country Thousands of incandes-
cent lights had been strung along the
streets and on the public buildings,
forming dazzling chains of brilliancy.
The store windows were marvels Of
beauty and cleaning lights, and the
general make up was indeScribable. The
parades, five in all, took place at diff
lpa
ful Their colossal size, the artistic
beauty and ingenuity of the designs
represented by these floats some TWEEN
ty u more i'll each PARADE the harmo-
mons coloring, supplemented by the
blaze of hundreds of torches and color
ed lights, while the music from scores
of bands fioated out on the evening air,
and the mass of tluttering handker-
chiefs from the galleries made a scene
OF brilliancy beyond the limits of pen
or imagination; literal peep into
fairy land.
The carnival parades are managed
by private citizens Of high social stand
ing. members of the Carnival Asso
cations, and they spare no expense to
make the street pageants as magnifi-
cent as possible. The expense Of a sin
gle display ranges from 100000 to $50
o0o and sometimes higher. The people
are not taxed: they only come from
their own homes to see and enjoy what
these spirited citizens have pro-
vlded. In getting up the parade about
1903 men are detailed to appear in the
display. Everything is shrouded in the
utmost secrecy
Early Tuesday morning, February
10Th. the city was astir, and for one day
at least all men were free and equal.
Prince and pauper, white and black,
stood on the same plane and all bore
with the utmost good nature the rude
out well-meant jostling of the crowd,
Who in masks and grotesque costumes
paraded the streets in carriages or on
foot, sang. danced, kissed their hands
10 the spectators, INDUCED in all sorts
II merriment and made everybody
enter into the general hilarity with the
same degree of enthusiasm. Some of
the burlesque floats and advertising
vans displayed a degree of art and iu-
genuity not rivaled by the more mag
nificent pageants that had cost a years
labor and fabulous amount of money
Little ones, hardly able to walk alone,
bad their harlequin costumes and masks
and if they did not understand why
they were made to look SO strange they
evidently had a good time and enjoyed
she excitement. At six D. NJ, as if by
magic, all masks are removed; such is
the inevitable rule and from it there is
no appeal.
That evening, having been favored
with an invitation, we attended the
Kings reception and ball at the Royal
Palace, Washington Artillery Hall. J
This ball is more general, of course
shan the others which are given by the
different clubs and organizations, though
it is no easy matter to obtain tickets
for this, as all admissions to the ball
are by invitation. 1t was fine affair.
Tho conventional avapinu 6racc the