Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-05
Historic New Orleans
By Frederic j. HaSkin

Patrick's hall, where General de Tro-
bland dispersed the Wilt Legislature
at the point of the bayonet-one of the
most extraordinary incidents in Amer
lean history-was demolished only a
few months ago to make room for "A
new federal postoffice. The old Royal
hotel, once known as the st. Louis,
still stands in a state of pitiable di-
lapidatiOn. For a time this building
was the state house and headquarters
of the Yarmouth kellogg Packard
government. In 1874 these factions
We're besieged here for several months
and fighting went on in and around
the building for days on end, until the
starving garrison capitulated. Before
the civil war the st. Louis hotel was
one of the show places of the city
In the dilapidated entrance hall may
still be seen today the auction blocks
upon which the negro slaves were once
set up for sale.
Old customs still exist in New Or
leans. the legacles of "befo' de wah,"
as the negro mammles love to say But
many of them have passed away In
recent years, and others seem on the
point of extinction. The pretty habit
Of giving 'lagniappe" is one of those
which has gone. "Lagniappe" Is Il
French word of Spanish extraction,
meaning a sort of bonus in kind given
with every purchase For generations
it was the practice in New Orleans
markets or corner groceies to supple
ment evey purchase with a vegetable
or Two in one case, or a cookie or some
candy in the other. The economical
Creole housewife, marketing in the
old days eked out her purchases, say
Of soup meat, with "lagniappe' of
suet; or at the fruit stand obtained
"lagniappe" of pepper or parsley, and
in that way saved many n "picayune."
But few years ago the retail grocers
of the city determined to abolish this
pleasant custom, and their influence
has now practically caused its disap-
pearance.
So, too, the "Marchand Rabais" Of
other days has gone His glass-topped
wheelbarrow with its innumerahle
drawers full of thread, laces, needles
and other small articles, was erst-
while familiar sight in the French
quarter. The shrill horn of the "bot
tie man. is still heard there, though not
as often now as formerly. He is usu-
ally negro with a little hand wagon,
partly filled with trumpery jewelry and
partly with old bottles. His business
is to trade the one for the other, and
he executes an ear-splittng fanfare
on his tin horn to summon the chill
dren of the neghborhood, his chief
customers, to trade their old bottles
for his glittering but Yalueless stores.
Few of the old mulatto Venders of
rice cakes and pecan candy survive,
and the voluminousy fat old turbaned
mammies who used to sit in pictur-
esque rows along the sidewalk in Canal
street near Bourbon selling boutcn-
n = n1R &c
hampers have disappeared altogether
one may still see, however. the death
notices tackled to the telegraph poles
on the street corners. This is a dis
tinctive New Orleans custom. When
ever a member Of a French speaking
family departs this life the fact is
printed upon a small square of black
bordered paper and tackled about the
town on poles and wherever friends or
acquaintances are likely to see it,
These notices always close with the
announcement of the hour and place
of the funeral, at which the Friends
and acquaintances are prayed to as
sist" Nor has New Orleans lost the
pretty, reVerential custom of lifting
the hat whenever a man of the Cath
Ollie faith passes a church of his de-
nomination.
The social feature of the French op-
era is it's chief charm for New Or
leans There are long intermssions
between the acts. Then the men, in
evening dress make the circuit of the
glittering horseshoe" paying their re-
spects to the fair occupants of the
boxes. There is no more attractive
scene in the United States than this
old building on the night of some inn
portant production. When the curtain
falls after the first act the chatter be-
gins in the "baignoire" and 'loge de-
couverte." The filmy dresses or young
women, the sparkle of Jewels, the fra |
GRANGE of flowers and the charm of |
feminine loveliness all combine to make |
the hour one of yeritable enchantment |
To see the opera house on such an oG-
casion is to see New Orleans at its |
best-to see it as it likes to be seen
and it leaves upon the beholder a last |
ing impression of this rare old city. !