St. Landry democrat., 1881-08-27
NEW ORLEANS GOSSIP.

CULAR-THE MEXICAN WAR vETER-
ANs-A $4,000 FIRE-THE DOWN
RIGHT FAILURE OF THE SOUTHERN
UNIvERsITY-yAsT ESTATES WITH NO
KNOWN OwNERs-TI.IOTHY RYAN, ESQ.
A GALLANT PEELER-A TEXAN IN BAD
LUCK-ANOTHER BURNSIDE CLAIMANT
ROBERT f. DIAA1OND-WHARyES
SYNDICATE COUNSEL AT LOGGER
HEADs-THE PROPOSED PAID FIRE
DEPARTMENTAL POLICEMAN AGAIN
NIGHT HAWKS PLENTIFUL IN n. o.
Especial Correspondent st. Landry Democrat.l
NEW ORLEANS, August 23d, 1891.
Editor ST. LANDRY DEMOCRAT:-
Probably the readers OF the ST. LANDRY
DEMOCRAT have read about the con-
templated improvements and beautify-
ing of the public squares of the Crescent
City and have fondly imagined that
these public plots would soon be con-
verted Unto things of beauty and
would in short, rival the famous parks
of Northern cities. The public prints,
whether gulled or not we cannot say,
have given their readers fairy-li des-
criptions of the parks, predicting that
they would soon be the pride Of the
Crescent City and in regard to Lafayette
Square in particular it was proclaimed
in unstinted terms that this historical
ground would soon be shorn of its
baroness and would eclipse all others
in delightfulness, beauty and attrac-
tiveness. We desire to unveil the ex-
aggeration and to inform the public
of what has really been done. In the
first place the substantial iron railing,
which was an ornament in itself, was
removed and walks were cut from each
corner of the square to the centre of it.
The Franklin Statue was next attended
to and the small iron railing which
encircled it's basement was also re-
moved and on the east and west side of
the square abont ten yards from the
statue two fountains were erected.
The reader will bear in mind that these
remarks apply solely to Lafayette
square, wolk on the other square being
vet in its incipiency. The improve
ments as regards Lafayette square have
reached that point when the formation
of an opinion or the deduction of con-
clusion are entirely warrantable, hence
our action in the premises. Well, after
Lafayette square was entirely shorn of
all it's ratings, the iron benches which
stood in it for years, were taken away
and in their stead wooden ones were
substituted and distributed promiscu-
ously around. To lend more attrac-
tion to the park and in order that the
vast improvements so far made would
not suffer at the hands of mischievous
hoodlums, day and night police
men to the number Of two were hired
as watch dogs, at fifty dollars a month
each, and OF course at the expense of
the city. Just then that grinding mo-
nopoly, the New Orleans Gas Light
Company, came to the front and showed
its absorbing propensities by stealthily
removing the large gas jets which had
been substituted on the gas lamps in
the place of the small ones thus re-
verting the already gloomy looking
park at nj ght to its primitive darkness.
soon grew restless under their burden
some cares and finding moreover that
nurses and servant girls who were wont
to congregate in the square about the
hour when the dark shades of night |
overspread the earth, no longer sought
it as Of yore, but on the contrary, shun- |
ned it probably on account of it's
gave up their position of
trust with disgust and sought new fields |
and pastures new. Now, the park of |
Lafayette is no longer resonant with |
the musical tramp Of the peeler, his rap
is no longer heard on it's gravel walks, |
but instead the hoodlums in their mid
night pranks have followed and in the
dread hours of the night the neighbor-
hood is serenaded with hoodlumistic
litties. 1t is to be hoped that the COM
missloners of Lafayette park will not |
. rest upon their laurels," but will
. strike the iron whilst it is hot" and |
their charge into a thing of |
beauty and a joy forever.
On the 10Th and 10th Of September !
the veterans Of the Mexican war will
oin each other in grand reunion at
AS there are large num-
Der of Mexican war veterans in New
Orleans an effort is being made to get
hem together to send them to Cincin-
1ati to participate in the grand re- Union.
All patriotic citizens will delight to
lelp by word and deed those heroic
souls whose achievements on the field
It battle have rendered this country
llustrious in military annals The
Mexican war veterans number in their
'anks many Of the most distinguished
nen in the United States.
A $50, 900 fire occurred here last week.
The liquor house Of Pattison & Bovard
md the New Orleans Flour Mills were
destroyed.
We are sorry to state that the South
IN University established for the ex-
lusive benefit OF the colored people of
louisiana has not realized the expecta-
IONS of its friends, but on the contrary
as collapsed into a downright failure.
We feel sorry for the colored people
eeause we believe that it will he for
heir best interests as we'll as for the
est interests of this country that they
!,ould be thoroughly educated. Educa-
ion is enlightenment, and as long as the