Who Was Paul Morphy?

Paul Morphy

People who play the ponies in New Orleans often wonder who Paul Morphy was.  That's because there's a street named after him on the way to the Fair Grounds.  Have I mentioned recently that our house is only a ten minute walk from the Fair Grounds?  That tidbit of information is valuable if you are going to Jazz Fest next year (NOT this year, we don't have any vacancy).

Paul Morphy Drive runs through a neighborhood that is called the Fair Ground Triangle.  The neighborhood designation seems to be a fairly recent invention, but I like it.  It fits.  The Seahorse Saloon is in the Triangle, too.  I enjoyed reading the reviews for the Seahorse Saloon on Google+.  

I don't know what Paul Morphy Drive was named before it was named Paul Morphy Drive.  I assume it had another name at one time and it was renamed posthumously.  It is a mystery.  I wish I had a little emoji of a ghost to put here, but I don't.

Paul Morphy died in 1884 at the age of 47.  That's a little younger than your humble narrator is as of this writing (I am, also, thankfully alive, I should add).  Paul Morphy's life was a tragedy of sorts.  During it, he was known as "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess."  People who know who he is still call him that.  I do.  So does Jennifer, who lives next door.  So do the bartenders at the Seahorse Saloon.  

Paul Morphy was born in New Orleans and he died in New Orleans.  Between those two important periods, he traveled extensively, most notably for two years, between the ages of 19 and 21, during which he was proclaimed the greatest chess player in the world.  All he really wanted to do was be a lawyer, so when he reached the legal age to practice law in Louisiana, he retired from chess.  He never played again.

He never made a go at law.  According to Wikipedia, from which I'm cribbing all this information, he "ultimately lived a life of idleness, living off his family's fortune." That's pretty nice work if you can get it.  Unfortunately, Frau Schmitt and I have never been able to get that kind of work, so we picked a profession that is equally nice.  That's why we're innkeepers.

If I may put forth a personal opinion for you to consider, Paul Morphy had a beautiful head of hair.  Look at that photograph at the top of this blog.  If you're curious who's hair that reminds me of, specifically the prominent swooped upward bangs, it's Morrissey.  

If anyone wants to start an online fanzine about La Belle Esplanade, let me know.  I'll give you exclusive access to the behind-the-scenes workings.  You can even interview Tammie the Housekeeper if she agrees.

Tammie the Housekeeper

Scratch that last part.  Tammie the Housekeeper, reading over my shoulder, tells me she isn't interested in dishing the dirt.  Her job is to clean it up.

As usual, another salute to Tammie the Housekeeper, the most valuable member of our team, aside from Frau Schmitt, of course, who is the nicest person you will ever meet.

À votre santé,
La Belle Esplanade bed and breakfast.