Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
in OLD NEW ORLEANS
Ancient landmarks Are Grad
uaIIy Disappearing.
FAMOUS HOMES DESTROYED
Entire Block Swept Away for the
New Courthouse.
DELAY, IN FEDERAL BUILDING
House Erected in 1920 for the Use
Of Napoleon-Plot to Rescue the
Emperor From st. Helena.
BY WILLIAM l.. CIRTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The star and The
Chicago Record Herald.


Chicago Record Herald.
NEW ORLEANS, March lG. 1909
Tic ancient and romantic city Of New
Orleans is gradually vanishing, ana is
being supplanted by a modern city The .
old IA hioned and picturesque buildings
and customs which made New Orleans
unique have great fascination for
strangers, but they interfere with prog
ress, and the present generation demands
modern improvements. Just A few of the
famous old restaurants which gave New
Orleans its reputation for the best cooking
in America remain. Morcaus, on Canal
street, was burned down two or three
years ago, and has not been rebuilt. 1t was
kept up till the fire, although its famous
cook had been dead eight or ten years. An
tones down in the French quarter, near
the new courthouse, is still running. al
though it is considerably modernized, and
the walters no longer sprinkle sand upon
tho floor The Louisiana restaurant,
which is another OF the oldest, still re-
tains that custom. which is worth a great
deal of money as an attraction for tour
lists The restaurant at the Spanish fort,
on Lake fontchartrain. which was immor-
taliZed by Thackeray. continues Just as
usual, and although Nine. Besue has long
since gone to that corner Of Paradise re-
served for good cooks. Hypolite. her hus-
band formerly butcher, Stll! serves in
comparable breakfasts at and at III
o'clock in the morning in the quaint little
old place near the French market. Nei-
I-ther love nor money can procure d meal
there at any other hour. and he VINO
wishes good breakfast must be on time
At the PoydraS market. near Rampant
street, is similar eating house where
any one can get dinner at o clock and
a bottle of good red wine for dollar. but
nothing is served at any other hour
Stocks of Alleged Heirlooms.
The second hand shops at New Orleans
are more enticing than those of any Othe;
city and the pawnbrokers have large
stocks of alleged heirlooms, old jewels in
queer settings that We're once worn
famous bellies, relics of the wealth and
taste of the Spanish and French nobility
and famous families who have lost their
fortunes or become extinct. The silver
plate and the jewelry are doubt
represented and much of the antique
furniture is also genuine; but most OF ii
is reproduction of the old colonial pat
tern, which is often quite as good, and
sometimes better. There is enough fur
niture from the mansions of the gran
dees and grandissimes of old Louisiana
in the second hand stores on Royal street
to equip modern hotel. but the second
hand book shops have been so thoroughly
overhauled by hibliophi!es that they have
very little of value left. Occasionally,
when some venerable patrician dies. the
contents Of a private library an
cent mansion come into the auction
stores: but such events are 80 we'll ad-
vertised that the bargain hunters do not
derive much benefit from them.
The historic homes and ether buildings
that are associated with important events
in the past and the romances of the
Creole population. are also disappearing.
An entire block of famous old houses
was swept away to make room for the
designed by a firm of Washington archi-
tects and is nearly completed. at cost
of S1,b00c00. Competition was invited
in 1904 by the commiSSis nerS in charge
OF the building, and fifty-eight different
architects from all parts Of the United
States submitted plans.
A Notable Competition.
The commissioners decided that none
of them was sufficiently satisfactory to
be accepted, but selected four designs
submitted by Frederick W. Brown and 4.
Ten Eyck Brown of Washington, Link
of St Louis. Low of New York and Bor
rick & Zimmerman of Baltimore. which
| the authors were requested 10 revise to
| meet certain conditions. the interim
| the Browns moved to Atlanta and Mr..
| Thornton Marye was admitted to the
firm. In the second competition they
| were awarded the contract and the first
| prize of $500: two of the other firms
were given the second and third prizes
of $1,000 and 5000, respectively.
Mr.. Frederick w. Brown originally
| from Albany. and al one time was assist
! ant state architect of New York. His
wife was daughter of Joseph Mullen.
| presiding justice of the supreme court
Of that state. Mr.. a. Zen Eyck Brown,
his son. formerly in the supervising
architects office of the Treasury Depart
ment at Washington. and aiterward with
Mr. James G. Hill of that city His wife
is daughter of Christian Pierce. assist
| ant cashier of the Treasury Depart
ment. Mr. Marye of Atlanta designed the
! splendid new railway station Of that
city. and also those at Mobile ard
Birmingham. and other large and inn
/ portant buildings. His wife was Miss
Nesbit of Virginia. and her sister mar
ried Mr.. Barbour Thompson. general
counsel of the Southern railway al At
lanta
This was one of the most notable archi-
| tectural competitions in the country and
| has been conducted with general salts
! faction to all concerned. There is a
\ sqUabble here Just now among the
/ local architects concerning a competition
| for a millon-dcllar bank building. which
| has not been managed in such salts
| factory manner.
The new courthouse is constructed with
steel reinforced concrete frame. roof and
| floors. with granite basement. Georgia
ma rbe for the first and second floors,
and white semi glazed terra Gotta for the
/
| of shape with TWO wings of different
dimensions and of simple pure classic
| Ornamentation.
| 1t is intended primarily for a court
! house but. after accommodating all of
I the various legal tribunals of the state.
! the law library. the Law Association. the
recorder Of deeds and mortgages and
Wills Will have room for the state as
SCISSOR the levee and dock commissioners
The board OF health and the various Other
officials who have their Offices here in
| New Orleans. The building will be COM
pleted about the 1st OF Iune. and until
! the new federal poht ONCE and custom
| house IS erected VIII be pointed out as
the most notable public ediice south of
| Washington.
Delay Over Federal Building.
| There is d great deal of Impotence here
because OF the delay IN the new federal
building. for which an appropriation of
s. $4,000 was made by Congress several
wears ago That also was subject to
| competition. and the contract was award