The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-04-10
Our Broadbrilll Letters.

Our BrOadbriln Letters.
Black Week in stocks-Lent-Dr. Dix's
Letter Fiend-New Art Museum-Mur-
der Of q Policeman The Ohinaman.
New YORK, April 3, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
While there has been no general
outcry, and no excessively disastrous
failures, there has not been, for sew
eral months, as black week in stocks,
as the one which has just closed.
Every thing has been done in an ex-
ceedingly quiet way, and there are
thousands of people, with Grape on
their hats, sorry that they ever went
into Wall Street. Pacific Mail, which
went up like rocket few days ago,
came down like the stick this week,
bringing lots of the knowing ones to
grief. And then a few insiders, who
were posted in the Elevated railway
stocks, and were watching the chances
at Albany, smart fellows, who bad
points from friends on the inside, who
knew just when to buy, found their
balances on the wrong side of the
ledger when the FIVE cent fare bill
was defeated, and ever since then
have been crying for Jupiter to help
them. Nothing illustrates better the
danger of meddling in this risky busi-
ness, than the case of fashionable
lady, moving in the highest social
circles, who wished to take hand in
the Wall Street game of faro. She
put thousand dollars as margin in
the hands of an eminent stock broker.
to use at discretion, as he was sup
posed to know all about the inside of.
the market. 1suppose the lady would
have been Mortified if anybody had
called her gambler; she would have
been shocked if she had been detected
buying ticket in the Louisiana Lot
tery, and yet the thousand dollar
stake that she put into the hands of
her broker was as much an ante as if
she had bet it on seven-up or poker.
Well, the broker took the thousand
dollars, used his discretion, and began
to speculate on the ladies' account.
Every time he bought a hundred
shares of any stock, he charged
commission of twelve dollars and a
half, and every time he sold he did
the same thing. Sometimes he bought
and sold several times in the couree
of the day, but in all Of the buying
and ali of the selling, there never ap-
pears to have been any profit. The
account ran on for several years, and
at last the broker presented his bill,
when the lady suddenly discovered
that, instead of bonanza, she had
struck snag, and that she was in
debted to the broker nearly four
thousand dollars. After trying to
arrange the matter, and keep it as
secret as possible, it at last got into
the Courts, and Notwithstanding the
seeming injustice of the case, judg-
ment was given against her for the
full amount, and her losses on the en-
tire investment of one thousand dol
lars, including her legal expenses,
will not be far from six thousand dol
lara. To chow how this gambling
mania has taken possession of our
women, an Office has been opened
here exclusively for their use, where
they car gamble like their husbands,
without the fear of publicity.
We are now at the close of the
Lenten season, and those of US who
have paid a decent observance of
church ordinances, are looking visit
fully towards the day when beefsteaks
and mutton chops ale DO longer arti-
cles of taboo. In many respects the
season has been remarkable. In the
olden time, the season of Lent was
one of fasting and prayer; balls were
almost unheard of, and the theatres
did an Improbable business. But
now, balls and parties have been
quite as frequent as at the most fes-
tive season, and the theatres have not
been so we'll attended for many years
back. The fact is, that Gilbert and
Sullivan have set our people Pinafore
mad, and light musical entertainments
have almost superseded all other
kinds of dramatic sensations.
The capture of DR.. Dix's letter fiend
has given unqualified satisfaction to
all classes Of the community, and may
be regarded as one of the cleverest
pieces Of detective work that has been
done here for many day.
Next week We celebrate the opening
of the new Metropolitan Art Museum.
For years past, it has been a matter
of just reproach, that the greatest city
in the United States had no Art Gal
lery, or no collection of articles of
virtu worthy Of the name. That por-