The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-07-30

Exploits Of q PlOus WidOw-HOw Shc
Rake<l the Churches-Un Underground Rail-
road-HeRira from the City-TrOuble
with the Railroad, Etc.
New YORK, July l6, 1881.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Eureka! exclaimed, rs entered the
Archery grounds Of the National Associa-
tjon. At last we have an amusement
where man can take his wife or his
daughter without being compelled to
associate with gamblers and thieves. IT
you 20 to IL trotting match at country
fair, made up ostensibly Of honest
farmers, the chances arc ten to one but
you are brought in contact with every
lisreputable saloon keeper and gambler
within radius of forty miles, and the
chances are Il hundred to one that the
man is professional gambler who owns
tho winning horse. 1t is the same at
base ball match. You can scarcely find
ball club in the country which is not
infected with this infamy, and the con-
duct of some of them became SO tlagrantly
offensive that respectable people were
compelled to refuse them their counten-
anse.
Athletic amusement was felt to be
national necessity, but the question
seemed narrowed down to a disagrccablc
choice whether VIC would become ma
ton of consumptives or q nation Of gam
blers. The National Archery Association
has solved the enigma, deciding there is
necessity for neither, and that in
archery is the true solution Of tho puzzle
which has bothered It's 80 in the past.
The tournament opened on Tuesday,
the 18th, with representatives from
Maine to California, and no more pictur-
csque sight has been seen i'll the United
States in the present century. The field
in which the contest took place was Il
beautiful lawn of forty acres, shaven off
as smooth rs piece Of velvet. Forty
targets were ranged on opposite sides Of
the field, and the ladies were accorded
the post of honor in the center. Cay
flags tluttcrcl in every direction-mark-
ing the headquarters Of the different
clubs-wlile scattered here and there,
upon the field, were beautiful tents and
marques which afforded grateful shelter
| to the archcrs and their friends.
The field, beautiful as it was, was not
more striking than the appearance of the
company. You felt at once that you
were in the society of decent people, and
that while your ears were sure OF not
being shocked by offensive language,
your pocket book was safe-at least
while you were within the archery
bounds.
The scene brought back the granlcst
days of chivalry, when gallant knights
contested on the field Of the Cloth Of
Gold; or when Leicester, on the vcr.lant
slopes of kcnneiworth entertained, with
lavish hospitality, Elizabeth, the Virgin
Queen.
The weather was delightful, light
clouds yelling the sun, and soft breeze
tcmpering the Summer heat. The tar
gets for the gentlemen were set at 1OC
yards, those of the ladies at 80 yards, and
nothing pretticr Or cleaner in the way Of
sport was ever seen in America. There
were 10 oatlls, 10 tobacco smoke, except
in tho mild form of choice cigarettes
aud gentle drinks like lemonade, Will
the faintest suspicion of Bourbon or SAINT;
Cruz, while light lager, mead and Other
iunoxious drinks furnished mild forms o
dissipation with which Father Matthew
: could scarcely have found flult-an,
which would unquestionably have re
ceiycl the endorsement of the veteran
Francis Murphy. From eleven oclocl
on Tuesday, when tho tournament com
menccd, till the sun had sunk beneatl
tho horizon, the air was darkencd by tn
clouds of arrows Of the manly and IL,
= | lIlI CUlLCSIIuGo. L AS SoiCS't wv 'SAolS'
, some strange features. Archcrs, who's
names were unknown only a fcw year
ago, suddenly came to the front, an
} champions, whose fame had been nation
al, were compelled to take back seat
Mrs. Gibbs Of Newark, n. j., leading o
with score of 1903, beating Miss Ham
mond of Cincinnati, the champion G
. last year, by over 40 points. Fran
Walworth of Saratoga came to the froll
with Il score of 76:5 in possible 1OOt
while Will H. Thompson, the invincibI
= champion of former years, gracefully IT
+ tired behind a score of JAS.
/: Among the ladies' prizes was masni
g ticent putclless Of Gainsboro leshor
I; hat, beautifully trimmed with roya
c ostrich plumes. Whoever was the luck
) winner of that hat will drive girls {
. her neishborhood crazy, and break til
hearts of half the young men in III
J, town. The only drawback to Il season {
= unexampled enjoyment was sever
8 storm which burst upon the archers 0
: Wednesday afternoon. The hurrical
, swept over the field with fearful fur,
Targets and tents were demolished in
moment, every tent being lcyeled Wit
the ground, those who took shelter b
" meath them miraculously escaped injur
=, and gett,ug i. thorough drenching befo
" they could gain the secure shelter Of IL
~ clubhouse. This was the only circul
.e stance to mar the general happiness
p the meeting: which WAS one of pure al