Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1947-02-20
MONTGOMERY SIDELIGHTS
BIZ ELSIE WHITE HAINEs

Now that l am at home, Missis.
sippi and Louisiana seem very far
away, but / shall never forget
their lovely coast lines. The region
along the Gulf of Mexico from
Pascagoula, Miss, to New Orleans,
La, as 1 saw it, is crescent Of
charm, where the grey-green water
sparkles at times like diamonds in
huge brooch.
Pascagoula, ! shall remember as
the poetic setting of Longfellow's
"Tne Building of Ship" for its
fascinating legend of the Singing
River, and as the present home Of
hospitable Mr.. and Mrs. Milton
White Brewer.
Biloxi, where the greater part of
! three weeks was spent, shall be re-
membered for it's fishing fleet, it's
lovely homes and hotels, the light
house built in 1848, the houses
with outside stairways and bat
tened shutters, which bear testi-
nony of the tax levied by the
French on inside stairways and
latticed blinds, and are thus mark
ed as dating from 1853. Biloxi, too,
has many legends, the loveliest one
of which concerns a ring in an an
Gent oak on the grounds of the
Church of the Redeemer, where
we attended services three Sun
days. A pew in the church, draped
with a Confederate flag, is marked
by silver plate as that occupied
by Jeff Davis, whose last home was
nearby.
Most of all l shall remember
New Orleans, which is a town like
none other. Where the Vieux Care
forms a city within city, and one
OF its boundaries, Canal Street, has
the distinction Of being the widest
b u siness thoroughfare in the
world. 1t was a surprise to find
that Italians and Germans now
outnumber the French in the city.
though as a whole the State is
predominantly French.
"Did you eat at Antoine's?" The
number of times l have been asked
this question proves the fame Of
the restaurant. The answer is
eyes, and neither digestion or
pocketbook has yet recovered"
The French cookery was too rich
for both. You have often heard or
a "Pig in a poke"-at Antoine's
it is baked fish in a paper bag
sprinkled with almonds! Not for
anything would have missed the
drama of the turning off of the
lights as brandy blazes up and
warns the crepes susette or the
cherries ala something or other.
The new mayor of New Orleans
has run the gambling places out
of the city, but just across the
river in st. Bernard County the
play runs in much the open fash
ion l had seen in Reno. Money
changes hands amazingly fast =
most of it going down the slot of
the table. Rich and poor, men and
women three deep around small
roulette wheels, were an interest
ing study in human behavior under
stress. No pleasure was apparent
on single face. My two compan-
ions, the doctor, his wife and I,
contented ourselves with losing a
few dollars on five cent slot ma
chine = ones money lasts longer
that way, at least.
Back in the city at midnight we
visited several world-famous night
clubs. The mayor apparently has
not gotten around to cleaning up"
the night spots, which were still
going strong at three A. M. when
We had a night cap at an old
drinking place and followed it with
coffee and doughnuts at the French
Market-which we had been told
was the traditional thing to do.
My last morning in New Or.
leans was spent on a tour of the
newer parts of the city. We saw
tie Huey p. Long bridge, which
cost $13,000,000 and is almost five
mile slong; drove along the ia
nous coffee, banana and cotton
docks; saw the huge molasses
plants, and returned by the way
of old plantations and the garden
spots of the city. We learned that
tie Mississippi River is 1920 fee.
wide at Canal Street and at mid
stream has depth of 100 to 1870
feet. The city has a harbor front
age Of 81 miles on the river and
ii miles on the Industrial Canal
which connects the river with the
famous Lake Pontchartrain, which