The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-11-04
OUR NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
Items of Interest from the Crescent City.
| by Cur Regular Correspondent.
NEW ORLEANS. October 81. 1882.

NEW ORLEANS. OcIoDef u. 1oozs
ED1ToR CHIEF:
On Monday week the macoaroni factory
of Mr.. J. sambola was entirely destroyed
by fire. The building was old and the
flames crumbled the walls, which fell
one after another, doing a great deal of
damage to surrounding properties. A
two-story building was completely de-
stroyed By the falling walls, the inmates
barely escaping with their lives. The
alarm box was situated at the factory
aud was destroyed before any tocsin was
sounded and the next nearest box was
nearly a mile away, which gave the fire
great Roadway before the department
could he notified. The entire loss foots
up at least $4,000, most Of which is
covered by insurance in local companies.
On Friday afternoon, soon after II NJ,
u cotton train just arrived at the govern
ment yard, ut the jackson depot on
Calliope and Magnolia streets, was dis
covered to be on fire. The fire brigade
was promptly upon the spot, but the
dovouring flames destroyed 1872 bales of
the tleecy staple and four fiat cars before
succumbing to the combined efforts of
the Babcock men and the regular staff.
| A fireman of No. Is was badly injured by
| the wheels Sf a truck running over him,
and lies in a precarious condition. The
total loss is estimated at $4,000, which
| is covered by insurance. There can be
no doubt that many Of the fires which
occur here during the winter months are
the result of carelessness, but there is
we'll grounded feeling taking root that
the majority are the work of incendiaries,
| and it has lately appeared that house
| burning il a trade. Silip-burning at one
time was the rage with these miscreants
| until one or two were ferreted ont and
shipped to the renitentiary, although
rumor bath it that the more guilty, being
rich, escaped the argus eyes Of the law
but the publicity given to the affair
| stopped that part of the business, since
which time our shipping has been conf
paratively safe.
Dealers in old junk may be very hon
est men, but suspicion points her finger
at some of that fraternity who have late
ly grown Suddenly rich, and the people
would prefer them to make their money
after the Tug Wilson style than by such
| questionable methods. Public specula-
ton may be in error, but men who deal
and traffic in old iron, from a horse shoe
to railroad, and yet are modest junk
dealers, where the wrecks Of many ships
may be found, must expect to receive a
certain amount of distrust. II the de-
| tectiye force of New Orleans was what it
ought to be, there can be no doubt that
| this evil would be attacked at the root.
A serious aflray occurred upon the
British bark Romanoff, Friday morning,
and but for the timely appearance of
some police officers, a colorcd man named
John Stcadman would have been killed.
| It seems that Steadman had refused to
black the shoes Of the first mate, George
| Ryerson, who endeavored to coerce obe-
dience, when resistance to his arbitrary
ruling niaae by Steadman and u
general fight occurred in which Stead
man was compelled to jump over the
ships side into the river to save himself
from the melted crew, who had gathered
about him to enforce the demands Of the
mate. Ryerson received an ugly cash in
the left side during the melee, and the
second mate got all aid to memory in the
malarum region which may he of use to
him i'll the future. Ryerson is at the
Charity Hospital and is in very critical
condition, bnt the worst part of the affair
is that after the Negro had jumped over
board, the crew threw fender over
board upon his head purposely to kill
him, which he only escaped by diving.
The police rescued him from his critical
position and it is probable that Judge Mil
tenbergcr will have the settlement of
tho affair.
The timber cases are coming up again
and perhaps before the thing is settled
the Northeastern railroad will belong to
the government on account of the large
amount Of material with which it is
built having been stolen from the gov
ernment forests. The average value of
our timber lands is constantly increas-
ing, being governed by the growing
scarcity of timber, and all good citizens
will hail with pleasure the enforcement
of the law against the robbers of the
public lands.
There is a rumor ont that one of our
| railroad magnates is not so happy in his
dreams of welded bliss as he anticipated
some twelve months ago. He is about to
realize that virtue need not alone he
| sought in richly lowered daughters but
the unkindest cut Of all to bis aesthetic
| likings is that the babe should show
signs of relationship with the natives Of
Afric's sunny chimes. 1t is stated on good
authority that he intends to make his
home i'll the regions of the far West and
will soon take passage by the Sunset
route, SO that lie may end his days in
the placid regions on the shores of the
calm Pac ific.
He does reason thus with life,
That he has been provoked to shrn all woman
kind henceforth.