The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-12-06
Our BrOadbrinl Letters.

> spintualism- Temperance Lecture-A
Irish Alderman on a Spree-The Goo
Little Boys Of Brooklyn-Another Fa
For the Seventh Regiment-Oonvi,
Labor-Suicides Street.
NEW York, Nov. %, 1879.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Of late I have felt decided iu
clination to Spiritualiam; and, i
making this public confession, don
want to hear repetition Of the stal
jokes of brandy and water, gin an
milk, rum punch, and such lik
denominations. 1t is not to be expecte
that coarse, groveling natures ca
appreciate the aspirations of a ma
who desires to hob mob with Juliu
Cesar and Socrates, and to take
ride around his back parlor on th
top Of a piano. I never knew mucl
of Julius, but from all l can hear o
him he would be a very desirable
acquaintance. l hate common people
first-class or nothing is the motto
with me, and what's the use o
groveling among the Smiths, til,
Browns, the Jones, and such. lik,
people, when Cicero and SHAKESPEARE
TassO and Dante can be had fo
merely the asking Besides, | never
looked upon a piano as q desirable
means of locomotion, till it suddenly
occurred to me one bright afternoon
that of all things. on earth, l should
like to take ride on top nf one
There is something 80 exhilirating in
the idea Of sailing around your parlor
on top Of the piano, in company
with four or five nice fat fellows, that
weigh about a ton, and bobbing up
against the ceiling as if you were nD
India rubber ball. Once the i6ea
got possession "f me, | could not
shake it off, So resolved, if the op
portnnity offered for any of the man
ifestations or interviews that desired,
that l would not let it pass. had
read Andrew jackson Davis, and the
latest discoveries by Kiddle, and |
knew it would be gratifying t" your
readers to know that your faithful
correspondent was keeping company
with Walter Scott, Washington Irving,
George Washington, aud, in short,
with men of his own stripe. On Sun
day evening last, there was spiritual
seance given at Chickering Hall, aud,
during tile entertainment, the piano
was to be taken out of the orchestra
by the spirits. foated up 10 the gal
lery with fourteen fat men on top of
it, and if fat woman could be found
in the audience willing to take a ride.
she would be privileged to do so,
provided her age was over forty five,
and she did not turn the scale at less
than two hundred aud seventy six.
There did not happen to be a lady
over thirty six in the audience, 40
that pleasure was denied us.
Ny wife don't believe in spirits, 80
ON Sunday evening, after tea, just as
l was putting on my overcoat. she
asked mo where l was going. said
l thought l would go and hear Broth
er Talmage on "human depravity.'
She thought she would like to 60 too.
but I persuaded her that the evening
was damp, and that she might possi
bly, take cold. Hurrying up to CHECKER
ing Hall, found it crowded, for
among other attractions, it was
whispered that one of tho mediums
was going to get into quart bottle,
which was to be placed on the middle
of the stage, and while on the inside,
the medium proposed to sing two
comic songs, and dance a hornpipe.
This was the sort of thing that l
to see. l had lost all conf
dence in table tippings, and l despised
and the great Ojibbeway
Chief. had but little faith in the
spirit Of my mother n-lsw, for while
IN the flesh che never turned the scale
above q hundred and six, while her
ghost WAS good for two hundred and
twenty, which was a spiritual phsno-
to which am hardly yet re-
c0neiled. The master of ceremonies
vas one Of those sharp, keen, lank,
bald headed looking men. such ~
you frequently see conducting spir-
tual meetings; and after q long de
lay, the announcement WAS made
,hat the performance was about to
commence. Then committee was
nvited up to inspect the inevitable
cabinet; bnt it Vas very evident that
he most Of the audience, like myself,
rad come to see the piano trick. The
wore Oh, and it soon becatee
that the whole of the audi !
snce was sold. The swinllers secured !
lbout seven hundred dollars as the
'esult of their spiritual enterprise,
md your faithful correspondent was