The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1906-03-15
The Sunny South
Vicksburg, Miss, Feb. q.

Vicksburg, Miss, Feb. q.
Editors Hope Pioneer:
AS stated in the last letter you
received from us, I will try and round
out the account of our trip in the south
before we leave it for good.
The first thing we did upon arriving
in New Orleans was to put away our
North Dakota wraps, the weather
being about like it is up there in May.
The mornings are sometimes cool, and
they then start a fire in the fire place,
which is about the only way they have
of heating their dwellings here. It
never freezes to speak of, so the grass
is green and flowers in bloom the
year around. The children enjoyed
the parks more than anything else,
where they could run about, look at
the pretty flower beds and swing un-
der the mammoth live oaks, hanging
with moss, just as you see them in
pictures. 1t is hard to imagine, as
we sit under those trees, that it is
still winter at home.
Among the places I enjoyed visiting
were the levees, where we could watch
the loading of the steamboats,, and
see the hundreds of different kinds of
vessels come and go.
New Orleans is the largest tropical
fruit and primary cotton market in
the world. It is also the largest rice
and sugar market in the United States
and as a port it is second only to
New York, so you can imagine there
is something doing on those wharves
which extend eight miles along the
river. The first time we were walking
on the wharves we met Mr.. Foster, of
Colgate, who vas on his way to Ha-
vana. Of course we we're mutually
glad to see some one from home. We
arose early Sunday morning and Wis
tied the famous French Market, cree
ted in 1913 at a cost of $50, 600. Here
every language is spoken, and this is
noted through it's four divisions, the
meat, the vegetable and the fruit mar
ket. The buyers and sellers are men
and women of all races-Italian,
Spanish, German, Moors, Chinese,
Hindu, Jew and Teuton. French
l Creole, Malay, Irish and English, all
l uniting in a ceasless babel of tongues
, that is simply bewildering.
; We also visited the United States
Mint and watched them making QUAR-.
tiers. The guide informed US thai
this was the only mint in the U. S. al
. present that was coming silver, or
account of the shortage of bullion,
and the supply is nearly exhausted
There is a bill before Congress now
3 providing for the purchase of more
/ bullion, and as soon as it becomes E
law, the Secretary of the Treasury
will order it's agents to purchase more
in the markets of the U. S. HI
showed us a vault where the U. S
= has a reserve fund of 20, 600, 900 silver
, dollars. He thought they will no
= have to coin any more for the next tel
years. The building cost 1882, 900
The Mint is capable of turning GU
S. 5000, 900 per month. MI. B. visitet
the cotton exchange and of course tn
stock yards, which did not interest NJ
o so very much, so I did not accompan,
him.
y The city is full of very old build
ings which were once unparalleled il
elegance and splendor. We cam
across one such in our touring calle'
the Hotel Royal, which showed tn
wealth and prosperity of other days
but it is in a very delapidated condit
I ion now. The hotel was a resort O
the wealthiest planters and large slav,
holders in the South.
The Carnival and Mardi Gras be
q gan on February % and we left New
Orleans on the oath so we did not SCI
only the first part of it, but it wa!
> enough to give us a good idea of thi
unique fete. The Carnival parade
e date back to the year 1927, but werv
O different in those days from what it i
now. There was more promiscuou
masking. The streets were thronge,
with quaint, picturesque bands O
o maskers of every age, rank, sex an,
condition, and their costumes ran al
. the way from clowns, monkeys, pola
r bears, devils, etc., to kings, queens
e knights and ladies of olden times
v But later the idea of reproducin,
Q scenes from history, poetry, or fairy
land on floats drawn by four horses
l in~terspersed with bands OF music an,
n men in costume, carrying torche
and fire works, etc., was introduced
1t makes a very spectacular scene an
a is really something one will Away
e remember. On the Monday proceed
ing Mardi Gras the entry Of the Kin
g into the Carnival City takes place an
: is a magnificent display, in which ar
! seen all the Dukes and Peers of tn
e Realm, forming the rOyal escort. tn