The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-04-02

| when his legs were, under Windust's ma
hogany; and John Brougham, who died
a year ago, always found hearty well
come from the generous host Of "Nun-
guam non Paratus." Few of the old
crowd still remain in the land of the liv-
ing, and l often ask myself if somewhere
on the other side Of Jordan these Jolly
dogs are permitted to renew the associa-
tions of the past. A little further up
Park Row stood the old Park Theatre,
which, in its day, was the most classic
temple Of the drama in the land. An
aristocratic race were these old Park
thespians, the chief members of the COM
pany being frequently honored guests of
the oldest Knickerbocker families in the
city. Mrs. Wheatleigh, whose daughter
married into one Of the wealthiest fami-
lies in the city, was four years the prin.
cipal old woman; and Mrs. Burk, the
mother of Joseph Jefferson, was also an
honored member of that company. The
fire Of December, 1848, however, wiped
it out from the list of public places of
amusement, and the site is now covered
with stores devoted to trade instead of
amusement. A short distance further
up the row, on the site of the offices of
the Uorld and the Times, stood DR..
Springs church, and it was near this
spot that Jacob Leister was hanged for
his participation in the Leister rebellion,
about two hundred years ago. Across
Nassau street, and Immediately under
the corner of the Tribune office wp the
Pewter Mug, the resort of the most des-
perate villains and thieves in New York.
We sometimes groan about these good
old times, but in those days the prize
ring aud the brothel had voice poten-
tial in our city politics, and Yankee Sui
Ivan, Tom Hycr, Billy Harrington and
Abe Vandersce were greater men than
Peter Cooper or James Harper. The
friendship Of Mike Walsh, Paudecn or
jimmy the Rat was equivalent to an
election in any ward in the city. and the
ability to punch mans head was con-
sidercd ample endorsement for seat in
Congress. The men who remember those
good old times saw many Of the most
active politicians Of 1910 die with their
boots on, while their legitimate success
sors, the kings of Tammany, found their
legitimate homes in exile or State prison.
Right over the Pewter Mug sat Horace
Greeley, and from his little seven by
nine den he sent forth those tkunderbolts
which shook this land from turret to
foundation stone. 1t was from here that
he advised the youth Of America to $50
West and buy a farm" at the same time
informing them that pumpkins could not
be raised on huckleberry bushes, and
that you could not conveniently gather
potatoes with a Mccormack reaper. Un-
fortunate philosopher, founder of the
Tribune as he was, he lived to sec the
day when man who was once proud to
be his clerk should occupy his seat, and
when all unknown fellow who waE ped
ding monsetraps at time v hen the
name of Greeley was in every man's
mouth should own the Tribune body and
bones, and half-dozen other papers be-
side, in addition to which he should con-
troll every spark of lightning that rever-
berates with news through the length
and breadth of tho Union. Verify, YER
lily, this is world of change.
Yours truly, BROADBRIM.