The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-09-10

tHJ Hlo lolt, Nuefe tHt EOuSeS StOOu u p
and the street ran down." This street
OF road, have not yet been able to de-
eide to which class it belongs, extends
several miles in length, and having trav-
ersed half a score of these miles without
seeing an end to the houses and fences,
incline to the belief that New Road has
an india-rubber foundation which can
be stretched out to an interminable dis
tance. Across the river FIs1e appears !;
blessed with the same clear atmosphere
and the same beauties of earth and sky,
it is a second edition of New Road, and
is chiefly noted for its over-abundant
population of dusky-eycd and tawny-
faced infants and curions specimens of
the horse and hog race, of which will
presently say more. Both here and on
the Island, which latter designation is
now a misnomer, the "dyken having
converted the soi-disant island into a pen
insula, are the extensive remains of ante
bellum improvements, of handsome
houses, of pleasuances and avenues, of
we'll laid-of plantations and fields, the
| former possessions Of those whose name
was once a power in the land. Over all
the dust of ruin and the blacl1ness of de-
struction have fallen. Verify their
| houses are left upon them desolate," and
Ponte Coup6e may we'll say, "Ichabod,
1chabod, the glory has departed" How
! long it will take the parish to arise
| Phnnix-likc from the ashes, il were idle
to. .snrmise. Certainly, however, there
| is 10 land i'll Louisiana that would re-
turn greater interest for labor and CAP
| ital expended than tho rich bottoms of
I False River. >" There are millions in it,"
| | have found q species of the genus
eqnus here which would greatly interest
the naturalist, it is q kind of amphibious
horse, seemingly a cross between the
common draught animal and the hippo
potanus, possessing tic qualities Of the
one and the habits Of the other. All day
long you may sec him plodding along
like any well-behayed civilized pony,
carrying his master or burden, some
times double one, but as soon as "eye-
ming dons her dusky liveiy.n behold the
creature, as by some necroma antic spell,
is transformed into an aquatic animal.
Turning away from corn and oats in the
stall, he betal1es himself to the river
side and wading out beyond the shore,
at his leisure graaes until his appetite is
appeascd. Perhaps you may doubt my
veracity when l use the word g,asc in
connection with q river-bed, but as l am
a truthful historian, It's so. There is q
variety OF fresh water a7go aboundng
III False river, and judging from the
eagcrness with which it is sought it must
be most appetizing to the creole ponies
and cows that night after night browse
upon its succulent stems. Ny investga-
tions have not yet proceeded SO far as to
determine whether the feet of tho above
mentioned animals are hoofad or palm
ated and webbed like the generality of
aquatic creatures, but l am confident
that Pointe CoupGe will possess in |
few generations from now q species of |
long snipe-biled quadrupeds, with which |
some future Barnum will astonish the |
credulous coming race.
l can not forbear calling attention to
another fusus nature which all bent upon |
acquiring new funds of information will
please notice. There is here q hog, a I
miniature specimen of our American
srunter, which possessing all the root
hog or dIe-a-tivencs of its larger confiere
on the other side Of the river, is dcbarrcd
from pursuing its usual agreeable pas
time bg the application of contriyance
as ingenious as it is astonishing, and l
might add tormentlng, to the innocent
little piggie. A diminutivc ox-bow is
placed upon the free born neck of the
poor little creature: converting him from
the independent rooter of tbs eS,soil into
slavish, Liliputian nondescript. l dare
say, as habit is second nature, pjggie has
become accustomed to it, nevertheless
had | any political influence l would
propose another amendment to the Con-
stitution of the L. S., viz: that the many
and undeniable rights of SO highly es-
teemed and useful member of our COM
monwealth as the hog has proved him
self to be, should be left unabrogated
and untrammeled. Why should he bend
his noble neck to the servile badge of
slavery Perish such degradation! AS he
was born SO let him die from the sty to
the sausage grinder free and unyoked,
OF the Du,s.,-s since we called at the office
venient building and sJtcd up and con-
the mysteries of the Sanctum Sancrol.Wn
but, notwithstanding the obliging pub
lisher's well-mcant explanations, am
sadly afraid that Long primer, miniou
and nonpareil are mixed up i'll lament
able ''pie" within my brain. Femininity,
judging from my experience, was never
intended for the printing business. Tie
Banner is the official Journal Of the par
sh of Pointe Coupfe, and under the
Of its able editor, Mr. L. B.
Claiborne. and his well chosen coadjutor
Mr. A. II. PilIet, now ranks as one Of the
best edited and well published country
papers in the State. IN the language OF
one OF its contemporaries, Long may
it wave,' the Banner of free neople,
leading to other and loftier heights of
I il,n,:t, I'd Ii.-il;Zatianl