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

globe, there is but one public library
Of any note, and no Art Gallery worthy
of the name, except the Lennox Lii
brary and Art Gallery, which, al
though enclosed in magnificent
building, as far as It's Art collection
is concerned, is surpassed by dozen
picture shops on Broadway. Then
again, the restrictions placed upon it's
admission, have virtually closed it to
the million who desire to visit such
places. This reproach is about to be
removed, and in the opening of the
Metropolitan Art Gallery, New 7 Yorkers
expect to have place to which they
will be proud to take either the friend
or the stranger who shall visit US.
The beginning was made several years
ago, when few public spirited indi-
viduals opened the nucleus of the
present Art collection, at an old build
ing on Fourteenth Street. Loans
were made of pictures, statuary and
many rare and costly articles, by some
of our Oldest families. After time,
the treasures exhumed in Cyprus by
General CesnoIa were added to the
collection, and with them, many rare
carvings and costly armours and other
articles of interest. Four years ago,
it was one of the most interesting
places to visit in the city. Since then,
the collection has been vastly inn
proved, and building has been pro-
vided for it in the vicirity of Central
Park, of which it will be one of the
chief attractions. Visitors to the city
should not forget that in addition 10
the most costly and unique collection
of statuary and paintings to be found
in New York, the wonderful Cesn0la
collection, exhumed in the Isle of Cy-
prus, which was hidden by the priests
in the temple vaults more than two
thousand years ago. Gold, silver and
bronze ornaments, which decked the
dainty ears and necks Of the Cyprian
bellies before Christ was born in Beth
lehem, are to be seen here, almost as
bright as when they came from the
goldsmith's hands. Rare and beauti-
full are some of the ancient gew- gaws,
and even the little puff boxes and
paint cups prove that vanity is not
the sole exclusive heritage of their
modern sisters. The cups and bowls
from which they drank, and the
eDameled glass from which they
poured their wine, are among the
evidences of their daily domestic life.
Almost all that we know of the his
tory Of this ancient people, is con-
tanned in these wonderful relics, which
are now to be thrown open, free, to
the public. 1t is to be hoped that
some Of our great millionaires will re-
member this institution, when the
time comes that their vast accumula-
tions will no longer be of service to
them, so that the generations that
come after US, may rejoice in the pos
session of gallery of Art, second to
none in the world.
A great deal has been said Of late
about the clubbing Of citizens by po-
licemen, but occasionally policeman
is beaten to death by ruffians, and
very little appears to be said about it.
Two weeks ago a police officer by the
name Of Stone saw party of rowdies
making a distul bance in one of the
worst districts in Brooklyn. The
party was known as the Smoky Hol-
low gang, and the faces of most Of its
members decorate the Rogues Gal
lery, many of them having served
terms in the Penitentiary or States
prison. They refused to desist from
their riot, and the policeman at
tempted to arrest one of the riug-
leaders. The entire gang closed
around the unfortunate officer. and
one Of them coming up behind him,
crushed his skull with stone and,
after lingering in great agony for two
weeks, he expired on Friday last.
Aggravated cases of clubbing have un-
doubtedly occurred; but in the list of
fatal casualties, the police have suf-
fered to an extent little dreamed of
by the public, no less than ten having
been killed or permanently disabled
during the past year, while in the
performance Of their duty.
New York suddenly begins to be
aware that she is indebted to the
sand-lot orator, Dennis Kearney, for
quite an addition to her population.
In few months, our Chinese family
has increased from six hundred to
over two thOusand. Whatever mel ifs
they possess do not appear upon the
surface. Wong Lo, Hung Kow and
Shang Lu can be seen on laundry
signs on every prominent street, and
while in their laundry they may ap-
pear clean enough, where they hive