The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-07-15

OUR EDITORS EXCURSION.

The American Metropolis-Central Park
and Its Area, Reservoirs, Lakes, Statues,
etc.-CleOpatra's Needle-Immense and
Magnificent Buildings-The Stage.
GREEN HILL, o., July 5, 1882.
DEAR CHIEF:
+ l remained in New York from Monday,
June 10, until the following Saturday
morning; and during these five days man.
aged to make quite comprehensive
circuit of the great metropolis and to see
many of the sights which are especially
commended to the attention of visitors
First in Importance, of course, was Cen
trail Park, that delightful fragment of the
rural districts which seems to have been
transported by magic to the centre of this
vast city. Here the green fields, ripping
brooks, placid ponds, wooded hills and
valleys, twittering birds and other at
fractions of country life are reproduced
in charming array, and added to them
are numerous adjuncts in the way of
macadamized walks and drives, statuary,
museums, a menagerie and other metro
politan improvements unknown to the
average rural locality. Nature has done
much for Central Park, but art more, and
the two have made it place of resort to
which the Gothamite may we'll point
with pride, however much he chooses to
anathematize the Commissioners for not
doing more than has been done to add to
the beauty of this delightful park. The
grounds seem to be well cared for and
new works of Improvement are being
prosecuted, indicating an intention on
the part Of the powers that be to make
the place still more worthy the name and
fame of the American metropolis.
| Central Park extends two and half
miles beyond Fifty ninth street, is three
quarters of a mile in width, and contains
s62 acres. In it are situated the old and
new reservoirs from which the people of
the city are supplied with Croton river
water; the old reservoir covers thirty
six acres and the new one ninety-six, the
latter containing about 850,000,000 gal
Ions. Other bodies Of water in the park
are Casino Lake, covering twenty acres,
Harlem Lake, thirteen acres, Small Lake,
| four acres, and Conservatory Pond, two
| aud one-half acres. The highest ground
| is called the Knoll, aud is 1856 feet above
the water l took carriage and visited
these places and other objects of interest,
travelling some seven or eight miles in
| accomplishing the journey. Statues of
Milton, Shakespeare, Bnrns and num-
Der Of other historical celebrities adorned
the grounds at various points and the
famous Egyptian Obelisk, which las
been placed in commanding position
on the eastern side of the park, demanded
and received a careful inspection. This
venerable shaft is peculiar specimen of
the handiwork Of ancient Egyptian
stone-cutters, and the fantastic figures
and hieroglyphics which cover its four
sides form curious study for the inter
ested and thoughtful observer The
obelisk looks like monument of red
sandstone which might have been built
to perpetuate the memory of some old
petrfed citizen of Egypt who led the
victorious armies of his country, achieved
eminence in the civil councils of the ma
ton, secured a big appropriation for
building leyees along the Nile or edited
a wide-awake home newspaper on the
banks Of that classic stream for about
eleven years. The stone is sometimes
called Cleopatra's needle, and some folks
think she used it to baste her pull-backs
and patch Marc Antony's britcherloons,
but it isn't sew-at least it doesn't seam
possible. See 'nm?
Near the obelisk stands the Metropoli-
tan Art Museum, a fine, large building
which contains many fine pictures, spec
linens of sculpture and other works of
art, and short distance from the south
eastern entrance of the park are the
museum and menagerie. I gave due
attention to the latter attractions, and
while found many things that amused
and interested me, I must confess that
they seemed somewhat tame and shabby
and not i'll keeping with the pretentious
character of Central Park. The menag-
erie was especially amenable to this OBJ
lection; its display of birds, beasts aud
fishes sinking into oinsignicance compared
to that of the Geological Gardens at
Philadelphia.
While visiting the menagerie was
accosted by a gentleman whose accent
proclaimed his nativity and who wanted
to know, "Ware are the helepl,ants Z"
Not having been able to discover any of
those beasts with the naked eye / told
him didn't know, and he walked sadly
off, no doubt bemoaning his inability to
find one, of the brethren of dear old
Jumbo, the pride of the London Zoo,
whose recent sale into American bondage
stirred the patriotism of England to its
profoundest depths and threatened to
revive the bloody shirt and rekindle the
animosities resulting from the late nn-
pleasantness of 1776 and 1872 Apropos
of Jumbo, was reliably informed that
he killed three men during his brief stay
in New York prior to being taken ont by
Barnum for tour through the conntry.