Alphabet File page 230
Manney, Mr. Thos., road master of the L. & N. R. R., N. O. Div. and of Bay St. Louis, has gone to Louisville on a visit to relatives. (SCE 11/19/1892)
Mr. Thos. L. Manney is again attending to the duties of his office after a pleasant visit to relatives in Louisville. (SCE 12/03/1892)
Manny, Mr., roadmaster of the L. & N. road, has returned from a visit to Louisville, Ky. (SCE 11-11-1893)
Manuel, Clarence Henry 353 Easterbrook (Ph 50, 55)
Manuel (kept store) # 32 J A Cuevas, (VF MJS VIII 00350)
Mapp, W. A., 223 1/2 Waveland Av., Waveland (Ph 48-49)
Mapp, W. A. Waveland Mayor elected to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Ed. G. Schwartz who died in office in 1936. (SCEJUB42p28).
Marbut, Lisa Lou m Waguespack, Stanley J. 12-31-1983 (PC&C)
Marcy, Hazel, 75, Metairie Cemetery 29 Dec 1969 (CEC)
Mardeau House
A new hotel is building, called the "Mardeau House", about two miles further up the bay, near Nicholson Avenue. It will be a very fine house when completed. (N.O. Times May 28, 1871 VF MJS VI 00469)
There are really two celebrations of Mardi Gras in New
Orleans. One, the old and established social organizations and families follow traditional, well preserved rituals. The second is a free-for-everyone free-for-all.
Mardi Gras stems from pagan rites of Spring which were taken over by the Christians, as were many pagan holidays, then molded to fit Christian traditions. In early days, ladies in New Orleans used to throw roses and bonbons from the balconies which soon led to urchins throwing sacks of flower and finally sacks of mud. These celebrations finally so got out of hand that the Spainsh outlawed them for a while.
After the Americans reinstituted them, masking was outlawed when the mysterious Aaron Burr appeared one year in New
Orleans.
In 1820, Creole youths returning from Paris brought with them the idea of large groups banning together and the first
Parades as such began.
In 1857 the Mystic Crew of Comus was formed, and its parade consisted of two floats, one for the King and the second depicting Satan in the blazing fires of Hell. Carnival was born.
In 1872 Rex was being founded. The Grand Duke Alexandrovich
Romanov was chassing women around North America, particularly he was in persuit of one Miss Lydia Thompson who was an actress appearing in the comedy Bluebird in which she sang the song If Ever I Cease to Love. The Grand Duke adapted the song. When he learned that Lydia was headed to New Orleans, coincidental with the founding of Rex and the Carnival season, he immediately made arrangements to come to New
Orleans.
New Orleans, upon learning that a real nobleperson was comming made grand preparations for him, including a thrne on the porch of the City Hall. The Grand Duke, however arrived not as a prince of Russia, but in the uniform of a Russian
Naval Lieutenant and refusing the throne prepared for him stood throughout the ceremony. He even quoted from the Declaration of Independance that all men were created equal.
New Orleans resented it, having made such elaborate preparations for him. Just as Rex rode up on his horse and bowed the the Grand Duke, someone in the band started singing the Grand Duke favorite song, Miss Thompson's If Ever I Cease to Love, only he sang;
If Ever I cease to Love
May the Grand Duke ride a buiffalo
In a Texas rodeo -
If ever I cease to love.
The Grand Duke was not amused, having prefered to keep his love affair with Miss Thompson a secret. He also behaved poorly at the Comas ball that evening, refusing to dance with any lady. He gave a Lydia a diamond necklace and a few days later left town with another actress named Lotta Crabtree who was playing the The Little Detective to whom he gave an armband set in diamonds, pearls and Turquoises.
Willy-nilly Alexas helped set many tradition in New Orleans, like the official holiday, Rex - King of Carnival and the official carnival song, If Ever I cease to Love._
Mardi Gras - Mardi Gras in French means Fat Tuesday, a realistic Gallic term referring to Shrove Tuesday of the
Church calendar, that last day of feasting before forty days of fasting...this year falling on March 1.
In these United states Mardi Gras means the annual spontaneous convergence of thousands of visitors, from all over the nation, on the coast cities of New Orleans, Mobile and Biloxi to participate in its celebration-the Greatest Free Show In The South. No admission is required. No conditions imposed--except that the guests are invited and expected to join the fun. On this day actors and audience are both part of the fun-until-midnight parades and pageantry on which many thousands of dollars and a year's efforts have been expended by the three host cities in the preparation of costumes and floats.
Mardi Gras is a celebration older than Christianity itself.
Its beginning goes back to those prehistoric days when ancient Greece was as yet only nomad tribes of shepherds. Among those pagan peoples it was a Spring sacrificial festival, in which it was a Spring sacrificial festival, in which the villagers thanked their gods for the fertility of their land, their animals and their women. As this rustic custom was absorbed by the magnificent empires of Greece and Rome it was expanded and corrupted into a day of licentiousness and lust until it was finally tempered, tamed and timed by the early Christian Church as the last day of indulgence in wine and food and revelry--the final farewell to flesh before the Lenten Season. It followed the Church throughout Europe and became one of the most eagerly awaited annual celebrations of Italy, France and even England.
Mardi Gras in America was first celebrated in 1699 here on the Gulf Coast by d'Iberville and several companions who had left Old Biloxi (Ocean Springs) on an exploration trip. On Mardi Gras day they found themselves in a lonely bayou which they named Bayou Mardi Gras. This ceremony and a drink of wine around was the extent of their festivities--but even in the midst of an unexplored and dangerous wilderness Frenchmen could not forget their "farewell to flesh."
Thenceforth, under ten flags, the annual observance of this ancient holiday in New Orleans, the Carnival Capital of the U. S., in Mobile, the Mother of the Mistick Krewes, and in Biloxi, whose founders brought it to our shores, has developed into one of the nation's most popular attractions. ("Down South", February 1960) (MJS VII 00388)
Markel, Merlin
The Blessing of the Fleet will be held June 26 at 2 p.m. at Bayou Caddy. Judging the fishing boats will be Carol Vegas, Divis McCutchon and Merlin Markel. (Coast Buyers Guide - June 23, 1976)
Markel Mill Work Mfg. Co., Mollere Dr. (Ph 55)
Markey House (Crescent Hotel) burns - see entry under "FIRES" - 1907
We understand that Messrs Markey will build 2 cottages on site of old Clifton Hotel. (Dec 7 1907 SCE).
The Handsome new Markey residence is in course of construction. (Mar 14 1908 SCE).
Markey, John C. 7 Dec 1907. Has contracted with G. G. G. to build a handsome store building on a beach lot opposite the Clifton Hotel site to be occupied by Thomas Evans, druggist.