The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-09-25
Notes from Aunt Chats Portfolio.
The Summer Exodus-A visit to the Sara
toga of the West-1Naukeshaa and
Its Surroundings.
WAuKEsHA. Wis. Aug 1880.

| tOGa of the West-Waukesha and
its Surroundings.
WAuKEsHA, Wis, Aug. =, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Can it ever be that the go-away fever
ever ragged more violently than at this
dayf Really, it seems as if everybody
who can possibly scrape together money
enough starts off and travels somewhere.
Many, even willing to scrimp the rest
of the year for the pleasure of saying to
their very dear friends, 1--WE were alb
sent last Summer, in Canada, Saratoga
or Waukesha, at the White Sulphur or
Long Branch" So, when John came in
the other day and proposed that we
should go away, l was not a bit sur
prised. "Where," said I; "to Grand
Isle, Point Clear, Bay St. Louis orr"
ooh no." he interrupted, I" to the North,
Of course" "How nice that will be!n
! l exclaimed with all the enthusiasm of
my nature. Just then something whis-
pered, "Going to the North, are you
What has become of your pet theory 7"
With that l laughed outright. "Why
do you laugh!" AT the inconsistency
of human creatures. Have / not always
cried out against Southern people leav-
ing their own CHEEKY resorts to go North,
East and West, instead Of exerting them
selves to encourage home industry and
enterprise Z And is not Grand Isle as
nice a seashore as any, with splendid
surf, no undertow water, pleasant tenn
perature, fair accommodations-a few
mosquitoes sometimes, but then the Nor
thern watering places are not free from
them-and-"h here John interposed. GAIL
very true, little woman l appreciate
Grand Isle and all the places you men
| tion, but when man is tired out with
his work and this enervating climate, he
must have a change the physicians say
SO, and who would doubt their wisdom I"
l knew that, no matter what I said, we
should go North, because John never
speaks until his mind is fully made up
and he is ready to act; but, while was
delighted with the idea, [ could not help
feeling a little vexed at myself for SO
easily and naturally falling into the
popular ways; l had thought 1 was
proof against all such destinations. l
will admit that, the climate may be a
good reason for people going North dur
ing the Summer to become reinvigorated
in health, but there is surely no excuse
for the expenditure of such large sums
Of money there for trousseaux, furniture,
etc. 1 have known persons who con
stantly do these thinga, unjust enough
to blame the South for not having
more enterprise, and argue that things
are so much cheaper i'll Boston, New
York and Chicago, and so much better
choice.
Oh, we women of the South, are ye all
for self9 Have ye no pride in your poor,
struggling land' Can she thrive if ye
withdraw all supporti Can ye expect
our merchants to keep supplies accord
ing to your taste, when they are denied
sufficient patronage9 All, no! it is all
wrong; we should, each one of us, do
what we can toward the support of the
community in which we live and can
not help thinking that, if the money our
people spend on Northern travel, North
ern resorts and Northern cities every
Summer, was spent on the South we
would see very different state of things
and there would be energy and enter
prise enough to suit the most exacting.
Well, l was very soon packed and
ready, as I never craze my mind with
getting al extra wardrobe to wear be-
cause l am going away from home. l
see no sense in making d display and
don't enjoy it-I don't like to look too
new; l prefer to have my things appear
as if they had been used at home.
What is more difficult than to say good
bye9 How the heart throbs and how
tongue-tied one becomes as the thought
looms up, "It may be for years, it may
be forever" AS the whistle of the steam
er Natchez rang through my ears and I
saw her rounding to, was half sorry
had said would go; but there was no
backing out then, the boat was waiting
and John was calling to me, so, with one
lingering look at the dear ones grouped
about me with sad faces, fastened on
board and we were soon steaming down
the grand old river. A few hours and we
had reached New Orleans and were snug
ly located in sleeper for Chicago.
After pleasant trip as far as safety i,
and nice people were concerned Il am
trying to forget the heat and dust), we
reached Waukesha, the Saratoga of the |
West. Will you be surprised if tell |
you was disappointed, if say it is a
pleasant but very ordinary little town
and greatly over-estimated Its mineral |
waters have become noted, and while !,
many come here in search of health, |
many more are in quest of pleasure. 1t is
here that Orleanians most do congregate. |
Gov. Wilt and the Society Bee of the
Picayune have been sojourning here of
late. The waters are very pure and de-
icious, but it is difficult to mark the |
great difference in the several springs |
which some contend for. The old con- /
tention still exists, I believe, between