John Rose Ficklen

“ Even the police regulations were issued by the same official.
In 1804, the year after the United States obtained possession, President Jefferson said that “the position of New Orleans certainly destines it to be the greatest city the world has ever seen;” but the growth for many years, though rapid, did not come up to the general expectations. In 1805 New Orleans was regularly incorporated, and the inhabitants elected a city council. This was the first occasion on which the right of public suffrage was ever exercised in Louisiana. Americans now crowded into the newly acquired city. ”

“ It may be added that the general cleaning up that has been given by the United States to the city of Havana is regarded as an important protective measure for New Orleans. Finally, the mildness of the climate of New Orleans, and the outdoor life which such a climate renders possible, preserve the inhabitants to a large extent from many of the terrible diseases common in other cities. The mortality among the colored population, which is generally improvident and careless of sanitation, is much higher than among the whites. ”

“ As a manufacturing centre New Orleans has many advantages, among which may be mentioned the following: The climate is moist enough for cotton manufacture and favorable for continuous labor throughout the year; the raw materials need but short transportation; the laboring class is numerous and contented; fuel is brought cheaply by water; and the exporting facilities are excellent. It is estimated that in the last twenty-five years the value of the products of factories in the city has increased six fold. ”

“ Owing to the curve of the river, the streets do not run at right angles; they follow what is sometimes called ‘the line of beauty.’ Between the main thoroughfares of this portion of the city are interpolated a number of small streets, which, seeming to begin nowhere and end nowhere, cause great perplexity to strangers. The total extent of streets is 700 miles, of which only 204 miles are paved at all. The lack of paving, resulting in the disuse of the unpaved streets, which in bad weather become almost impassable, has a tendency to congest traffic on the few streets that are paved. ”

“ At present New Orleans is insufficiently supplied with river water, and a large majority of the inhabitants depend upon rain water, collected in great wooden vats or cisterns, which, rising nearly as high as the houses, form a unique feature of the city.
Health. New Orleans has always been subject, at intervals, to visitations of yellow fever, and its sanitary reputation has been thereby seriously impaired. Before the Civil War the worst epidemics were those of 1832, when more than 8000, out of a population of about 55,000, died of yellow fever and cholera ”

“ The granting of franchises, the usual pitfall of councils, is carefully safeguarded. Connected with the city government proper, but in some respects largely independent of it, are a number of boards, with various functions, such as the civil service commission, the board of liquidation of the city debt, the police board, the board of fire commissioners, the school board, the board of health, the New Orleans levee board, the port commission, the drainage commission, and the water and sewerage board. ”

“ For the whites there is only one university, the Tulane University of Louisiana (q.v.) , with the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College for Women.
Amusements. New Orleans is famous for its French opera. For forty years before the Civil War troupes were brought over from France to furnish this entertainment, and with brief intervals the custom has prevailed ever since. Such is the passion for music and singing, especially among the Creoles, that even in times of great financial depression the city has managed by private subscription to support these foreign companies. ”

“ There are no ‘mixed’ schools. The number of public schools for whites is 61, and for negroes 12. The number of teachers is 800 white and colored. The total enrollment for 1902 was 31,205, of whom 26,133 were white and 5072 were colored. The public school system consists of one normal, three high, 68 grammar and primary, 18 kindergarten, one teachers' practice school, and one teachers' kindergarten training school. These schools occupy 69 buildings, 32 of which were erected by the city, 28 by the commissioners of the McDonogh fund, and two donated. ”

“ The city supports a home for aged and infirm, a house of refuge for boys, and an insane asylum. There is also an eye, ear, nose, and throat hospital, maintained by private contributions. The Jews have several well-organized charitable institutions, among which the principal are the Jewish Orphans' Home and the Home for Aged and Infirm Jews. ”

“ The subjects represented in the parades are drawn from mythology, romance, and history. The floats are designed by artists of established reputation, who, with their assistants, spend many months in elaborating them. ”

“ The value of all products in 1890 was only $48,234,924. There are in the city 1624 manufacturing enterprises, devoted to 150 different industries, with a total capital of $52,000,000. The United States Government recently constructed at New Orleans one of the largest floating dry docks in the world. This has shown its ability to lift and sustain the largest ship in the American Navy. New Orleans is the second export city in the Union, being excelled only by New York. ”

“ The expense of these parades is about $200,000 a year. Nowhere else in the world are similar pageants to be seen.
Clubs. The principal social clubs of New Orleans are the Boston, the Pickwick, the Chess, Checkers and Whist, the Harmony, the Louisiana, the Era (a women's club) , the Round Table, the Variété, and the Southern Yacht Club. The Louisiana Historical Society devotes itself to the investigation and preservation of the history of the State, while the Athénée Louisianais was founded for the study and preservation of the French language. ”

“ In November, 1762, France ceded the whole of Louisiana to Spain, but the people in New Orleans, who first heard of the transaction in 1764, strenuously objected to the change and forcibly expelled the first Spanish Governor, who came in 1766. In 1769 Alexander O'Reilly (q.v.) , who had just been appointed Governor of Louisiana, punished with unsparing severity those who had been prominent in the uprising. In the same year the census taken by Governor O'Reilly shows that the city possessed only 408 houses, with a population of 3191. ”

“ At present there are thirty steamship lines connecting New Orleans with the principal ports of the world. As soon as the Isthmian Canal is built a great impetus will be given to the commerce of the city. The foreign trade consists very largely of exports, the annual value of which is about $150,000,000. ”

“ The last two enter New Orleans over the tracks of another line. There are six great grain elevators along the docks. The docks, which are for the most part uncovered, extend for six miles along the left bank. As the gateway of the Mississippi Valley the city is well situated for foreign commerce. The jetties at the mouth of the river give a channel of about thirty feet, and the depth of the river in front of the city is ample for the largest vessels. ”

“ The chief industries are rice cleaning and sugar refining, and the manufacturing of boots and shoes, furniture, men's clothing, cotton goods, tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, cottonseed oil, and planing-mill products. ”

“ The Touro Infirmary, endowed by a wealthy Hebrew philanthropist, has a free clinic, where the poor of all sects are treated. The Catholics have the most numerous charitable institutions under their control. ”

“ Population. The census of 1900 gave New Orleans a population of 287,104, making it the twelfth largest city in the United States. This total included 30,325 persons of foreign birth and 77,714 of negro descent. The increase in population, according to the censuses of former years, is shown as follows: in 1870, 191,418; 1880, 216,090; 1890, 242,039.
History. New Orleans was laid out in 1718 by Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, then Governor of Louisiana, and it was named in honor of the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France. ”

“ Free instruction is also given to young children by six kindergartens, supported partly by churches and partly by private funds. The number of private schools in the city is 145 for whites and 14 for negroes. ”

“ The large surrounding bodies of water render the climate more equable than in the interior. The annual mean temperature is 69°. In thirty-two years the temperature has never reached 100°, except in 1901. ”

“ Besides the numerous city courts, the State Supreme Court, the United States District, the Circuit Court, and the Circuit Court of Appeals hold sessions in New Orleans.
Finance. The report of the city controller for 1902 gives the bonded debt of the city as $17,286,490, and the valuation of real and personal property as $147,201,984. The rate of taxation was 22 mills, consisting of: city expense tax, 10 mills; interest and redemption city bonds, 10 mills; special tax for water, sewerage, and drainage, 2 mills. ”