Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-04-29

into the reception TOOTH uHuST SJaIeiA
cupola, in which, on state occasions
lights were hung. They could be seer
from the outlying plantations and
beckoned the invited guests TO the hos
pitable roof.
Many of the houses still have the
low, narrow slave quarters at their
rear, and these, with the secluding
garden walls. the solid entrance doors
of which are always closed, give an
air of aristocratic exclusiveness to
them. Some of the courtyards are
spacious and shaded by magnolia and
live oak trees old enough to have wit.
messed the scenes of colonial splendor
and old world mockery, and remains of
once elegant fountains as reminders of
all this
The Absinthe House.
When speaking of the most flour
ishing time of the colony under the
Spanish rule. we can well imagine
her best citizens meeting in the old
Absinthe house. where municipal and
social affairs would be discussed over
a glass of the palatable, favorite bev-
erage. Today it is dealt out over a
neat bar by a descendant of Spanish
creOles, as fine specimen of manhood
as can be found anywhere. With the
delicacy of connoisseur he mixes the
fragrant liquor for us. but when we
begin to sip it, a mischievous smile
makes his fine black eyes twinkle.
wonder. could he read our thoughts?
In the inner court of this old house,
h. s Oh, -,
itary column supports the upper or
third story. there is a queer European
feature brought over to this country:
the low, middle story, or "entre-sol,"
with ceilings hardly high enough to al
low grown person 10 stand upright,
yet thought sufficiently comfortable for
the negroes of ante-bellum times-the
slave quarters here, the servants quar-
tiers in European houses. Outside, in
the open courtyard. where an over
flowing water trough of time-stained
white marble keeps the pavement
damp and slippery, narrow galleries
run along the sides of the building, and
a high brick wall with solid, locked
door shuts out the view of the street.
The hands on the dial of time seem to
turn back 100 years. so unchanged ev-
erything is.
Funeral Invitation.
Walking through the streets we no
ticed little black trimmed placards tack
ed on wooden lamp posts. These death
notices give one an idea of the mixed
population of the city. For a specimen
see this: Died, on --. aged 90
years, Bertrand Teaulet. native of Re
Durul. Haute-Garonne. France. ReIa-
lives and friends of the family. also
the Haistre. Monteiean, Monicon and
La Sale families. are invited to attend
the interment at Metairie cemetery"
Some Historic Piles.
Cathedral Alley. with its rows of
balconies and green shutters. prepares
one for the enjoyment of the best that
Spanish rule has left in the city in the
way of architecture. The Capuchin
the Cabildo and St. Louis
triad of beautiful har-
mony marred only by the mansard
roofs on the first two. VIII not some
millionaire enthusiast give an impetus
and the means for their reconstruction.
so that these fine types of Spanish ar
chitecture may be preserved to give
variety and charm to our modern
cities?
The cathedral stands on the place
where the earliest French settlers had
a tent for their religious service. rs
Moorisatfothic style is like the Mexf-
can ami Spanish churches but the ma
terial used in its construction is more
N
sources of the country at that time
The Capuchin monastery was the
scene Of characteristic event: in the
person of Padre Antonio de SedeIIa.
Carlos " of Spain tried to establish
the inquisition in the colony. But the
governor. with true western intrerId.
ity, forced the padre to return to Eu-
rope. seeing that the reign of his hell
ish invention Of religious fanaticism
would mean a 6eathblow 10 the young
colony.
Cabildo, on the other side of the
cathedral, is a gem OF architectural
beauty of which old European cities
might be proud II is now used for
the supreme court and from rever
ence or some ether motive the build
ing is left unchanged.
Mix Marketing and worship.
These three buildings face an open
square enclosed by a handsome iron
grille; in its center stands the statue
of a hero of later period. Gen. Jack
son. II is laid out in walks. flower
beds. and shrubbery On a Sunday
morning a walk through it and over to
the church gives the Illusion of being
in a foreign country. Milkmen on
their highwheeled carts. fiowervendeTs
and other chance passers-by stop for a
moment to mako the sign of the cross
inside of the church the filled market
baskets standing outside OF the pews.
present a spectacle very common in
churches of southern European cities.
You must know too that the French
market near by is in fun swing and
people eli carry their purchases home
themselves; so what of Il. II they take
them into the church rather than miss
their Sunday devotion