The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1905-04-22

Louisiana had ended, and that the ne
| groes would never again be an import
ant factor in S southern politics.
The building was erected about sey-
enty-five years ago for hotel, and il
| said to have cost 81 100000, The din
| ing-room is one of the most imposing
apartments in America, being circular
with diameter of so feet and dome
rising 100feet from the floor. The pan
els are decorated with allegorical scenes.
said to have been designed by the great
Canova. In one of the corners on the
lower floor is large room used as a
slave market for more than a quarter OF
a century, and there is block OF wood
upon which the slaves were made to
stand during the bidding, while 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 vacant
ever since the new ST. Charles was
opened, and it is very much out of re-
pair. But understand a company has
been organized to restore it and fit it up
for occupancy again, in anticipation OF
the boom which everybody thinks the
building of the Panama Canal will bring.
~
In the rear of the Hotel Royale is a
queer looking old house with a watch
tower on the roof, now used as gro
Gerry, which was built for Napoleon Bo-
naparte. During his last days some Of
his old soldiers and admirers in New Or
leans 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 pre-
sented to him for home. The con-
spirators purchased and equipped the
Seraphine, the fastest sailing schooner
in the gulf, and d certain Captain Bos-
sier organized a crew Of adventurers,
who set sail with him on the rescue ex-
petition; but, before they reached the
mouth of the river, they learned from an
inbound French merchantmen that Ma
poleon had died on May 5, several
months before.
The entire block in front of the hotel
has been cleared of the ancient build
ings that once occupied it, and will be
the site of a grand new courthouse,
costing a million dollars or more. A Sc
lected group of architects are now max
ing competitive designs, which will be
submitted to committee of judges next
fail. There is a magnificent opportu-
nifty here for building of the Spanish
type, and anything else would be an ir-
reparable blunder, a violation of taste
and tradition. But suppose the archi-
tects selected for the competition have
both sentiment and skill, and, II so, a
study of the surroundings and the local
color will certainly inspire them.
Behind the cathedral, in Orleans
street, between Royal and Bourbon, is,
according to my informant, the only
convent of negro nuns in the world,
called the sisters of the Holy Family.
They are quite famous as sick nurses,
and during epidemics have distinguished
themselves by their bravery and devo-
ton. | am convinced that there are
other communities of coiored nuns,
however. 1t is rather singular coinci-
dence that the building which they now
occupy was formerly used for the noto=
rious octoroon balls before the civil war.
At those festivities, according to tradi-
ton, were often gathered groups of
beautiful women, types of beauty that
are not often seen in these days-four-
fifths French and one-ffth African. 1t
was considered the proper thing for the
gentlemen Of New Orleans to attend
them, and many duel has resulted from
the fierce jealousy developed there.
Near by is "the haunted house,,
where Madame La Laurie, the heroine
Of innumerable romanees, cre6ie OF
wonderful beauty, lived for many years.
Although she was angelic in her de
meanor before her admirers, she must
have had most vicious disposition and
depraved heart, for, according to tradl-
ton, her greatest pleasure was found in
beating and torturing hef slaves. 1t is
said that she used to go to the slave,
market and buy quadroons and octo-
rooms almost as beautiful as herself and
torture them hours at time in fiend-
ish way, simply to crafty her desire to
see suffering According to the story,
when this amiable popularity was ex-
posed, party of men, who had been
numbered among her admirers, decided
to punish her by invading her residence
and compelling her slaves TO torture her
as she had tortured them, but one of her
lovers, having discovered the plot, aided
her to escape. She dlove out the Bayou
Road in her own earriage TO Lake Pont-
chartrain, where she escaped on fish,
ing schooner to Mobile, Afterward she
went to Italy to reside.
Another house of which many inter-
esting stories are told is at the corner
of Dauphine and Orleans streets and
was formerly occupied by an exiled
brother OF the sultan Of Turkey, WHO