The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-03
OLD NEW ORLEANS
Until Recently City Was More Europ-
can Than American.

Christian Science Monitor: Creole
Louisiana was wealthy. and was
growing wealthier, year by year,
from the '3O's to the beginning OF the
eos, and it's busy and beautiful lead
ing city was luxurious. New Orleans
had always been more European than
American; great numbers Of its sons
and daughters were sent annually TO
Paris to be educated; French fash
ions prevailed among it's people, and
lin the higher social circles the
French language was almost exclus
lively spoken. The Spanish element
cons tituted an important factor in
the life of the city, and the Spanish
afflliation was with the Latin, rather
than with the Anglo-Saxon, section OF
the population. Canal street marked
the dividing line between the two.
On one side of that thoroughfare,
generally speaking, were the shops
and homes Of the French, with
Spanish sprinkling; on the other, the
shops and homes characteristic OF
practically all other important COM
munities in the United States.
King Cotton was the reigning mon
arch of America in those days. and
New Orleans was his capital. Around
the crescent Of the Mississippi, for
miles along the leyee, stretched
steamboats, engaged principally in the
cotton and sugar trade. In 1851.
when the city had attained its great
est ante-ebllum prosperity, it receiv-
ed and handled 2,255,44S bales Of cot
ton and 400 .0G0 hogsheads OF sugar,
a tremendous business at that time.
Money flowed in upon the planters of
Louisiana and upon the merchants OF
New Orleans from all parts of the
world, In exchange for these staples.
Moreover, New Orleans was the en-
trepot Of the immense traffic which,
before the days of railroads. origin
ated or found markets along 10000
miles of navigable streams ramify-
ling the valley Of the Mississippi,
from the Gulf OF Mexico to the
Rockies
New Orleans, in the Creole period,
affected the Partisan in other ways
than in language, manners and dress.
It read French novels, sang French
songs. patronized French plays, and
supported seasons Of French opera.
It had grand opera regularly for
years before any other city In TIE
United States. The fayorite singers
of France, Spain, and Italy paid it
regular visits in connection with
their engagements In the cities of
Included Rio de Janeiro, Buenos
Aires, Santiago de Chile and Lima
In the spring OF 1859 the leading
Creole citizens determined to erect
Ia structure for the housing and pro-
duction OF opera, and one Of the
mcst progressive and prosperous OF
them, Riviere Gardere, was chosen
president of the French Opera House
association The decision was made
In March; in April the architectural
plans OF Caller & Esterbrook were
accepted, contracts were awarded
and building was begun II may
serve to take some of the conceit
out Of New York, Chicago. and some
other cities of the north, to learn
more than half century ago, in
New Orleans, work upon this struc
ture, to cost Sis 900. was carried on
day and night until completed, and
that the first performance was given
in the douse less than eight months
after the architects designs were
approved.
The French opera house was open
ed on December q, 1859, and the
scene of the initial performance,
William Tell" having been given
the inaugural honor, was described
by the Picayune on the following
days, with large measure OF just.
fable pride.
The operas produced during the
first season were Robert lie Disble,'
'"Il Trovatore," Les Huguenots,
Lucia Charles Va" and lie
Pardon de P1oerneI," several of which
have retained their popularity down