The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-07-28
Our New York Letter.
Poisoning an OarsnRaH-3EOr-
tality-SuHnmer ESlaces-Tem-
-LifeHnsurance again
Business.

NEW AORh, July Il, Iodf.
EDITOR CHIEF
1t has become settled matter that
there is no such thing as honesty or
honor, in any thing connected with
sporting matters. The races atJerome
and Fleetwood Parks are all arranged
beforehand, and the innocent people
who bet on horses may DO so with the
certainty that the ring have agreed
with the owners as to which horses
should win, and by how much. Occa-
sionally an honest man undertakes to
row, or run, or fight, or walk, or do
something, and if he can not be
bought he is disabled in some way, if
it is the interest of the gamblers to do
| it. A rowing match, which excited
much interest among the sports, was
arranged between Riley and Court
ney. Courtney was known to be the
best man, and bets on him were three
to one. A little ring of sporting des-
peradoes took all the bets they could,
and an immense amount of money
was stabed on the event. At noon of
the day of the race, Courtney was in
excellent condition. He sat down at
his hotel to take the little refresh
ment allowed him, a cup of iced tea
being part of it. He drank it, and
noticed that its taste was unpleasant.
A few minutes after he was taken
very sick he vomited severely, and
fell into stupor from which he did
not recover till night. Riley rowed
over the course alone, the judges
awarded him the race, and the money
i'll the pools was paid over to his
hackers. Courtney had been drugged
with arsenic. This is no more than
is done every day on the race tracks
in the city, and is a fair illustration
of the honor of the sporting men.
The excessive mortality among
children. in the city is occasioning
alarm. The deaths last week were
over 500 in excess of the correspond
ing week for years, the mortality be-
ing mostly confined to children. 1t
is not, as usual, confined to the tene-
ment houses, but the children of the
better classes have suffered terribly.
The weather has been unusually
severe, and the streets and alleys
were never SO filthy. The accumula-
tions of last winter were left on the
ground till late in the spring, and
then were not wholly removed. I'm
der the hot July sun the cutters and
back yards of the densely populated
streets in the lower part of the city
emitted Il concentration of stenches
that singly were enough to Kill a
healthy adult, to say nothing of a
weak and insuffieiently nurtured
child. The germ of disease once set
atloat was carried into the better re-
gions, ard the child of wealthy man
died as an atonemeut for his neglect
of the poor, g whom we have always
with u.s." The Board of Health. al
ways weeks too late, have !aken hold
of the matter and their efforts have,
in some measure, checked the dis
ease.
The blazing sun must be endured
by the poor of New York during the
week, for they must work to earn
their bread. But OH Sundays, every
one of them who can raise the means
takes his wife and family to where
a mouthful of fresh air is attainable.
! The poorest go to Central Park, for
five cents will take them there. Last
Sunday 100000 people visited the
Park poor mothers with their sickly
children staying all day, having taken
with them the lunch and supper, that
the little ones might get as much of
life as possible to fortify themselves
for the intolerable heat of close
tenement house for the next six days.
There were 10000 people at Coney
Island the same day, and every land
and water route leading out. of the
city to cool, fresh air was crowded.
Fortunately there are many such
places about New York, and they are
of cheap and easy access.
The temperance movement is pro-
crossing fayorably. All the noted
orators in the country are brought to
New York by turns, SO tAat the feel
ing is not allowed to die or lessen.