The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-29

The Evening Post Special.
Gradually, but almost imperceptibly
to the native, the old French Quarter"
IL changing. and those Of the older gen
GRAFTON are silently passing away. The
French language Is Becoming less used,
and 1t Is not spoken SO fiueptly or
purely. The younger generation does
not giveNt the Partisan accent Ameri-
can progress has crossed the line OF
Canal Street, which for many years was
as q Chinese wall between the two
| "ouartiers'. OF the city. Old Exchange
Alley. one e the nest historic Rlef ST
about q sSpfe of rpukefieseare being
torn down 10 make room for modern
structuressa There are similar 'invas-
ions" down on Charters, ST.. Louis, and
Dauphine streets. the very heart of the
ancient Spanish French city, The old
err citizens look upon this advance with
wonder. Shrug their shoulders. and ASK
why the Americans do not first build up
their own side Of the city, as they, too,
have many rookerfes. dilapidated
houses. and vacant lots.
It 10 only one who has been absent
several years who, can note the changes
In the Quarter and in the people. the
old French Market, which has been one
Of the show places for more than mar
a century. has lost much OF Its local
color The Babel OF Languages" has
almost degenerated into dialects liber-
ally mixed with English or slang. the
characters that made the market SO
picturesque have changed into modern
types, and the place has not only lost
much of its picturesqueness, but the
peculiarities of those people are also
missing. The wooden shoe Is no long
err seen, nor the dress OF the French
peasant. The vegetables and the fish are
az good, undoubtedly, but the conee has
lost its strength ana tiayor. and the
sweet light crullers AaNo given place
to the greasy shakers Another ng-
ure is gone. the group of Indians who
sat silently on the stone nagging AT
the entrance of the fruit market, oner-
ing mustard. Indian corn. and vege-
tables for sale. They were there, rain
or shine, daily for years. At times,
there would be a change in faces. but
the group was the same. Now, they
come no more--perhaps the last OF the
tribe has passed from their camp on
Lake PontchGrtfain to the Happy HUNT
ing Ground.
Nickel shows an Innovation.
Another Innovation" IL the nickel
shows. They have advanced TO the edge
of the Quarter, and there they stop.
They draw no patronage. however
from the French people. who prefer
to walt for their opera season. Ana
mere,
ed. for the American residents who af-
feet opera are liberal patrons; also. Wis
Itors. who do not consider that they.
have seen New Orleans unless the take
In" the French opera. In consequence,
"art has been commercialized to meet
the popular taste It Is charged. The
new generation OF French patronize
the old resident--never. II there Is no
opera this season--very well: next year.
n would seem that all the inhabi-
tants of the Quarter are selling their
household goods. and in most cases at
n great sacrifice Wagons and carts
laden with Anticipated and broken fur
niture portraits, and various household
ornaments of antiquity, are daily seen
in front of the curio stores on Royal
Street This seems to be the art CEN
ire" and the stores have recently in
creased in number. so great Is the
growing fad for antiques. Old bNild-
ings that were once the residences or
the aristocracy OF the quarter are
stripped Of their goods. which are cart
ed away and sold by the defendants
OF the "emigres" Some of the once
magnificent mansions are now lodging
houses, and the inches have become d.
vested of the statuary. which naturally
found its way to the curio dealer, also.
Old furniture and curfos have increas-
ed in price among the few fair dealers
in antiques. but the fakirs. of which
there are many. manufacture curios.
Crockery Of the Empire period is made
by baking 1t in an oven SO as to give
finish and the necessarv "crackle'' APP
pearance. Empire dog-irons, or hand
irons for the fireplace. are made by
machinery ana OF pig-iron. The genu-
inc article was hammered and fashion
ed into shape by hand, and, further
more, pig-iron had not been invented
in that day. Empire clocks are made
by taking the works OF an ordinary
old-time clock. putting II in a frame
resembling those of that period, and 1t
is then treated to a smoking process
70 give 1t the appearance of age.
Many Genuine Antiques.
Yet there are many genuine antiques
for It is history that the early settlers
OF the colony OF Louisiana and the rich
.