Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-08

Inc new orleans carnival, winch DekluS
today and will end tomorrow night, is the
Oldest institution OF the kind in the United
States. That Of Havana Is probably older,
and similar celebrations In other parts Of
Latin America may claim a still greater
priority. but they are all OF different char
acter. T hey share the popular, spontan-
eous, u~norganized bent OF the italian fes-
uvities on the day preceding Lent. whereas
New Orleans carnival is French by origin,
and resembles-if II resembles anything
that Of Paris. The observance Of Mardi
Gras was introduced into the Crescent City
In 1897. by some young Louisianians on their
return from the French capital. where they
had been sent to complete their education
They organized a street procession Of
maskers, somewhat primitive no doubt. but
sufficient OF a novelty in those early days
OF the city to prove a great success. Every
year thereafter the experiment was re-
peated, and each time grew In popularity.
But the celebration was Then. quite different
from what 1t is now. The maskers provided
their own costumes, there was no prelimi-
nary organization, the participants were,
for the most part, on foot. and the music.
II there were such. was hired by private
subscription on the part Of each little CO.
terie Of paraders. Generally. the festivi-
ties came to an end with a ball at the
st. Louis hotel OF the Sale a. Orleans.
at which only the elite Of the aristocratic
old city was present.
From these beginnings the evolution of
the New Orleans carnival may be traced
along the well defined lines, quite distinct
on from the other. though related in their
common object. The first is the develop
ment of the open-air pageantry. which is
the chief attraction of the carnival for
visitors to the city; and the other y
the perfecting of the unique system Of
masked balls, which is the main feature OF
the carnival for the people Of New Orleans.
The idea OF the parades was first worked
out in Mobile, A, in 1881, and was thence
transplanted to New Orleans in 1S9o Tn
the latter year an immense cock. over civ
feet high, rode In IA carriage at the head
OF the maskers. and delighted the crowd
with stentorian Growing. Nothing more
ambitions seems to have been attempted
{: 1857. when the carnival, as New Or
leans knows it today, came into existence
with the organization of the Mystic Krews
Of Comus.
Comus. which still exists, the oldest and
probably the most important, socially. OF
the New Orleans carnival societies, selected
as the subject of its first pagent Millions
Paradise Lost" After the parade the or.
sanization gave a ball at the Varieties
theater, in conjunction with which a series
OF tableaux was presented illustrating such
subjects as THE Diabolic Powers'' ant
The Expulsion from Paradise" The sec
ond OF the carnival organizations was tn,
twelfth Night Revellers." which cam,
into existence in 1870. 1t gives an annua
ball at the French opera house. Two otheI
important carnival organizations are tn,
Knights Of Momus and the Krew O.
Prcteus, the former organized in 1872, tn,
latter in 1882. They, with the Krew O
Comus. always appear on the streets O.
New Orleans by night. and after the par
ade entertain on a lavish scale at the inevi
table ball at the French opera house.
The daytime pageant OF the New Or
leans carnival is provided by the Rex or
sanization. This society Is essentially tn,
popular carnival organization, 1t has tn,
largest membership, spends the most none,
and claims a ceFtain pre-eminence in car
ntval affairs. It's king is. king of the car
ntval; Its queen is the queen of the car
nival. Rex was organized in 1872. The mem
maskers who had filled the streets a
Mardi Gras, with the gaudy costumes, wer,
IA dhat year dSseIlDleu IN one organization
for the entertainment Of the Russian
Grand Duke Alexis, then a visitor TO New
Orleans and the bond OF union thus formet
was sufficiently strong TO hold the mem
bers in the federation which came eventu
ally TO be the most picturesque Of tn,
whole arrival
In addition to these societies there ar,
some six or eight important organization
which make nc street display, but limi
their efforts to giving an annual ball a
the French opera house. OF these, alIusio,
has been made to the Oldest, the Twelfth
Night Jewellers. The others, listed II
order Of seniority are At~lantaens, Oberon
Nereus, Mythras, Fallstaffians and Olymp
ians. At these balls the members of tn,
organizations appear In mask, and the frs
four dances are reserved for them and To-
their partners exclusively; after which tn,
floor is open to the other guests. To b,
asked to share in the masker's dances Il
one Of the proudest honors Of the societ,
women OF New Orleans.
At these balls one member Of the organi
ration is always selected to preside a!
king" The throne is shared by som,
young woman, usually a debutante, calle,
the queen" To wear the tinsel crown o
the Atlanteans, or of Mythras, or som,
other of the minor societies is an import
ant event in the life of any young womal
In New Orleans; while to be queen o