The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-03-06
Items from Upper Ascension.

Items from Upper Ascension.
Latest Phase Of the Mail Service-White
vs.. Colored Labor-Shanghai's Solu-
ton or the Problem-Weather
and -Driftwood.
ASCENSION, Feb. g, 1880.
Despite earnest appeals from the peo-
pie, the contract of Mr.. Brott was few
days since annulled, and the Bayou Sara
packets John w Cannon and Edward j.
Gay will resume their former position in
the mail service. This matter Of mail
delivery between New Orleans and Bayou
Sara is trifled with too mnch and should
have more serious attention given it,
both by the Department and the public
interested. As it appears impossible for
a daily mail to visit this section, we ur-
gently request the Department to see to
it that the fourth-class offices along this
route will in the future be better served
by the packets than heretofore. #
Messrs. Brown and Streck will do as well
as our genial friends Messrs. LihanO and
Mossop have done-and which we are
fully assured they will do again-many
of our disguised people will become rec
onciled to the latest change in the mail
service. All we ask is what the contract
calls for, and no more. Now, hoping the
4 oko ,,-;11 hoffap aAf.
isfaction this time, during both the easy
and brisk seasons Of the year, We'll make
the best Of a bad bargain and take four
instead of six mails week.
Ridiculous comments upon the action
of Capt. Frank Ottendorfer Of the steam
er DeSmet in employing white labor on
his boat, impels the writer to suggest
that, should all steamboatmen follow his
example and employ white instead Of
colored hands, it would eventually prove
the source Of much good. The colored
man will then, more than ever, be obliged
to seek his livelihood in the productive
fields of our fertile country, under sys-
TEN of yearly and regular employment,
where payments are usually made only
monthly, and then he will become man
of better habits. As it is now, he does
but too slowly evince the requirement OF
true civilization and refinement. Too
many of his race are ignorant of the con-
duct which marks the true citizen. Daily
occurrences testify to this fact. How
many cases of assault and battery, petty
larceny, and even highway robbery and
murder, appear upon the dockets of our
| courts, in which the accused are colored
persons that have no regular means of
employment and subsistence; but seldom
will you hear of a regular employee en-
gaging iii such disreputable business.
And to this rule number of white peO-
pie, better brought up and enjoying SUI
perior advantages, form no exception.
When money makes its way slowly to
the possessor, he has more chance to
consider and mediate how to use it with
most benefit to himself and his family.
| Where this is not the case. and it comes
too rapidly, it goes as it comes, and
whisky and gambling are almost invari-
ably resorted to. Persons favored with
a free current of funds generally know
neither how to save money or how to use
it to advantage. They are usually shift
less, here to-day and there tomorrow,
strangers to the blessings Of a good and
happy home.
Looking at this same subject from an
other standpoint, the system suggested
affords other advantages. The white
immigrant, who can not, as a rule, en-
dure to work under the direct rays Of
our Southern sun as the colored man can,
will be afforded an opportunity to be-
come acclimated, the merits of white la
Dor will be demonstrated, immigration
will increase, the cry Of Hands want
ed!" will he heard no more, much of our
idle but fertile land will I've made valua-
ble, and many new homes will he built
among us. We must induce and encour-
age the foreigner to come and live with
us he then will learn to love our PEG.
pie aud prize our land. The colOred man
is needed in the country-all good citi-
zens admit that. He is not afraid of OLD
Sol and his rays he understands how tt
cultivate the sugar cane and cotton crops
to advantage; it is his labor we need t.
make large and heavy crops. Employ
more white labor on steamboats, and il
cities, and send the colored man to thu
country. The planter, with this rein
forcement of labor, can undertake to cul
tivate larger crops, and we may hope tt
see the now deserted plantations unle]
cultivation. To this end the labor of tn
colored man is essential, and to him vii
accrue the greatest good resulting from
this beneicent change; for he will thel
have regular employment, a permanent
: abiding place and fewer opportunities t
J do mischief and get into trouble.
The weather of last week was agreea
Bile, though damp and cloudy at times
, Our rural labors were not much inter