The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1905-04-22
Especial to the Chicago Record-Herald.) }

Especial to the Chicago Record -Herald)
New Orleans, April 14.-Notwith-
standing the rejuvenation of the city, all
of the interesting features of old New
Orleans remain. None is missing. jack
son Square, the old Place d'Armes,
which was the center of life and society
in French and Spanish times, and which
has been the scene of SO much history
and romance, is still untouched by the
rejuvenator, and we hope it may remain
so, although the aristocracy long ago
deserted the queer three-story buildings
with which two sides of ~ > square are
inclosed. They are the best specimens
IN New Orleans of French domestic
architecture, and were created more
than a hundred years ago by the Baron
ess Pontalba, daughter of Don Andres
Almonaster Roxas, a rich hidalgo, who
was commandant in Spanish times, and
made fortune in the silver mines OF
Mexico. He built the great cathedral,
which is one of the largest churches in
the United States, and presented it to
the city. For that reason mass for the
repose of his soul is celebrated at its
altar at sunset every day in the year.
This custom has continued for nearly a
hundred years, and will continue as long
as the cathedral stands. The long rows
of uniform houses, with big drawing
ho1 ho
abode of the proudest and most exclu-
sive 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 up to Italian fruit dealers and la
bOrers on the levees.
On each side of the Cathedral are an
cient buildings of Moorish architecture,
uniform in dimensions and design. Both
of them were erected during Spanish
domination, and the one at the right,
called the cabildo, was the seat of power
for many years. There sat both the
French and Spanish governors, and
there, Dec. 90, 1903, occurred one of the
most famous ana far-reaching of all his
toric events, the formal transfer of Loui-
siana Territory from Napoleon l
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
exposition.
in the rear of the cabildo is the old
calabosa, or prison, of French and Span
ish days, which is still used as a police
station and contains relics of interest,
including pair of massive stocks heWn
out of a cypress log, with holes for the
ankles of offenders. The guides will tell
you that the agents of the inquisition
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 eyer per-
formed in New Orleans.
Three or four blocks distant is the
palace of the archbishop of New Or
leans, built by Governor Bienville in
1888 and now occupied by DR.. Chapelle,
who presides oyer this archdiocese and
also has spiritual jurisdiction over the
churches of Porto Rico as apostolic
legate. He was formerly rector Of st.
Matthew'S, the fashionable Roman
Catholic Church of Washington, and
was sent to the Philippines to straighten
out ecclesiastical affairs after the Amer
lean occupation. His palace, at the cor
ner of Chartres and Ursulines streets, is
believed to be the oldest building 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
Bienville in 1888, is the oldest church
edifice IN North America, excepting
little chapel at Santa Fe.
Across the street is a quaint old colo
NAL house, dating back more than
hundred years, in which the Marquis dc
Lafayette was entertained during his
last visit to this country. General jack
son occupied it at one time, and General
Beauregard lived in it for several years
after the war, while he was connected
with the Louisiana lottery,
="
Onhof the noblest examples of archi-
lecture IN the South, with a facade like
that of p Florentine palace, is the old
Hotel Royale, or Saint Louis Hotel,
which has lad q equsnicEqus part in
louisiana history. 1t belong gs to the
state, and was once the capitol of Loui-
siana. In reconstruction days it was an
armory for troops and the scene Of much
bloodshea. ON .he evsntfal i4th of
september, 1914, when the White
League organization overthrew the Re-
publican government of William Pitt
Eellogg by revolution and placed the
Democratic candidate for governor, Mr..
Penn, in the executive chair, I inter-
viewed him in this splendid old building.
which he had made his he adquarters
He then Dredicted what has since he