The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-11-08
MISCELLANY.
A New Orleans Romance.

In the winter oil iSOUj there came 10
New Orleans from Havana Spaniard
about thirty years old, and apparently of
good social condition, whose only baggage
was large trunk remarkably light for its
size and curiously pierced in the top with
many holes. Instead of going to a hotel,
his first business upon landing was TO in
quire in passably good Raglisf, atsvarious
stores and houses near the wharf, for IN
formation of a garret story to rent, as no
other abode would suit his particular need,
and he wished to secure such a one inn-
mediately. Thus, by the time he had
found 4 lofty and comfortless sky -parlor in
a building opposite the, French market,
and had his huge and unweighty.i trunk
transported thither gns his own shoulders
many persons liz the city were prepared to
regard him as an eccentric mystery and
watch his subsequent proceedings with
interest. This curiosity increased when
the stranger, who paid his small rent in
advance, aud did not choose to give any
name, fittedihis trunk into one of the gar
get windows in place eftIle removed saslles
as an exteinpoffzed cote for the pigeons,
which Were presently seen to hy. in and
ouhof il. What next? was the fnquisitiye
feeling ofthose taking note of this ornitho-
logical development; and bar-keeper
sion to watch the sallow garreteer mar
rowly theneeforth. But nothing of par
ticular importance ensueJ. Having es-
tablished .pigeonry, the stranger SEEM
Ingly adoptetla a reserved, uneventful life
his lonely lodgings, buying cheap meats
for himself and his feathered charges at the
market, and assuming q poverty OF Eng
llS1 words, by which all Oyertures for fa-
miliar conversation were effectlally dis
couraged. All that could be learned of
his habits by ocular observation was that
when the steamer from Havana came In he
sometimes had d Ctbanese guest as re-
served as himself, who went back with
the ship; and that occasionally one of
his birds would be seen returning de-
monstratiyely to the cote, as from a
longer absence than usual. At last, after
about a year of these appearances, the
watchers concluded that the man was some
harmless lunatic, with a mania for birds,
and was visited at intervals by kindred or
friends from home. Near the close of the
second year he was absent from his gar
ret several weeks. and then, to the eXasper-
ating mystification of tile bar-keeper and
other curious lleighbors, feappeared in a
gorgeous carriage with liyeries, to carry
off his trunk of pigeons and return thither
no more. Obviously some great change
had come over the spirit of his life, for in a
few weeks more he was occupying costly
rooms in the st. Louis Hotel as Don Jose
Castillo. In this new aspect he was scarce
ly recognizable as the late pigeonary OF the
forlOrn garTet. and to tile few of his former
observers who now met him he conceded
the fullest license of imaginative eXplana-
ton that their fancies chose TO indulge.
From the hotel he, removed tC a stately
mansion on Royal street, where; in 1856,
he gave some of the finest social entertain
ments in the city, and maintained servants
and equipage in extravagant style. Court
ly manners and vastly improved English
enabled him to become the leader of a co
terie of distinguished fashion, and his rich
ly furnished house witnessed many a dis
play quite III the Monte Cristo style. Be
cause he spent money lavishly it was
thought that he must possess millions, and
the Don tacitlv allowed this idea to exert
What intiuenceit might, until an episode Of
one Of his dashing entertainments gave q
cue to invidions suspicion of his native
high degree. Amongst the guests on the
occasion in question was a gentleman who
had never been there before, and was OBJ
served to regard his host with peculiar at
tentlon. Later ON, when somewhat flushed
with wine, this person uttered an exclama
uon OF surprise and declared emphatically
to those near hina, that he had finally re
cognized in the aristocfatic Don Jose Gas
ullo former prowling foreigner TO whom
ne he had once sold ticket IN the Havana
lottery which had ultimately drawn /
heaVy capital prize The foreigner hae
heard OF his purchasessef the ticket anC
came 70 HIM with an offer to- buy, Whiel
ne had accepted. Here was a Scandal Il
once, since, according to American ideas
It detraeted from the present patrican pre-
tensions Of tie splendid Cuban, aud it.
rapid circulation in society led to the eliei
tatlon OF nearly every known fact of thi
don's first year in ,fAe,eity. .Thisalo
however, might not have troubled Castillo
greatly had his fortune Been esuaJ 70 re
port. But he was not millionaire. Hi!
costly style in Royal street was really ex
hausting his gold at fearful rate, aud ius
as the gossips were concluding that, what
ever his past history and practices, his fina
position was impregnable, the fine house
furniture, and horses Went into the hand
n cb ~,