The record changer (Jan-Dec 1944)

TTfc? NEW ORLEANS RECOLLECTIONS The first place I lived in New Orleans was 838 St. Charles Street. I'm sure that anyone who travelled lower St. Charles Street during the early 1900's (and many, many years before that), will remember the big; double dwelling that stood back in the yard at 838. In contrast to most of the rooming and boarding houses below Lee Circle at that time, which were built close to or flush with the banquette old 838 boasted a large front yard behind a high iron grille fence, which separated it from the banquette. The house was a three storied double residence of brick, with balconies with grille railings running all around the upper stories. It must have been very old. The entire building was run as a boarding house, evidently having exdowntown half, which panded from the contained the parlor, sitting room, dining room and kitchen on the first floor. There were no hallways whatever in the house, with the exception of the short landing connecting the stairways on both sides, which were about half way back, and which led to the upper balconies. The only way to get to most of the rooms was to use the balconies; to get to an upstairs front or back room during a tropical storm was an adventure with the elements. The front rooms were b ig , h igh -ce i 1 inged affairs, with large windows that reached to the floor. Each room had a little fireplace for heating purposes, and the guests furnished their own fuel, --small pine sticks tied in little bundles, and soft coal in a bucket, generally purchased from peddlers. The conveniences were somewhat primitive, 'urniture usually consisting of the bed, a chair or two, a dresser and a ifflmode, adorned with a wash bowl and pitcher of water. It was there that I acquired the habit of using cold wa>er for shaving, which habit I still ave . On Sunday mornings, if the was fair, which it usually was, group of us boarders often early walk down to the French a walk of ab out s ixteen blocks, plenty of interest all the way. distance down the street, ette Square was Soule.'s lege, run by Col. Soule weather a smal 1 took an Market , finding A short facing LafayBusiness Cola tall well preserved, vigorous man of nearly 80 years of age. Set in the sidewalk in front of the school entrance was the inscription "From education as a leading cause, the public character its color draws". Across narrow Lafayette Street from Soule's was the City Hall, also fac ing the Square , where, from the platform erected above the wide front steps at Mardi Gras time, the Mayor welcomes the King of the C arniv al , Rex, and gives him the keys to the city. Lafayette Square itself was a convenient place to sit down for a rest, and was avai led of b y the panhand le rs , e t c . , to recuperate after doing nothing much; it was convenient to "MACK'S COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS , 5«T." A walk of five or six blocks brought us to the. small passage -way , now called "Pirates Alley" that runs from Royal Street to Chartres Street, alongside the St. Louis Cathedral, which faces Jackson Square. Crossing the Square we found ourselves at the upper end of the French Market. First came the restaurant, of which nty principal recollection is the strong coffee (with chicory) which we drank seated on stools at the narrow, shelflike tables which were built around the large circular posts that supported the low-roofed structure; coffee so strong that at first I drank it extra light with plenty of milk. Next came the butchers, with their open air stalls, no screens or protection against flies in those days. We then crossed a roadway and wended our way past a conglomeration of flowers, fruits and vegetables and into the bakery section, with its appetizing aroma of fresh baked goods, and another lunch counter. Finally, at the lower end of the market was the section displaying all sorts of sea f o od , --f is h , s h r imp , crabs, etc., with its aroma which was not so pleasant at times. Near the French Market was Madame Begue's restaurant, where those famous "breakfasts" were served for so many years. To breakfast at Begue's it was neces sary to reserve a place well in advance. I remember that in 1908, sometime before Mardi Gras, my boss sent me down to Begue's to reserve places for himself and a few friends who were visiting him for the carnival season, and they were booked solid for two weeks. I understand that the old French Market is very much changed these days, and I am very glad to have seen it in the old days, --the days that furnished the background for the part of Buddy Bolden's Blues that goes: Thought I heard Judge Fogarty say "Thirty days in the Market, take him away. "Get him a good broom tosweepwith, take him away" , I thought I heard him say. I don't recall having seen any of the Judge's customers sweeping up the French Market, but since it was over two blocks long it would have been a good job. (Jelly Roll Morton's version of Buddy Bolden's Blues', recorded for General Records in the "New Orleans Memories" album, appeals to me very much; the song is one of the most typical of the New Orleans honky tonks of forty years fts°-> *** I am indebted to William Russell for the information that the last place Tony Jackson played in New Orleans was Frank Early's caf e . . .Than ks also to Harrison Smith for c al 1 ing my a 1 1 e n t ion to a Tony Jackson composition recorded for Decca by Li-1 Arms trong , You Mean So 3