The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-06-09
DoNALDsONVILE, SATURDAY,

| of them NOW that each department has
Harpers not only at the head, but all
through it. And each one takes the
| position that the whole in council
| decide for him, and fills it without a
murmur. No matter how humble
his place, he is Harper, and has an
equal interest with the others in the
house, but he is required to do his
duty, and do it well. There never
was any single head to the house.
When asked who was the Harper,
and who the brothers, the answer
always was, Any one of US is the
Harper and the others are the broth
ers." The business of the house is
simply immense. They have published
thousands upon thousands of books,
the value of their stereotype plates be-
ing estimated at over $4,000, 600.
Everything under Heaven that has ever
been written about or printed, both
from American and European pens,
will be found in their catalogues.
Their Maga=ine has a larger circula-
ton than any similar publication
in the world, apd their Illustrated
| Weekly and BaSar rank equally
high. All the operations of the bust
ness, except paper making, are car
ricd on in their immense fire. proof
building. The paper is taken in, the
manuscript read, the type set, stereo-
type plates made, perss-work done,
the folding, stitching, binding and
ornamepting, in short, the entire book
from beginning to end is made in the
concern, even to designing and en-
craving the pictures. The demise of
the founders will make no difference
in the business. After the death of
Joseph, some years ago, the remain
ing three turned over the contlol to
their sous and nephews, only taking
part when very grave matters came
up. There are grandchildren of the
original four in the firm now, and~in
a few years there will be great grand
children.
The result of the investigation into
the affairs of our Custom House has
eliminated ID tie recommendation to
discharge nearly three hundred en-
ployees as useless, to cut down the
salaries of those remaining, to do
away with the pernicious system of
taking fees, TO prevent the assess
ment of employees for political pur-
poses and also prevent them from
taking too prominent q part in poll
tics, and to DO away with the prac-
tice of making an Office holders place
depend upon his politics. There is
weeping and wailing, but it will do
no good. The fas has gone forth,
and the Apgean stable is to be cleaned.
The same process is to be extended
to the other cities, and the public
service brought down to the lowest
cost consistent with the highest effi
cheney. President Hayes hold upon
the New York public is strengthen
ing every day,
A curious sale was held last week
in the city, an auction sale of patent
rights. A very large crowd was atr
tracted, and the bidding WAS spirited.
The patent for Il folding chicken coop
sold for SIS, a machine for washing
curran:s $l7 so. A patent for lining
pipe-stems with glass brought $3.50,
and an Improvement in liquid meas
ures $3.50. Inventors howled with
Indignation at the low prices pro-
cured, and there was great deal of
fun evolved during the sale. Forty
three patents were sold for an aggre-
gate of $14,0a0.
Business is very dull, and the old
complaints are rife. There seems to
be NO vitality, NO life in trade. The
interior merchants are buying only
what they can not help, the sole COM
fort being that they pay. Intelligent
iobbers from the country say if the
crop now in the ground is good, there
will be revival in the fall, and with
that we have to be content. The
weather is warm but pleasant.
PIETRO,
Greece sent u note to the Porte
asking that the same privileges be ac-