The Donaldsonville chief., 1879-09-20
Our BrOadbrinl Letters.
NEW YoRk, Sept. l3. 1879.

EDITOR CHIEF:
She was Z widew. She was not
pretty, a red headed woman with a
wart on tile side of her nose, seldom
is, especially after she has passed
forty-five. Moreover, she was un-
commonly fat, and she bad a nervous
affection Of the left eye, which kept
her constantly winking. It was this
latter unfortunate peculiarity that
led Timothy Griscom, very respect
able farmer of New Rochelle, to his
| ruin. Now, it has been remarked
that there are more people get into
serapes in New York city, who come
from New Rochelle, than from almost
any other locality in the State. It
occurred thusly: Mr.. Griscom came
down to the city to sell some b, tier
and eggs, and this being accom-
plished, he started out to see the
sights, having fourteen dollars and
seventy-tive cents in his pocket. Que
of the choicest treats to the rnral
New Yorker when he comes to the
Metropolis, is 4 ride in Broadway
! omnibus-fare five cents. Tile takes
him past Trinity Church, where he
can see the graves OF Charlotte Tenn
pie and William Bradfo1d-the print
er the immortal Franklin worked for.
Mr.. Griscom went up to the top Of
Trinity Church steeple, aud got
birds eye view of all the beautiful
landscape of the Jersey shore. Right
at his feet was Wall street, with it's
.aarVeleas stores of wealth, aud its
multitudinous swindlers, and before
him were the magnificent buildings
of the New York Life Insurance,
the Western Union Telegraph, the
New York Post Office, and other
marvels Of architecture, not to mem
tion that heterogeneous monstrosity,
the New York Tribune office, which
looks like the cross between Chinese
Pagoda aud pair Of hay scales. Mr..
Griscom was gazing out of one of the
little port holes in the steeple, eagerly
| intent on the wonders before him,
when he felt himself slightly bumped
BY q lady who was looking out on the
opposite side, for at this point the
steeple is very narr.Y, and whsn.twe
people from opposite sides are bent
up in the shape of a carpenters
square, they must either be very
careful or very thin, to avoid COLI
sion. Neither Mr.. Griscom nor the
lady was very careful OF very thin,
for Mr. Griscom tarDed the scale ut
238, and the fair lady looked as
though she might have worn co7se:s,
size SCI, and a yard aud three quar-
ters for belt-ribbon would not have
been considered out of the way. II
beg yonr pardon, num-" said Mr..
Griscom, Strengthening up, aud feeling
for his coattail. Not at ALL" said
the stout lady, adjusting her dinity,
and winkiDg with her left eye, and
then Mr.. G'iscom recognized her as
the same lady who had ridden down
| with him in the omnibus, and had
kept winking at him all the way from
the Stewards store to the Astor House.
Now, many a man can stand it un-
moved, tn have woman wink at him
iu an omIibue, but there are
very few, of mortal flesh and blood,
that can endure that kind of tempta-
tion in a church steeple, aud Mr..
Griseom was not one of those men.
He said to himself, "She winkrd at
me all the way down in the omDibus,
she has followed me up in this
steeple;" and then utterly forgetfal
of Mrs. Griscom, and the six little
pledges Of their mutual loves playing
around the door yard at New Rochelle,
he attempted to encircle, with his
arm, the red-headed widows ponder
ous waist. The rest of the story is
soon told. A piercing scream rung
out from old Trinity tower. The
sexton, alarmed at the terrible OUT
cry, summoned couple of grave
| diggers to his ai;l. and rushed to the
summit of the steeple. When they
arrived, they discovered Mr.. Girls
cOm-nlinus his neck-tie and the
crown Of his hat-and the red headed
woman's pew Fall bonnet was con-
siderably the worse for wear. Mr..
Griscom was arrested, aud taken to
the police Court, where charge of
Of assault relieved him Of his fourteen
dollars and seventy five cents. In a
dilap;dated plight, he walked ont Of
Court, with his righteye in mourning,
no doubt firmly resolved the next
time he comes to New York, to leave
red headed widows alone.
There have been q nHmber OF re-
markable suicides in the past few
days, which have been marked by an
eccentricity unusual even in that