The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-05
A BIT OF FRANCE
in NEW ORLEANS
Village of Vieux Carre Being Made
Into Picturesque Abode For
Works of Art.

Vieux Carre is the name for the
old French village in New Orleans
writes Chloe. Everything is set tc
make the village an abode of art. II
vM be, if New Orleans succeeds in
their designs of the Old Square.
Down in Louisiana they are scrub
hing and refurbishing the old French
village and making it so attractive
to artists that within the year, they
kspe, great painters, poets and au'
tkors will swarm there from all over
the world. The Little theater, the
Quatre club and a tea room called
.LOmbre de la Cathedral" are all
very attractive and alluring. The
shadow is supposed to be cast by the
sld St. Cathedral. It is good cathe'
dral, all right, but it couldn't posi-
Ely cast a shadow that far.
The purpose Of the Quatre club is
% entertain visiting celebrities and
for general social meetings Of the
artists and writers Of the quarter and
tae society leader sponsors from up
tuvn. Among the distinguished guests
kas already been Gen. Robert Georg-
q Nvelle when he visited New Or
kans- It was one of those chill days
which reminds one of Paris when the
uissral blows. But the Quatre club
was above all considerations OF
weather and had the tables out on the
walk, in real Paris style. By all &C
eeunts the affair was decided sue
cess. 5s... s .
Of the romance of old days, the
hast possible survives in the New
Orleans French quarter now but sure
II NO place in the world has group
.of buildings more charming and suit
i1bIe for the abode of artists: When
ypu first walk about the streets you
are likely to be disappointed; for in
srder to know the real spirit Of the
quarter you have to be at leisure and
rove around, under escort, stopping
tp'yisit here and there with friendly
shopkeeper, ad to sit at your ease
m the shade of a banana tree in some
dusky court yard. -
L know of one court yard where
three fig trees, with their funny stub
ky twiggs, grow, and upon the gal
Eery above are rows Of brilliant gera-
uinms. The people are just poor
Ralians who have not been in the
esantry long; but they, show off their
Auxery' Spanish court yard as if it
wire an ancestral habitation. 1t is
ssid that there are o My some half
DOZEN Creole families living down in
Ha French quarter> now. Most OF
Hsm have moved uptown. But there
Is one charming place on Royal street
with great tall wooden doors. You
me admitted through a little door cut
m the big one and taken through the
finest court yard in the quarter,
sara@ great palms planted 100 years
ago spread. There are twenty rooms
i this house and it is tenanted by
hnee persons, the last Of the family.
Not far away is a little pink house
with low balcony upon it, about one
anry from the street. There Patti
used to sit on an. evening to watch
tie fashionable world go by when she
sas in New Orleans singing at the
French opera house. This opera house
bzrned down in December, 1919, and
n:yery generally lamented. 1t was
not only the headquarters for the
sitT's music, but the meeting place
sf fashionable society, when the
nssked balls were held at carnival
sime- The low, slate and tiled roof
houses are built of brick, succeed
md lined and turned to all sorts of
yixturesque colors by time and the
weather.
There have been many unknown
grezt men in New Orleans, and one
great man was expected and didn't
.gse there. That is the most touch
ng story of hero-worship in all the
annals of the peoples hearts. The
cxeoles of New Orleans loved Napo-
Iean even more after his downfall
fhzn in his triumphs. And man