Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-15
in OLD NEW ORLEANS
Many Interesting Features Of
the City.
MOST NOTED BUILDINGS
LOCATION OF THE SEAT OF POWER
FOR MANY YEARS.
Proposed Restoration Of the Old Hotel
Royale-House Intended for Napo-
leon-Plot to Rescue Him.
MOST NOTED BUILDINGS
BY wM. E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
the Chicago Record Herald

BY wM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
| the Chicago Record-Herald
NEW ORLEANS April 9, 1905.
Notwithstanding the regeneration of the
| city. all of the interesting features of Old
| New Orleans remain. None is missing.
Jackson Square, the old place darmes,
which was the center of life and society In
French and Spanish times. and which has
been the sce1e of SO much history and ro-
nance, is still untouched by the rejuvenator,
and hope it may remain SO, although
the aristocracy long ago deserted the queer
three-story buildings with which two sides
of the square are inclosed. They are the
best specimens in New Orleans of French
domestic architecture and were erected more
than a hundred years ago by the Baroness
Pontalba, daughter of Don Andres Almonas-
trey Roxas, rich hidalgo, who was COM
mandant in Spanish times and made for
| tune in the silver mines of Mexico. He
built the great cathedral, which is one of
the largest churches in the United States
and presented il to the city. For that rea-
son mass for the repose of his soul is cele-
brated at its altar at sunset every day in
the year. This custom has continued for
nearly hundred years and will continue
as long as the cathedral stands. The long
rows of uniform houses, with their big
drawing rooms anr iron balconies were
once the abode of the proudest and most
exclusive families of New Orleans; but
after the civil war, when they were for a
time occupied by the soldiers they lost
their tone and have since been occupied by
tenants, descending gradually in the social
scale until now they are entirely given
the levees.
Seat of Power for Years.
On either side of the cathedral are
1fo L,,.r
form in dimensions and design. Both of
! them were erected during Spanish domina-
| ton, and the one at the right, called the
| cablldo, was the seat of power for many
years. There sat both the French and
| Spanish governors and there December 20,
| 1903 occurred one of the most famous and
| far-reaching of all historic events-the for
| NAL transfer of Louisiana territory from
| Napoleon to the government of the United
| States-the most important real estate
| transaction on record. A reproduction of
the building. you will remember, held the
Louisiana exhibit at the st. Louis expo
| stion.
In the rear of the cabido is the old Gala
bosa, or prison, of French and Spanish days.
which Is still used as a police station and
I contains relics of interest, including a pair
| OF massive stocks hewn out of a cypress
| log, with holes for the ankles of the Offend
ers. The guides will tell you that the
! agents of the inuuisition used to torture
! heretics in the cells of this building. but
| that story is probably untrue There is no
evidence that the work of the holy Office
was ever performed in New Orleans.
Palace Of Bishop Chapelle.
Three or four blocks distant is the palace
of the archbishop of New Orleans built by
| Gov. Bienville In 1888 and now occupied by
| DR.. Chapelle. who presides over this arch
| diocese and also has spiritual Jurisdiction
| over the churches of Cuba and Porto Rico
| as apostolic legate. He was formerly rector
| OF st. Matthew's, the fashionable Catholic
| cnurch or Washington, and was sent to the
| Philippines to straighten out ecclesiastical
| affairs after the American occupation His
palace, at the corner of Chartres and Ursu-
| line streets. is believed to be the oldest build
| ing now standing in Louisiana and although
| the arrangement is obsolete, the walls and
| floors are as solid and firm as they were $50
years ago. The adjoining chapel of Sainte
Marie, which was also built by BienyilIe in
| 1888, Is the oldest church edifce in North
America. excepting one little chapel at
Santa Fee.
| Across the street is quaint old colonial
| house, dating back more than a hundred
years. in which the Marquis de LAFAYETTE
| was entertained during his last visit to this
| country Gen. jackson occupied 1t at one
| several years after the war while he was
| connected with the Louisiana lottery.
Noble Example of Architecture.
| Vic VI tilc iiObleSt eAdHlpleS Oh drCllIec-
ture in the south. with facade like that of
Florentine palace, is the old Hotel Royale,
or Sainte Louis Hotel, which has had a con-
| spicuous part in Louisiana history. 1t be-
| longs to the state and was once the capitol
of Louisiana. In reconstruction days it was
an armory for troops and the scene of much
bloodShed. On the eventful 14th of October
| 1874, when the White League organizations
overthrow the republican government of
| William Pitt Kellogg by a revolution and
| placed the democratic candidate for gov
ernor, Mr.. Penn, in the executive chair in
| terviewed him in this splendid old building,
which he had made his headquarters He
| then predicted what has since come true
| that republican rule in Louisiana had ended
| and that the negroes would never again be
| an important factor in southern politics.
| The building was erected about seventy
| five years ago for a hotel, and Is said to
have cost 81, 100000. The dining room is one
| of the most imposing apartments in Amer
| lea, being circular, with diameter of 80
| feet and a dome rising 100 feet from the
| floor. The panels are decorated with alle-
| gorical scenes. said to have been designed
by the great Canova. In one of the corners
| on the lower floor is a large room used as a
| slave market for more than quarter Of a
| century. and there Is a block Of wood upon
the bidding. while the buyers inspected their
| limbs and teeth and tested their sight and
hearing as If they were animals. The old
| hotel is now abandoned to bats. 1t has been
1 u
| opened, and 1t is very much out of repair
| But I understand a company has been or
| ganized to restore 1t and fit 1t UP for occu-
pancy again. in anticipation of the boom
| which everybody thinks the building Of the
| Panama canal will bring.
House Built for Napoleon.
| In the rear of the Hotel Royale is a
| queer-looking old house with a watch
| tower on the roof, now used as a grocery,
| which was built for Napoleon Bonaparte
During his last days some of his old soldiers
| and admirers in New Orleans made plans
| to rescue him from the Island of st. Helena
| and bring him to the United States, and
| this house was erected by subscription and
| was to be presented to him for a home
The conspirators purchased and equipped
| the "Seraphfne," the fastest sailing schoon-
| er In the gulf, and a certain Capt. Bossier
| organized a crew OF Adventures, who set
| sail with him on the rescue expedition, but
| before they reached the mouth of the river
| they learned from inbound French
| merchantmen that Napoleon had died on
| May o. several months before.