The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-10-29
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

Fashionable Young Men-What They Look
Like, and How They Live-Crime and its
Results in New York Terrible Accident
In Shooting Gallery-WOnderful Fall
Business, Etc.
New York, October q, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Within the past ten years new ele-
ment has appeared in our social life,
growing from mon tn to month and year
to year, which is calculated to foster a
race Of men, if men they can be called,
which will be no honor to our nation i'll
the future. The first evidence of Rome's
decadence was the effeminacy Of her
young men. The stern legions which
had hurled back the warriors Of Hanni-
bal were no more, and the sons Of men
who earned their laurcls with Scipio
and Marins on the scorching deserts Of
Africa were cUutvuL To wear The CHAINS
of savage for the miserable boon Of a
dissipated life.
The vast accumulation of wealth in
tho hands of comparatively few is rails
ing new race among us. There is a
plethora of rich mems sons-fellows born
with silver spoon in tleir mouths,
educated in Europe, returning home full
of tho most advanced aristocratic no
tions; looking upon labor as disgrace
full, and upon individual uselessness as
the grand end and aim Of life; regarding
IL cock fight or horse race as of infinite
ly moro consequence than the discovery
Of the telephone or the electric light;
holding trade vulgar and idleness COM
mendable; looking upon gambling as
the proper amusement Of gentleman,
| and on female virtue as myth, or, if in
| existence at all, as thing to be pur-
| chased like any other article of COM
merce. If the evil example of these
wretched parasites was confined to them-
| selves the case would he bad enough,
but they faint the atmosphere around
them; they infect everything afflicted
with their presence; their example is
demoralizing and debaucbing orr young
men, who appear to have arrived ut the
conclusion that efeminacy is every thing
and manliness is nothing.
| / have in my eye tho son of self
made man. The father worked on a
farm in his boyhood, and at the age OF
fifteen found his way to the city of New
York. There he secured situation in a
large wholesale house, and in three
| years he rose to an under olerkship.
Step by step he advanced from one posi-
| tion to another, and after twenty years
Of faithful service was rewarded with an
interest in the concern. Twenty years
more passed, and the death Of his part
ner left him sole proprietor. He mar
ried, late in life, fashionable belle.
| who took him for his money, and secur-
ing that, she turned her back upou he1
unfashionable husband. She visited oil
the fashionable watering places alone
while her husband racked his brains and
I undermined HIS utdllu ~ pIOfluo GuS
means. One boy was the issue Of this
unfortunate marriage; and after spoil
| ing him as child, when he grew up she
took him to Europe to be educated. Hii
father died broken hearted, leaving his
widow a very large fortune, which che
spent " ith q lavish hand. Three years
in France, three years in Germany
three years in Italy and three years il
England, and Mrs. II. returned to New
York. Notwithstanding her lavish ex
) penditure, the judicious real estate in
vestments Of her husband had advanced
SO enormously that her fortune had in
j creased instead of diminishing.
Twelve years abroad had destroyed il
the mother and her son every American
thought and every American feeling
At twenty five, the dissipations Of Lon
: don, Paris, Vienna and Berlin had mad
j the young man old and blas6. He ha
$ his valet, of conrse, for he could d
4 I T.; In n.