El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-07
THE NEW ORLEANS
CARNIVAL.
MARD1 GRAs INTRODUCED IN 1927

IT HE New Orleans carnival. which
begins today and will end to-
morrow night, is the oldest in
stitution 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 character. They Share the
popular. spontaneous. unorganized bent
Of the Italian festivities on the day
preceding Lent, whereas New Orleans
carnival is French by origin, and re-
sembles-if it resembles anything-that
Of Paris.
First Mardi Gras.
The observance of Mardi Gras was
introduced into the Crescent city in
1927, 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 novelty in those
early days of the city to prove great
success. Every year thereafter the ex-
pertinent was repeated, and each time
grew in popularity. But the celebra-
ton was then quite different from what
/ it is now
The maskers provided their own cos
tunes, there was no preliminary or
ganization, the participants were. for
the most part, on foot, and the music
if there were such, was hired by private
subscription on the part of each little
coterie of paraders. Generally. the
festivities came to an end with a ball
| at the ST. Louis hotel or the Sale
d'Orleans. at which only the elite of the
ariStOcratic old pifvs nraSant
Evolution of Carnival.
From these beginnings the evolution
Of the New Orleans carnival may be
traced along two well defined lines,
QUITE distinct one from the other,
though related in their common object
The first is the development of the
| open-air pageantry. which is the chief
attraction of the carnival for visitors
70 the city; and the other is the per
fecting Of the unique system OF masked
balls which is the main feature of the
carnival for the people of New Or
leans.
The idea OF the parades was first
worked out in Mobile Alabama, in 1881
and was thence transplanted to New
Orleans in 1889. In the latter year an
immense cock, over six feet high. rode
in carriage at the head of the mask
ers, and delighted the crowd with
stentorian Growing. Nothing more am
bilious seems to have been attempted
till 1857, when the carnival. as New
Orleans knows it today. came into ex-
fstence with the organization of the
Mystic Krewe of Comus.
Comus Society.
Comus. which still exists, the oldest
and probably the most important, So
cially of the New Orleans carnival So
cieties, selected as the subject of its
first pageant Millions Paradise Lost
After the parade the organization gave
a ball at the Varieties theater, in con-
junction with which a series of tableaux
was presented illustrating such sub
jects as The Diabolic Powers" and
''The Expulsion from Paradise
The second Of the carnival organi-
cations was the Twelfth Night ReveI-
ers, which came into existence in 1870.
1t gives n annual ball at the French
opera house. Two other important car
nival organizations are the Knights
Of Momus and the Krewe of Proteus
the former organized in 1872. the lat
ter in 1882. They. with the Krewe of
Comus. always appear on the streets Of
New Orleans by night, and after the
parade entertain on a lavish scale at
the inevitable ball at the French opera
house.
Rex Organization.
The daytime pageant of the New
Orleans carnival is provided by the Rex
organization. 1t has the largest mem
bership, spends the most money and
claims a certain pre-eminence in car
nival affairs. It's king" is king of the
carnival; its queen is the queen Of
the carnival Rex was organized in
1872 The maskers who had filled the
streets at Mardi Gras with their gaudy
costumes, were in that year assembled
in one organization for the entertain
ment of the Russian grand duke Alexis
then visitor to New Orleans, and the
bond of union thus farmed was suffi-
GENTLY strong to hold the members in
the federation. which came eventually
to be the most picturesque of the whole
carnival.
Annual Ball.
In addition to these societies there
are some six or eight important or
CARNATIONS which make no street dis
play, but limit their efforts to giving an
annual ball at the French opera house
OF these, allusion has been made to
the oldest, the Twelfth Night Revel-
Iers. The others, listed in order of
seniority, are Aalanteans, Oberon, Ner-
Gus. Mythras, Falstaffians and Olym-
plans.
At these balls the members of the
organizations appear in mask. and the
first four dances are reserved for them
and for their partners exclusively: af-
ter which the floor is open to the other
guests To be asked to share in the
maskers' dance is one of the proudest
honors of the society women in New
Orleans.
At these balls one memeber of the
organizations is always selected to pre-
side as king" The throne is shared
by some young woman, usually a debu-
tante, called the queen" TO wear the
tinsel crown of the Atlanteans, or of
Mythras, or some other of the minor
societies Is an important event in the
Life of any Young woman In Neu- On