The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-04-21

impossible by clouds of the vilest dust
that ever filed the air. Dried mud,
the offal from thousands of horses
in short, the accumulation OF winter,
filled the streets. Now the city pays
something like a million a year to
have this removed, but it is never
done. A few gangs of lazy men scrape
it to the sides in piles, and there it
lies till the wheels of vehicles pulver-
ize it into an impalpable dust, which
the wind takes up and scatters through
the air, the fine particles penetrating
eyes, ears and the clothing to the skin.
The drivers of street cars are COM
PEELED to wear wells like women, and
there are sore eyes enough in New
York to make the fortunes of dozen
mulberry sellers.
The charities are mostly in a bad
way. The rogues have fallen out,
and terrible facts are coming to the
surface. There are grave charges
against the managers of st. Johns
Guild, a half dozen " homes are on
the g,idiron, and dozen of charities
for which large sums of money are
contributed every year, have been
found to be merely private specula-
tions carried on for the benefit of
boards, who use small part of the
contributions for relief and the big
balance in salaries, and, not to put
too fine point on it, stealings. 1t is
the era of speculation, but it is pity
that the best impulses of the people
should be so abused.
President Hayes is carrying out the
principles that he announced would
govern his administration remorse-
lesSly in this city. 1t has been fash
ionable for members Of Congress and
city magnates to quarter their friends
upon the Custom House i'll New York,
till it was overrun with holders of
sineeures. There are hundreds of
men on the payroll of that snug har-
Dor for strikers and br0lIen down poll
ticans from all parts Of the State,
who never show themselves in the
building except on monthly days.
Secretary Sherman's explicit orders
to cut down the employees to the
strict requirements of the business
strikes terror to the hearts Of the sine
curists. especially as they know it will
be done. And the thousands who
expected to be placed, but who see
that under this administration there
is no chance for it, are also indignant.
Whenever you hear gentleman,
with nose at all red, and not ad-
dicted to labor, express an opinion
that the Presidents Southern policy
will prove a failure, ascertain wheth-
en- he has not recently been dismissed
from Il Custom House, or was not re-
Gently an applicant for Il position. In
this city patty lines are being rapidly
obliterated among good men, and for
that matter among bad ones. For
the Democrats who would have had
places if Tilden had been elected,
join, in cursiug Hayes, the Repubh-
cans who have been unceremonlOusly
turned out. The President eau ell
dure the displeasure of both classes.
Business is not so good as | had ex-
pected, but the merchants still hope
for fair spring trade. The settle
ment of the Southern troubles, and
the prospect of good, stable govern
ment, they argue must bring about II
revival of business | do not mean to
say that trade is absolutely bad, only
it is not what it was hoped it would
be by this time. There must be a
revival very soon. The stocks car
ried by the merchants in the in
terror are very light, and they must
have goods. It is singular that South
Carolina merchants have made their
appearance here much more freely
since the settlement of the troubles
in that State. The theatres and other
places of amusement are running very
light, and the retail trade of the city
is down to zero. But we all expect
an improvement soon. PlEIRO.