Empire of Sin (56 page)

Chapter 8: Storyville Rising

The literature on Storyville is extensive, though of varying reliability, much of it compromised by large amounts of folklore masquerading as history. Rose (
Storyville, New Orleans
) is the most complete account, and he spoke to many eyewitnesses from the District’s heyday, but his book lacks endnotes and so must be approached with some caution. The latter-day academic acounts by Long (
Great Southern Babylon
), Landau (“Spectacular Wickedness”), Leathem (“Carnival”), and Levy (“Bards and Bawds”) are all excellent sources.

  
1
“We didn’t have no sunglasses …”
and the one hundred lights are from Rose,
Storyville
, 75.

  
2
“most modernly equipped …”
and the quote about opening night are from an interview with Struve in the
New Orleans Item-Tribune
of August 2, 1931.

  
3
a former reporter …
 as per
Succession of Anderson
.

  
4
“the man who wants to be a thoroughbred bounder …”
and other instructions are from Kane,
Queen New Orleans
, 269.

  
5
ads, photos, and descriptions …
 The most thorough coverage of the Blue Books is Arceneaux, “Guidebooks to Sin.”

  
6
“Anyone who knows to-day from yesterday …”
is from Arceneaux, “Guidebooks to Sin,” 401.

  
7
“Mr. Anderson had a little white, waxed mustache …”
For the description of Anderson, see Early,
New Orleans Holiday
, 253 and 270.

  
8
an ever-growing domain …
 Anderson’s various businesses at this time as per Rose,
Storyville
, 43.

  
9
“that Nero himself …”
Quote from the NODI of December 31, 1901.

10
“mayor of Storyville” …
 Anderson is referred to often in the press as such, as in, for instance, the NODP of April 16, 1900.

11
Representative Anderson …
 Many sources incorrectly say that Anderson served in the state legislature from 1904 to 1920. He was actually first elected in 1900.

12
“Mr. Anderson …”
and quotes in the following paragraph from the NODP are from the edition of March 13, 1900.

13
full-throated opposition …
 For the actions of the State Democratic Committee, see the NODP of March 17, 1900.

14
allegiance to no one …
 For Anderson’s vow to be a reformer, see the
Harlequin
of May 26, 1900.

15
“certain saloon influences …”
See the
Harlequin
of June 23, 1900.

16
petition to open up the palatial new establishment …
 See the NODP of November 28, 1900.

17
a pesky arrest in March of 1901 …
 The arrest for violating the Sunday Closing Law as per the NODP of March 18, 1901.

18
elected, some said, expressly to overturn …
 as per the NODP of April 15, 1900.

19
to suffer the depredations of bigger fish …
 is from
Succession of Anderson
. Anderson struggled against the strong-arm tactics of the Standard Oil conglomerate for most of his business life.

20
paid off for their genial blindness …
 For the payoffs to police in the Tenderloin, see Rose,
Storyville
, 35–36.

21
laid out almost as rationally …
 An excellent hand-drawn map of Storyville and its various establishments is in the collection of the Historic New Orleans Collection (1950.57.17).

22
mostly white women …
 Rose,
Storyville
, 96, is the source for the claim about the race of the crib women on Liberty and Marais versus those of Villere and Robertson.

23
a campaign to eliminate the vice establishments …
 See especially Landau, “Spectacular Wickedness,” 85.

24
doing very well indeed …
 Long,
Babylon
, and Landau, “Spectacular Wickedness,” are the best sources on Josie Arlington.

25
225 Basin Street …
 For a picture of the Arlington brothel, see Rose,
Storyville
, 74.

26
“oriental statuary” …
 Brothel descriptions as per Landau, “Spectacular Wickedness,” 101, and Long,
Babylon
, 162–63.

27
“absolutely and unquestionably …”
is quoted in Rose,
Storyville
, 48.

28
“These places were really something …”
is from Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 11.

29
the most racially integrated square mile …
 See Long,
Babylon
, 6.

