El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-01

quarter. The shrilI horn of the bottle
man" is still heard there, though not
as often now as formerly. He is usual
ly a 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 splitting fanfare on his
tin horn to Summon the children or
the neighborhOod, his chief customers,
70 trade their old bottles for his gilt
tering, but valueless, stores
Few of the old muIatto vendors Of
rice cakes and pecan candy survive; and
the unanimously fat old turbaned man.
mics, who used to sit in picturesque
rows along the sidewalk, in Canal
street, near Royal and Bourbon. selling
boutonieres of viOlets from vast, Odor-
Gus hampers, have disappeared alto
ge1her.
Death Notices Tackled Up.
One may still see. however. the death
notices tackled to the telegraph poles
on the street corners This is a dis
tinctfve 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 wherever friends or ac-
quaintances are likely to see it. These
notices always close with the announce
neral, at which the friends and ac-
quaintances are prayed to assist"
Nor has New Orleans lost the pretty.
reverential custom of lifting the hat
whenever a man of the Catholic faith
passes a church of his denomination
French Opera Company.
New Orleans is the one American city
which has supported a French opera
company year in and year out for over
100 years Beginning towards the close
of the 18th century, with rather humble
performances by companies of singers
from Santo Domingo, the opera has
grown in Importance and dignity until
nowadays It is the barometer Of New
Orleans social life Society is dormant
until the opera opens. and when its
doors close on the first day Of Lent
the social activities Of the city come TO
an end.
The opera house dates from 1889 It
is stately old building on Bourbon
street, In what was a very fashionable
quarter when 1t was built but which
is now fashionable in no respect save
for the existence there Of this fine old
temple Of the lyric art Every year a
company Of singers arrives from France
men and women who have made sue
cesses on the stage of Brussels. LYONS
or Marseilles- Every year the standard
repertOry is repeated. and then the ar
lists dispense. Nor has a success in
New Orleans ceased to be coveted by
ambitious French singers. Constantine
began his American career here
On the stage of this old opera house
Patti sang in her glorious youth. There
the elder Calve. Jenny Lind and a score
OF other celebrities have performed TO
delighted audiences.
Social Feature a Charm
The social feature OF the French opera
Is its chief charm for New Orleans
There are long intermissions between
the acts Then the men in evening
dress. make the circuit of the giittering
horseshoe paving their respects 70
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 important produc-
ton
When the curtain falls after the first
act the chatter begins in 'baignOire"
and -1Oge decouverte.' The fiImy
dresses of young women. the sparkle OF
jewels. the fragrance OF flowers and
the charm of feminine loneliness all
combine to make the hour one of verita-
Bile enehantmert.
To see the opera house on such an
occasion is to see New Orleans ar ITS
best-tO see ii as IL likes to be seen
and it leaves upon the behOlder a last
ing impression of the cnarm of this
rare old city.
Tomorrow-Chewing Gum Industry