The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-08-25
THE DUTcHTOWN FETE.
Another Account ofthe Memorable Enter

Another Account of the Memorable Enter
tainment in the Eighth Ward.
DUTcHTowN, ASCENSION, La, Aug. Is, 1888.
Mr.. EDITOR:
After thanking you for your kind and fatter
ing notice of the fate champetre to come off q
our village on the 11th inst, for the purpose o
raising funds to build public school house TO
the district will attempt to give you brie
account of the joyous affair.
| A beautiful, most coy and appropriate loca
| ton had been chosen, numerous stands erected
for the disposal of edibles and drinkables,
| spacious rustic platform put down for dancing
all beneath the wide spreading branches o
beautiful hve-oak trees that cast cooling ant
inviting shade all over full acre Of groune
| that had been cleaned off for tho occasion, in
ducad the opening of the fail" at an earl.
hour in the morning. The day opened bright
| and clear and the weather was all that could b.
hoped for. BY 8 o'clock the people of all age
and sexes began to arrive from all directions
and soon the grounds were thronged with
| curious and anxious crowd.
| The different tables were we'll supplied witt
lemonade, ice cream, cakes, melons, fruit, coffee
| and beer-1lo other beverage was allowed. Be
sides. a restaurant was improviscd with thu
prince of caterers, Gus. Knight, presiding
where gulnbo. steaks of beef and veal, lnuttoI
! and pork chops and fowls of all kinds could be-
! served smoking hot at very short notice
| tempting to the most fastiaious oIicure. AL
the stands were presided over by iatlies--oxcept
the beer stand, which was placed some distance
from the others-who We'd with each other il
| their sttorta to please and accommodate the
| many.
| Tho great and most attractive feature Of the
day was the race to como off in the afternoon at
s o'clock, between the two locally somewhat
noted horses Sam Patch and Storm. respective
| ly of the seventh and eighth wards.
At the hour when tho horses were brought on
the track, the people moved in a mass from the
grounds to the course al eager to $50 the long
talked Of race. Excitement ran high, the ladies
even betting on the result.
Soon the riders we're mounted, and after one
or two false starts the horses got off well to-
Rether, but it was soon seen that Storm was
nowhere III the raca-owing however, to tho
imperfect manner in which his shoes or plates
had been put on, one of them bending and
doubling up under his foot causing him to
blunder several times in the run. The race was
given to Sam Patch by twenty-eight feet The
losers took it coolly. i'll good part, and yielded
up the stakes without murrnur.
The raco over, the crowd returned to tho
grove, the young and gay eagar to commence
the dance, while crowds hocked to the different
az l,,,lr {lo Il,
were illuminated by dozens of lamps. rehectors
and candles, suspended from the branches of
trees, and rustic stands unadorned.
The music--three violns and fute-opened
the dancing commenced and continued unin-
terrupted until o'clock the next morning. The
platform. large as it was, was crowded with the
beauty of our backwoods and vicinity. Our ad-
joining parishes, Iberville and East Baton
Rouge, were vol represented, and all went off
- merry as marriage bell"
In short, under the circumstances. the affair
was grand success. Not drunken man was
on the ground; no loud or boisterous talk, or q
profano word was heard. All were lively and
gay, and the enjoyment seemed to be perfect.
The scene was indeed most imposing. When
the sylvan bower was lighted up the spectacle
WIS magnificent. Tho wide-spreading branch
es, filled with green leaves, interspersed with
clusters of silvery MOSS suspenGing in curs
and festoons had the most pleasing effect of any
scene ever witnessed by the writer He was lost
to all surrounding gayety, and could but sit and
admire. 1 can not describe it. No rural festi-
val ever excelled this-but I am becoming te-
dious.
The fete pecuniarily exceeded our most san
guine expectations. The clear or net proceeds
amount to about $3.50. enough to build com
Portable and commodious school-house and
repair and fit up the Almon Prairie cemetery
The success Of tho affair was mainly due to the
earnest and Jealous endeavors and labers of q
few Individuals, among whom as the principal
ones will mention Messrs. Henry ID. Minor, 2.
Paul Braud, G. z. Blouin and 2. E. Braud; and
oftthe ladies-to whom much is due, God bless
thom-I will name Mrs. II. d. Minor, Mrs.
Adam Braud Mrs. T. w. Brown, Mrs. T. II.
Davis of St. John, Miss Eve BrauG, the Misses
Blouin, Mrs. j. A. Leblanc and Others. all of
whom spared no pains, labor or trouble i'll try
ing to please and satisfy all.
The thanks of the citizens Of this district uTe
heartily rendered to all who go generously and
literally contributed to the laudablc cause Of
education. Yours truly,