The Mysteries of New Orleans (The Longfellow Series of American Languages and Literatures)
Page 78
*The Howard Association takes its name from the famous English philanthropist [John] Howard, who died in Cork in 1809 [Ed.: 1726–90, Howard died in Russia]. He had taken upon himself a complete reorganization of prisons and poorhouses. Despite the immense difficulties he had to struggle with at first, his exertions and principled persistence were crowned with the most brilliant success, and on his deathbed this selfless philanthropist was consoled by his sympathy for humanity which he had inspired in the hearts of his countrymen. Unfortunately, we must confess that this sympathy has been little preserved in Howard’s own country in the last quarter-century. Particularly in the most recent times, genuinely materialist theories have surfaced and in some cases been brought into practice, theories that completely undermine humanity in the guise of economics. The core of these consists of the following maxim: “The rich have no need to support the poor; everyone should look to his own needs as he can; public welfare is an abomination that supports indolence and every vice.” Yet we are getting away from the point, and we must return to the society in New Orleans that has adopted the name of the English philanthropist. The Howard Association was incorporated with a charter from the legislature on 28 February 1842. The act of incorporation says: “Since several philanthropic citizens of New Orleans have organized a society (which has existed since the epidemic of 1837) with the intent of supporting poor persons, especially poor sick persons in time of epidemic, and in the expectation that the usefulness and influence of this society will be significantly increased by the possession of the powers which charters grant to other charitable institutions, be it resolved that, etc., etc.”
This society originally consisted of Messrs. J. W. Andrews, G. Kursheedt, J. P. Bred-love, and F. W. Leslie.
It possesses all the privileges of incorporated societies and according to law must have a president, two vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and nine directors. These officers are elected on 1 June of every year. The charter of the society has a duration of twenty years, and, since it has been in effect for eleven years (as of June 1853), only nine years are left to it. The charter will expire in 1862. [Ed.: See Elizabeth Wisner, “The Howard Association of New Orleans,” Social Science Review 41 (1967): 411-18.]
*We are not exaggerating here. Hundreds of such cases occurred during the epidemic. One shudders to think of the hard-heartedness some pharmacists showed the poor. The tyranny with which they insisted on the collection of tickets exceeds all belief. Besides the fact that the druggists, with few exceptions, set down very unreal prices and thus won outrageous profits, after the yellow fever was gone, bills were later presented to the Howard Association, fabricated by certain quacks, which brought them sums they could never have won honestly. But that’s how you make money! Many repaired their shaken finances through this maneuver, and with another summer like the one just past they would become stinking rich. The intentions of the Howard Association were good, the principles excellent—but it must be understood that the alleviation of misery is not so much a question of how much money flows into the coffers but how it is controlled.
*That is, from 1718 to 1727. At that time, Mr. Bienville was the Governor of Lousiana Province, and he was the person who chose the present (left) side of the river as the chief settlement, to which the name of Nouvelle Orléans was given. By 1723 New Orleans already had one hundred cabins, which lay scattered irregularly about. There were four residences, a storehouse constructed out of shipwrecked materials, and a structure called a shed but used as a chapel. In that year the population was not more than two hundred.
*Le Moniteur was the first newspaper to appear in New Orleans. It began in 1794, and most of its subscribers were overseas, particularly in France and Spain. It was the eloquence of this journal, in which several of the leading lights of the day expressed their ideas, that led to the Mississippi’s being opened to navigation by citizens of the United States the very next year. This act, arising from the noted Treaty of San Lorenzo, gave the first push for an improvement of trade in the city of New Orleans. One cannot forget that Louisiana only came to the United States in 1803, after it had been given by Spain to France and sold by the latter power to the United States.
* “The princess of Wolfenbüttel and Monsieur Moldaske had no sooner left us than Hiram entered. The descriptions our esteemed guests, especially Princess Sophie, had given of his character were confirmed to the last detail. Indeed a marvelous man! The most heterogenous visions cross one another in his brain. His overpowering feeling for physical beauty, to which he attributes every imaginable prerogative, often compels him to statements that, should they be realized, would undermine all morality and would obliterate the sacrament of marriage from the ground up. He is a bitter enemy of slavery, which he calls the angel of death to beauty. How he came to such a conclusion is not clear so far. Perhaps it is just an obsession with him. What was recently told at a gathering before our governor concerning a certain Diana Robert, a Negress, borders on the fabulous. She was supposed to be nothing less than the product of his own alchemical creativity. Are we to think that anyone believes in such medieval monsters in our own day? And yet it is so. Raymundus Lullus and Albertus Magnus have not yet passed away. It is our desire to learn something about yellow fever, but this was unfortunately not fulfilled.” (From the letter “Clarissa” in Lakanal’s Narrative of an Ursuline Novice in New Orleans.)
* The language of the Hotoohs is so complex, with such a spectrum of idioms that have distinct meanings, that explaining them would grow to a virtual grammar. Further, the language has the peculiarity that one and the same word can have up to twelve meanings, depending on the tone—now weepy and complaining, now strong, soft, earnest, harsh, etc., decided by the context in each instance. It is virtually impossible to translate every word into another language. So we have translated the Hotooh word facherin as “talk.” Here the pronunciation must be our guide: the Hotoohs give facherin four meanings. It can mean “beat” or “bite,” as well as “kiss” and “embrace.” The usage, together with the tone, determines meaning. Tichel, which we have translated as “to seek,” can also mean “ask” or “wish” just as much as “sleep,” “fondle,” and “name.”
The notorious and unfortunate Alfred Durand, who spent half a year among the Hotoohs and suffered great want in their care, spoke the Hotooh language as well as his native language, which was French. He died because he used the language in the wrong places, however. It was said at the time that he took poison himself as a result of deep melancholy, but it was the Hotoohs who poisoned him and left his corpse on an open street, where it was found early in the morning by a ship’s carpenter.
*Hotooh-Kralle (Crahwlla) is a branch operation; the Hotoohs in the Third District have established five, and those in the Second District, one. Fruit is sold there most days. During the summer, a few have tubs filled with icewater that hold bottles or jugs of root beer. They also serve coffee between five and seven in the morning. This takes place in the open, right by the entry to tenements. The branches are closed at sundown.
* Known to botanists by the name of Plantago natans. Near Bayou St. John there is a species called More Ran.
† Lake-killers are ships that pass from Lake Pontchartrain to Bayou St. John and from there into the Old Basin.