The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-07-14
YE ANCIENT PHILOSOPHER.

| A Delayed Letter-NapoleonvilIe Fire
Company Observation-Disclosures of the
Telephone-A Denoralized Bee-Hanter
-Unclc Harry Discon isolated.
NAPoLEoNvILLE June II, 1883.
EDITOR CHIEF:
In the present torpid state of affairs can
not afford to announce more than a solitary
! case of small pox in our vicinity-that of
| colored man on Elm Hall pla ce, who was
recently imported from Mississippi. He
had been placed OH the retired list--back
in the woods-where he is "not at home"
to visitors, allowing there were any. I
should not have mentioned this case were it
not that duty compels me to hang out the
yellow flag in time to check the vast immi-
| grafton of summer tourists who annually
| resort to our inland town to while away the
| heated season, and gobble our fruit and
| things.
| For long time the membership of our
| local fire company has been gradually de-
creasing, and months upon months have
been passed when only bakers dozen of
old hands could have been mustered to
answer roll-call. The whyfore of this thus
ness is one of the things which no fellow
can fathom, even with q well-auger. They
only knew it was so and getting more SO,
and sore, until the remaining fire laddies
went to work with will in an endeavor to
effect reorganization. It may be stated
| Id I,,& 1of4
the boys had managed nobly; for not only
had they erected their new hall and kept
their machine in tip-top order, but after all
the expenses were paid they had handsome
amount remaining in the treasury. The
fact that the company could prosper, finan-
cially, under such untoward circumstances
made it apparent that a revival of its for
mer prestige would shove the concern along
on the turnpike of macadamized prosperity,
and so the holders of the fort appointed a
committee to solicit aid from and stir up
the people of Caucasian temperaments. A
meeting of every body possessing suffi-
cient quantity of suitable stamina was held
Thursday night last, and the result shows
| There's life in the old land yet,
, for some thirty-odd members are now en-
/ rolled: steam fire engine is bargained for,
and the fre-fend is defed. When first
learned of the apathy then existing among
the old members of the company, thought
the best way to get up another enthusiasm
would be to fire the town some windy night
then the sad fate of Napoleonville would have
taught the boys lesson, and the contribu-
| tions from the outside world in aid of our
sufferers would have been sufficient to re-
! build the town and furnish several new
steam fire engines. However, all great men
differ in their modes of obtaining similar
results, and perhaps, after all, our fire de-
partment took the most feasible method to
revivify their organization. l won't argue
the case.
And now the telephone is being intro
duced on Assumption soil, and orders, re
quests and inquiries at long range will, err
many days, he among the commonplac,
things on every plantation and in each ham
let ALI the rising generation think it th'
greatest of inventions, while the pretty girl
have called a convention to take measure
for bringing it into general use. AS
means of communication, and one whicl
gives ample exercise to woman's chief wea
pom of defense and offense, don't thin
any thing could be originated to conpar