The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-07-29

OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER,

OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER
Items Of Interest from the Crescent Cit,
by Our Regular Correspondents.
NEW ORLEANS, July l8, 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Business in the city is decidedly dull
every one yon meet is complaining o1
the hardness of the times. It was only
yesterday that gentleman desiring tt
put out few thousands at reasonable
interest called upon prominent broker
and real estate agent here for that pur
pose, but the broker told him that he
could not trouble himself with such a
small amount, there being no call fol
small loans, but he vouchafed the infor-
nation that he held mortgages upon
real estate in this city to the amount oi
upwards of 100000. The war news has
not had the effect upon cotton which
was anticipated and futures are even
upon the decline.
To add to the general depression the
plasterers and painters are out on a
strike, and crowds Of them are upon the
thoroughfares dressed in their best, but
amongst them money is scarce. These
men deserve some sympathy from the
community, their wages having been
reduced by the employer to q standpoint
just above starvation. The painters,
who have been unjustly maligned by
the large contractors-especially SINGER
and Konrad, who would like to control
the trade here, have been particularly
bitter in their criticisms-ask only - so
day. In all the larger cities of the
Union 50 and "a per day is cheerfully
paid to painters, and why the wages
should have fallen SO low here, is an
enigma to me. Perhaps some knight of
the brush will decipher it for the benefit
of his suffering fraternity. The plaster
ers' tariff calls for $3 per day inside aud
SO so for outside work. All of the
demands appear to be within the bounds
of reason and we wish the workingmen
success.
The anniversary of the victory of
Faubourg st. Antoine on the 14th inst,
was celebrated by all classes of people
here, and there were at least 10000 peo-
pie at the Lake resorts during the day.
At night the police as usual showed their
weakness and inefdciency, and the hood
ln,n had things his own way for the time
being. A pretty arch of triumph was
built over the railway stand on Canal
street, bedecked with all favorite flags
and strung with flowers; the motto
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity which
peeped out from among the flowers was
the ruling spirit of the time, and had
there been less whiskey on board the
trains, greater pleasure would have been
the result.
The Ashland, n fine sternwheel steam
boat owned by Capt. Belt, was burned
at one of our lower wharves on Friday
evening last. There is no doubt that the
cause can be traced to the carelessness of
the chambermaids who were on that day
ironing the bed and table linen prepara-
tory to the proposed excursion to Don
1t is said that the fire was
communicated from one of the furnaces.
The loss is estimated to be $40, 900 and is
thought to be covered by insurance.
The National Board of Health is as
usual growing at our State Board, but
or other Congress failed to
make the regular appropriation, SO this |
year our local board can lord it over the
people in its own way. The National |
Board still holds out like grim death.
In Republican circles politics are very
quiet just now. The party seems to he
waiting for the rival claims of Jud ge |
Taylor Beattie and Senator Kollogg to
be settled. It is understood that when
that is definitely arranged, general
call is to be issued throughout the State
10 reorganize the party upon new and
more liberal basis for the coming cam
paign. 1t is admitted generally that the
insane policy pursued by the party in
his State since the accession of Mr.. r.
B. Hayes can bring nothing but defeat if
persisted in.
Yours truly, w. H.Y.