The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-04-27
ERHAPS the most interesting
of all American cities is New
Orleans. This city, the winter

~ ERHAPS the most interesting
of all American cities is New
Orleans. This city, the winter
a capital of America, has pop
ulation of 100000, 25O miles of paved
streets, 1O7 public schools and kinder
gartens, six universities and many
private schools.
The temperature in winter is seldom
below 80 degrees and usually between
SO and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In
summer it is between IS and 80 de-
grees Fahrenheit.
It is the center Of southern financial
and social life. It has the largest
floating steel dry dock, the largest
sugar refinery 10000 barrels a day.,
and the largest oyster market in the
world. It is the largest lumber mar
ket in the South and has the largest
cotton, sugar, coffee, rice and banana
markets in the Union. 1t is near the
greatest American oil fields, the great
est salt mines in the western hemis-
phere and the greatest sulphur mines
in the world.
Famed as Carnival City.
II Is Tie Carnival lily VI fAi1IcllCd,
the annual Mardi Gras surprising in
beauty and cost any similar fete in
the world. And it is because so many
visit this city every March that
sketch of it's many points of interest
seems especially timely.
First, there is the custom house,
post office and federal court building,
costing 100000 and occupying one
square block, on the site of old Fort
st. Louis which stood there in 1896.
The foundation stands on concrete
and cypress logs laid crossways.
Henry Clay laid the corner stone in
1916. During the Civil war the upper
chambers were used as a prison for
Confederate soldiers. In 1S74-the re-
construction days-the mayor and
council were barricaded in the build
ing. On the second floor is the marble
hall, the first memorial to Bienville,
the founder of New Orleans, said to
be one of the finest business rooms
in the United States, having IA Corin-
THAN marble columns, each costing
$4,000.
City Of Monuments.
There are many monuments in the
city, but the most interesting to many
will be the Margaret statue, statue
of Margaret Haughery, the humble
bakerwoman, who toiled all the long
years for support and maintenance of
the little orphans of the city. She
erected the New Orleans Orphan asy-
lum, also st. Vincent's Infant asylum
helped to build St. Elizabeth's Indus
trial Home for Girls and gave every
where and to every needy child. Her
small business grew through her own
exertiOnS to large steam bakery and
she became a great factor in public
!. life. Everyone, from the banker te
the newsbOy, would salute her as she
sat at the door of her Office. All hon
ored and respected her. She ha6
never learned to write. She was ar
orphan and yet she died as no woman
in New Orleans ever died before, Civ
ing away thousands of dollars to the
poor little orphans Of the city. Jew
ish, Protestant and Catholic were al
remembered. She had funeral suc1
as no other woman ever had and al
most before anyone could tell how
it began the idea of a monumen
seemed to be in every mind. This i:
the first monument erected to
woman in the United States.
The restaurants of New Orleans ar,
noted for having the finest cooking il
: the world. The magnificent "Todo
; restaurant, called the palace of chic
should be visited at least once by tn
tourist. This is opposite the ST
Charles hotel and there the city O
New Orleans offers with pride to it
: guests the same French, Italian, Ger
r man, Latin-American and other high
class cuisine that each nation serve
to it's countrymen.
Hotels of Worldwide Renown.
e The st. Louis, or Royal hotel, stand
t IN the heart of the French quarter
f The original building, costing $500
: GOO, erected in 1885, was completed
i destroyed by fire in 1871, but anothe
q was Immediately erected on the sam
site and soon reached a degree c
splendOr almost unparalleled in tn
United States. 1t was the resort G
the wealthiest planters and larges
Shareholders in the South. The lowe
rotunda was used for a slave mar
The old slave block is still in til
= building and the names of the au,
tiOneers are engraved on the wall
- Henry Clay was entertained il I'll