The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-02-19

mousse. 1Hey HOW no hunger give d
street pageant, but their ball is the
real opening of the brilliant round OF
social gayety which lasts from the
beginning of the new year to the
dawn of the first Lenten morning.
Rex owed it's origin to the visit of
the Grand Duke Alexis, who was the
guest of the Crescent City in 1872.
For his entertainment 1t was proposed
to form an organization which should
combine all the scattered maskers of
the day, throughout the city, into one
ordered and professional body. This
organization grew in power and num-
bers until it's king was recognized as
the King of the Carnival the Sow
ereign Lord of Misrule. By his edict
Mardi Gras was made legal holiday
in his capital city. Royal pomp and
observance has so increased that an
elaborate foolery of courtly etiquette
has been originated and now for a
week or two before the arrival Of the
king the local papers contain short
bulletins issued by the Royal Cham
berlain giving an account of His Maj
esty's progress toward his expectant
city. He arrives on Monday, the day
before Mardi Gras, and his royal barge
is met below the city and escorted by
the river by conveys Of gaily-banner-
ed pleasure craft. All the harbor and
river front is bright with the innum-
cradle buntings that flutter from the
masts of every ship in port and amid
salvees of artillery and acclamations
that rend the air the royal yacht lands
at her pier. 1t usually happens that
some one or two vessels of the United
States navy are ordered to New Or
leans about this time and as the
Kings yacht touches the shore the
cannon of their armored sides belch
forth the royal salute of twenty-one
guns; and thus the fleet of the great
republic recognizes the mimic king
and his pretended rule. The entry
of Rex takes place on Monday, but the
real Rex procession is marshalled at
midday of Shrove Tuesday The
Kings car used to be preceded by a
float containing the Boeuf Gras, a
large, decorated and be-ribboned OK,
seemingly going to slaughter, with
several butchers in white aprons and
gaint caps, grouped about him, as a
symbol that the fat days of feasting
were about to come to an end and the
lean period of fasting and prayer to
begin. This custom of the Boeuf Gras
has recently been discontinued.
The pageant of Rex ends in the af-
ternoon, but on Tuesday night he
gives his grand ball at the City Hall,
to which some twenty thousand invita-
tons are issued. On the stroke of
midnight he and his court, which is
composed of the dukes and peers of
the realm drawn from the best circles
of the cit and of the queen and her
maids, repair to the Comus ball at
the French Opera House, where Com
us and his consort hold sway and the
seen of dazzling brilliance is then
enriched by the presence of a second
court gorgeous in its cloth of gold
and silver, it's ermine and its jewels.
The Krewe of Proteus was organ
lied in 1882. 1t has the signal dis
tinction of being the molly one of the
carnival organizations that has never
omitted single year to give its bril-
liant pageant followed by it's tableaux
and ball at the French Opera House.
The Monday night before Mardi Gras
is the date of it's appearance. It is
noe of the most popular argoniza-
tons of the carnival, composed of
the younger set, and its pageant
among the most magnificent ever
given.
The Knights of Momus give their
parade and ball on the night of the
preceding Thursday. Among the
minor societies are the Ailenteans,
the Elves of Oberoh, the Krewe of
| COmSue and ntharc