The mirror., 1922-02-16
PICTURESQUE NEW ORLEANS


on each side. At given signal, or at GER
tain periods, the electricity is turned on
and the rollers revolve, and the canvas
belt enters the hold of the ship. Down in
the hold, which l late robtained permission
to enter from one of the ships officers, the
bananas are laid on the belt four and five
punches at time. Then the belt, which
is continually in an up and down motion,
conveys the bananas to a receiving belt
on the dock. Here two men are stationed,
one on either side of the belt, and as the
bananas come in front of them they are
picked off the belt and placed on the
shoulder of man standing in line to
carry them. But before they leave to be
carried to the fruit cars, man with
registering machine is nearby, and he
pulls a cord on his machine, number ap-
pears in its center for every bunch of
bananas that pass by him. The next step
is, to signify to which car this bunch of
bananas is to be consigned. There are
several different kinds of bananas and
each kind must go to a special car. Some
punches are ripe, some small, some large,
some totally green, and others are spotted.
For the purpose of taking care of this,
man is employed as a "spotter," and as
each man passes him with bunch of
bananas on his shoulder he views it, and
says to the carrier: "'Blue Flag;' Red
Flag;' Ripe; White Flag" or what
ever kind the bananas happen to be. Then
the man, or men carrying them, Just keep
on walking down the dock to the fruit car
that bears the specified flag. Here an
other checker with his machine registers
each kind with his checking machine as
they pass by him and enter the fruit car.
To the stranger, or tourist, who has never
witnessed such sight, might add that
it presents quite picturesque spectacle, in
that it is thing never seen in this state.
Bananas, did you say? Why! at the
docks in New Orleans you are very often
handed bunch of ripe bananas absolutely
gratis, which might cost you from fifty
to seventy-fve cents in the East or the
Twin Cities. The men employed to un-
load the cargoes of the fruit steamers are
mostly negroes, white men and sometimes
a few cinnamon. They all are given
ticket in which hole is punched every
hour, and for each hole they receive
twenty-five cents. Sometimes it takes
eight to twelve hours and sometimes Ion
ger to unload ship of its cargo of fruit.
However, there are rest intervals between
certain hours, and if you get hungry there
oafe several "eat" wagons stationed near
by, which carry pastry, sandwiches, wei
ners and beverages, and the prices are
very reasonable compared to our state.
Good measure, which the French people
of New Orleans call ladinobte, and prices
of living commodities, lodging etc. are
very low. One is astonished at the low
prices of things that prevail there, and
they seldom change. For instance, an
overcoat, of the latest style, that would
cost you from twenty-five to thirty dollars
here, can be bought there, anytime, for
twelve to twenty dollars. Think what
this means to a working man with
family, and who draws but modest
salary in these days of present business
depression.
Another thing in New Orleans that is
interesting to the tourist, is the excursion
steamers which tie up at the levee at the
foot of one of the principal streets of the
city, namely, Canal street. Here can be
seen mammoth steel warehouses extending
up and down the levee; they are used for
storing temporarily, thousands of bales of
cotton. To see Southern darky reclin-
sing in Incidence on bale of cotton,
and you will find them scattered over the
whole wharf front, reminds you of the