30
Often in trouble with the law …
 For White’s arrests, see, for instance, the NODPs of May 10, 1888, and August 12, 1891.

31
The furniture alone …
$2,000 value of furniture as per Kane,
Queen New Orleans
, 274.

32
“the lights of the St. Louis Exposition …”
Rose,
Storyville
, 40–42, describes Mahogany Hall and cites the Louis Armstrong quote.

33
the madam who played the role most convincingly …
 For Willie Piazza, see especially Long,
Babylon
, 199, 206–07, and Rose,
Storyville
, 158.

34
“the most handsome and intelligent …”
is quoted in Long,
Babylon
, 208. See also Long’s article, “Willie Piazza.”

35
an estimated 1,500 prostitutes …
 For the statistics on number of prostitutes, see Long,
Babylon
, 169.

36
landlords of property in the District …
 See Long,
Babylon
, 145, for the silk stockings who owned property in Storyville.

37
Even the Storyville mayor’s personal life …
 Virtually the entire literature on Storyville—following the erroneous NOTP obituary for Anderson, which cites his “two” marriages—misses the fact that Anderson in fact had four wives in his lifetime.

38
woman from Kansas named Olive Noble …
 Sources on Olive Noble include
Succession of Olive Noble, Anderson v. Anderson
(the source of the pistol incident), and her death notice in the NODP of December 28, 1907.

39
“I’ll never have a girl ruined …”
is cited in Kane,
Queen New Orleans
, 272.

40
Josie’s relationship to Anna …
 Long devotes an entire chapter of
The Great Southern Babylon
to Josie Arlington/Mary Deubler and her niece.

41
“in love with Anna …”
and all subsequent quotes and details to the end of this chapter are from testimony in
Succession of Deubler
.

Chapter 9: Jazzmen

  
1
“The Knights of Pleasure Club …”
Invitation as cited in the Bolden chronology, page 3, in the Buddy Bolden Vertical File at Hogan Jazz Archive.

  
2
a member of the Ladies’ Providence Society …
 as per Marquis,
Bolden
, 69.

  
3
“Tell all yo’ friends! …”
as cited in Bezou article typescript, Bezou-Goffin Collection (MSS 17, Folder 17–1, University of New Orleans).

  
4
“The main topic of talk …”
is from Ramsey’s interview with Danny Barker (Ramsey Papers, Folder 310, Historic New Orleans Collection).

  
5
“All over New Orleans on Saturday night …”
is from Foster, “Tarnished Angels,” 16.

  
6
“The picnics at the lake …”
is from St. Cyr, “Jazz As I Remember It,” 6.

  
7
playing regularly at Storyville clubs …
 Bolden at Nancy Hank’s and Pete Lala’s as per Marquis,
Bolden
, 58–59.

  
8
began by hiring a string trio …
 and Willie Piazza as first madam to hire musicians, as per Ramsey and Smith,
Jazzmen
, 32.

  
9
a single piano “professor” …
 as per Shapiro and Hentoff,
Hear Me Talkin’ to Ya
, 54.

10
Lincoln and Johnson Parks …
 For the new black parks, see especially Marquis, “Lincoln Park,” 26–28.

11
picnics, prizefights, and other entertainments …
 The description of Lincoln Park also relies on Marquis,
Bolden
, 66.

12
the weekly hot-air-balloon ascensions …
 For Buddy Bartley’s ascensions, see also McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 65–66, and Marquis,
Bolden
, 61.

13
“One Sunday, he drifted too far …”
is from McCusker,
Creole Trombone
, 66.

14
“That’s where Buddy used to say …”
is from the Louis Jones oral history of January 19, 1959, in the Hogan Jazz Archive.

15
“Old King Bolden …”
is from Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 74n.

16
“I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say …”
For the lyrics to “Funky Butt,” see Marquis,
Bolden
, 109–10.

17
“When the settled Creole folks …”
is from Leonard Bechet in Lomax,
Mister Jelly Roll
, 120.