The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-04-15
OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
Items of Interest from the Crescent City
by Our Regular Correspondents.
NEw ORLEANS April II, 1882.

Items of Interest rom Tile OEeSeeht AAty
by Our Regular Correspondent.
NEW ORLEANS, April II, 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF;
With the exception of u wind storm IN
northern Iowa the weather for the past
week has been favorable to the Missis-
sippi valley, and consequently the great
flood Of wa ters is being gradually drained
off into the Gulf. Our friends of the
Teche valley and vicinity are still suffer-
ing from the surplus discharge drawn
through the Red and Atchafalaya rivers,
and the finest lands of st. Mary and Terre-
bonnie are now covered by the water.
We may hope for a change and rapid
fall within week, if the weather still
keeps fine. Words can not express the
distress and loss now being undergone
in the lower Teche country. It will take
thousands of dollars aud months of labor
to repair the injury done, and without
control of the Mississippi levees, all re-
lief must end abortively, for it can not
be permanent otherwise. It is to be
hoped that our represen tatives i'll Wash
ington will stir up this question until
the matter is taken properly in hand and
| the local authorities relieved of tinkering
| upon o great national work.
| Business was generally suspended III
our city OH Good Friday and religious
for the great destroyer nothing occurred
to mar the scene. Alas for human hopes,
Jack Wharton, the brave, witty and
genial Marshal Of this Jurisdiction, we'll,
happy and buoyant in the morning, was
carried home from the Custom House
piece of cold inanimate clay, a victim to
a stroke of apoplexy, ere the shades of
night had closed around. About 3
o'clock he called upon Surveyor Pinch
back, and while conversing with him
and Mr. I. B. Stamps, was suddenly taken
with pains in the head and spine, and re-
aucsting the windows to be opened,
stretched himself upon a lounge. The
pain increasing, he exclaimed, ~ am
gone," and then lost his speech, which
never returned, and he breathed his last
at about SIS, barely two hours after he
first noticed the attack. Drs. Pratt and
Smythe were soon upon the ground, but
pronounced the case hopeless from the
first General Wharton was bold aud
able leader of the Republican party here,
and All orator of national reputation
He also had the Unlimited confidence Of
all classes of our people. Truth was
stamped upon his features, his language
carried conviction to his every listener
and liberality flowed constantly from hls
heart. ALI feel that void occurs which
it will be hard to fill.
Decoration day passed off in this cit,
with its usual quietness and solemnity
The Grand Army of the Republic made
floral offerings to their fallen antagonist!
and the outpouring of sympathy for thu
fallen braves, pictured and responded t.
SO ably by Justice Fenner, will go far t.
prove the unity of our people upon al
great questions. Having one flag an'
one country; strife and bitterness hay
given way to calm reflection and work
Sunday morning at l o'clock, npo
leaving a ballroom, young man name
| Alexander Mcmahon was set upon by OH
John Melia, who i'll q cowardly mannel
and without proyocation, drew a pistt
and shot McMahon in the left breas
The locality, Lott bar-room, corner HUI
i ter and Tchoupitonlas streets, is yer
! bad place, and very near to the notoriou
i Corduroy Alley" of ante bellum fame
Rowdies of the lowest order are co,
stantly breaking the peace in this neigl
Il borhood. The Mayor, by withholdin
permits from houses where shootin
scrapes have previously occurred, woul
+ teach these characters a lesson, at til
same time conserving the well being {
g the community. Mcmahon lies at til
! Charity Hospital, given up by the SUI
eeons, and Melia is in durance vile Will
. out benefit Of bail.
n Tho President of our Board of Health
II DR.. Jones, reports that during the pa
IS year the death rate far exceeded tt
births, and limited strongly that ce
u tain class of women practlcing midwifel
t are at the bottom of the secret. Thi
Il coupled with the fact that the death raj
l. of New York city exceeded the births b
over 1900 last year, shows to what a
% extent this evil has grown, and calls II
" serious consideration at the hands OF OF
K law makers, and it may need harsh neai
Il to crush out this canker-worm of O.
social system.
8 Hon. A. J. Dumont was visited la
+ night at his home in Algiers by the Fl
3 fend aud his house and several adjoinin
A were completely gutted. Mr.. Dumo'
8. loses over $1,000 by this catastrophe, III
ID being able even to save his person
III effects. The suburban fire brigade turne
IS out, but We're not able to render any 4
$ sistanee, and the destruction was so rap
e. that it was impossible to send assistant
from the city side in time to do any goo
II The less is complete, there being no i
y suranee.
1T Oscar Crozier has published an opt
ID letter IN answer to Jones OF Nevad