The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-03-26
OURNEW ORLEANS LETTER.

OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER
d Il.
II "A Lively RECORD @One Week
Another Conflict between Street Hallway
Companies-A Noted "Fire Fiend" IN
the Tolls.
New ORLEANS, La, March, 20, 1881.
EDITOR CHEZ:
For the week ending to-day the
Crescent City presents II record brimiul
Of sensational events, comprising muir
ders, suicides, arrests Of incen.liaries
and revolutionary acts against public or
der on the part of u street railway com
pany. The Crescent City Railroad Com
pany Is again on tho war path, after a
comparatively brief armistice, and the
conflict this time is between that corpor-
alton and u large number Of businc. 8
men and properly holders. Most people
are acquainted Will, the past history of
| the Crescent City Railroad Company, in
which Mr.. Van Benthnysen figures quite
conspicuously, particularly in the at
tempt some time ago to ln,ye the Admin
istrators Of the late Patton city govern
ment indicted, together with the presi-
dent of the New Orleans City Railroad
Company, the former for receiving and
the latter for giving II bride for the dis
posal OF the upper city railroad franchise.
The attempt was futile and the public
viewed the affair as tho act of tlisap-
pointed schemers. At the instigation of
these same conspirators, the Grand Jury
found "A true bill against Mr. Wintz, the
president of the New Orleans City Rail
road Company, on the frivolous charge
Of having embezzled $4,000 belonging
to bis company when the directors had
approved and ratified the acts of their
president. Evidently this move on the
part Of the Crescent City Railroad peo-
pie was but an attempt by them to sat
isfy personal grudge. Mr.. Wintzs trial
came off Monday, and resulted in his
honorable acqnittul, there not being
scintilla Of evidence to sustain the
charge. Messrs. Baldwin, Biscoe, Stauf-
for and other directors of the N. O. G.. X.
r. Co, testified that theyssI,,,l: the most
implicit confidence in MI. Wintz.
And now comes the Crescent City
Railroad Company in q new role, and
Iall l,.J. Il
the right to run their cars on CarondeIet
street, he ink with which was written
the ordinance granting them the privi-
lese was scarcely dry before they had
laid q car track for the distance of Il
block on Carondelet street, alongside the
track of the rival company, rendering
that tlloroughfare well nigh i,npassable
Now what the people of New Orleans are
extremely DESTROYS Of knowing, just at
this time, is why the ordinance was
passed SO expeditio,sly and against the
consent Of property holders on that
street? Doubtless that interrogatory can
easily be answered by the president of
the Company, who Was SO ready to al
leggc bribery against rival, but it is
said he would be rather backward about
telling. AS it is, the railroad war now
raging reminds ono of the conflict which
took place over the franchise last year,
with the exception that the C. c. r. r. |
Co., now figures rs tho lucky player in
what seems to be another jeu de main, len |
de rilaM. Despite threats Of writs of in |
junction, Mr.. Van Bentlluysen maintains |
his position and refuses to dcsist with |
the work Of obstructing Carondclet
street.
In every community there is class of
persons who consider themselves privi-
lodged characters, and think the laws
were no. made for the punishment of
their nisdemeanors and crimes. In tho
long run, rs u rule, these persons find
that they ale terribly mistaken, and tho
supremacy of the law is made manifest
10 them in an unmstakable manner. We
have now All example Of the retribution
hat overtakcs these fellows. Isidore
Levi, we'll known in Louisiana rs n
dealer in crockery, and far
amed as one who seemed to be partic-
liar victim of incenlarisn,, has been
'ronght up with round turn, after
ong career Of rascality. It is now eight
'ears since Levi was burned ont and re-
eived his first haul from the insurance
He was then looked upon
IS a man free from guile, and the idea
hat he could have been guilty of the
'trocions crime of arson, was never for a
noment thought Of by any one. Levi
vas not long absent from n:..siness cir !
les, but opened stores in no. ont por-
ions of the city, and tinalicula1 se,l the
pacons store No. "a Mali Iur street,
mere he opened 4st d, whole
ale crockery establishment of acre he
vas burned out on the 1st dgan1sn, 1873,
nd receiveds $50 900 insnrP p q !a y - oney.
lntttllnBS ny no means cOns shOulttary !
o Levi began to be heard, er especi,,ere
'as no direct proof of foul algla. ~ as
wen the benefit OF the dol hausts tie
uilt his store and by the ats sleep,ten-
i've advertising was soon annoying OIL
big business, when 10, ando.'behold! on
lew Years eve the crockery palace, TO-
ether with the adjoining stores of Han
I'll & Co., and other firms, mention
t whom is reserved for tile advertising
Dlumns of the CHIEF, were consumed J