The Greeley tribune., 1908-03-12
MARDI dRAS
DESCRIPTION OF THAT bEAU-
TIFUL CARNIVAL.
Mrs. Elsie F. DeVine Writes In
teresting Letter From New
Orleans for BENEFIT Of
Tribune Readers.

OSSO01eO AVA AOV&SVAAS VI
Tribune Readers.
New Orleans, March S. 1908.
Editor Tribune: 1t occurred to
me that some of your readers might
be interested in even very made
quate description of the Mardi Gras
Is know Of only very few
persons in Greeley who have evev
witnessed 1t.
Ever since my arrival carpenters
and decorators have been busy upon
temporary galleries for buildings Of
all kinds on the principal streets.
These are furnished with seats which
can bs had for hire. The wooden
benches are covered with cheap
white cotton cloth to protect the
clothing of the spectators. The
gsudy carnival colors, green. Orange
and violet, are ciefly used 10 the dec.
orations and when In combination
with the national colors the effect
Is somewhat mixed. Some Of the
large stores have spared neither
pains nor money TO MAXI. the deoors-
tions unique and attractive. One
has the Temporary galleries IN tls
form Of . ship with thrss decks on
which the spectators may sit.
The entertainment proper began
February 9th with the "Mopus"
parade consisting Of about twenty
foats. nsarlly uniform in siss, all
designed to illustrate Aeeop's Fables.
They were white with coiorsd dscoSa.
tioos thickly ceusesd with essaea9a
aaa b,astne With slesksas Zl1UA1a.
Living figures and cssts Of ptastsl
or papfer machs we're posed In tab
leaux. A dozen tine bands accom-.
panied the parade and lines Of negro
torch. bearers. The latter were al
most overcome by their Importance
and rolled their eyes and swayed
their bodies In ways coInical to see.
AS my temporary home is on St.
Charles street between Lafayette
square and the Lee Circle and all
the parades passed down this street,
/ had a good view Of them from the
balcony without extra trouble.
The military parade Monday,
March 3. was formed expressly to
meet Rex when he arrived on his
yacht ut the foot of Canal street.
and escort him to the city hall,
there to receive the keys OF the city.
The parade included, besides all the
regular military organizations, in
fantry, guards. cavalry, artillery,
marines, ETC., with their bands,
companies OF cadets from military
schools as we'll, even down to little
fellows who looked very tired by the
time the parade reached the city
hall. but braced up and were proud
and smiling at the finish. Behind
these rode the mayor and aldermen
IN elegant carriages with coachmen
and footmen in gorgeous livery; fol-
lowing these came the herald aud
standard bearer Of the King of the
Carnival and hnally Rex himself in
magnificent gilded chariot surround
ed by knights IN armor and sQuires
in velvet cloaks and plumed bonnets.
There was about this pageant decid-
eddy a quaint medieval quality
which would have been difficult to
attain In any other American city l
am sure.
The evening parade by the "krewe
OF Prutsus" illustrated Sir Edwin
Amold's poem, 1.-THE Light of Asia, "
and while all the floats were gor-
pcous many were wierd also.
March 3rd was the great day OF
the carnival. The first parade
passed down St. Charles street at
about 2 O'Clock in the afternoon and
illustrated the Classics Of Childhood,
Ande,son's A Fairy Tales, Gulliver's IS
Travels, Mother Goose Rhymes
Robin Hood, Alice In Wonderland,
King Arthur, etc But by far the
most amusing part Of the carnival
was furnished this day by the merry
makers In the streets for the weather
was perfect. Theater companies,
genuine in elegant costumes, and
hurlesQue, in endless comic variety,
represented the favorite productions
OF the day aud were greeted with
shouts of appreciation from the spec
tators who thronged the galleries.
"Ilncla Toms CAbinV, lburlesQue