The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-05-12
OUR GOoSEQuILL LETTERS.


the Quaker City-Completion of Brook
lyn Bridge-A Veteran Statesman Com
plimented-Weather, Fashions, and til.
} Irish Convention.
, PHILADELPHIA, April % 1883,
EDITOR CHIEF:
F On the street cars and in every othe,
possible place, Barnum, the irrepressible
has notices that, April Both, he and Jumbo
will make their whole appearance in this
city. Forepaugh has been here, has give1
a fine procession and very creditable per.
formance; but Forepaugh's circus was moi
a circumstance to what Barnum's 3 will be i!
one may Judge by the advertisements.
think Barnum excels not only in humbug.
ging the people, but in the art of keeping
himself always in the public mind-his
mode of advertising is ingenious. The
latest shrewd thing was Offering Mr.. Kings
ley, President Of the Brooklyn Bridge
Company, $4,000 for the privilege of send
ing Jumbo over the bridge. He said that
Jumbo was SO large and heavy he had come
near sinking the ferry-boat and himself in
the bargain, and he would like to test the
bridge. The authorities considered that the
bridge had cost too much money to run
such risk. This appeared in all the Phil
adelphia papers as a telegram, and of
course every body will rush to see the
Asiatic Monarch, even those of taste too
delicate and refined to enjoy the ring per-
formances.
Sixteen years of brain and physical labor,
and the great work is done-the Brooklyn
Bridge spans the East river; thing of
massive, symmetrical beauty, marvel of
scientific engineering. On May 24th it
will be opened to the public with such cere-
monies as will make the day memorable
one. Many thousand persons, including all
the high officials and the press, will be IN
vited to attend. There will be prayer,
music, speeches and the formal tender of
the bridge, by President Kingsley, on the
of the two cities. It is not known who will
make the speeches, but it has been decided
that Henry Ward Beecher, that master of
! rhetoric and pulpit oratory, shall not make
the prayers, but that the Oldest settled min
lister, Richard S. Storrs, Pastor of the
Church of the Pilgrims, shall be the hon
ored man. Now, was there ever such a
slight as that? What will Mr.. Beecher
think? What will Mr.. Beechers friends
(whose name is legion) say about it?
After the ceremonies, President Arthur
and President Kingsley, arm in arm, will
head the line of first formal processionists
across the pedestrian path. The multitude
in carriages will follow on each side.
President Kingsley, rich, enterprising
Pennsylvanian, first suggested the bridge.
He, through the aid of two influential eiti-
ture, got charter with a capital of S5.0OO,-
600, of which Brooklyn was to pay So, 500 900
and New York $1,500,000.
Brooklyn has grown rapidly in few
years-numbers now over half a million;
but she would have increased much more
had New York had rapid transit across East
river and been able to spread herself in
that direction instead of to and beyond
Harlem.
A stlmptuous banquet was given lately by
the Union League Club in honor of the
seventieth birthday of Hon. VIM. D. Kelley,
one of Philadelphia's most distinguished
citizens. It was a tribute highly deserved.
Mr.. Kelley is just entering on his twelfth
consecutive term in Congress; entered the
House when Mr.. Lincoln entered the Presi-
dency and worked faithfully not only for
the Nations life, but for all the great pro-
jects since that time-for its revenue, its
finance, its debt, etc. He is particularly
appreciated as the great advocate of pro-
lection to home industries. I believe there
are none in the House who were there when
he entered No other man of his time and
only one or two in the history of the Nation
can point to so long period of continuous
service in the same seat. His career has
been rare and all the way through honora-
BILE.
Winter still holds spring in such fond
embrace that the trees are just putting
forth their leaves. It is cheering to hear
from all parts of the country that the fruit
crop will not be injured. Flowers are in
abundance-for price. The windows of
the florists are ablaze with the brilliant
tulips, azeleas, daffodils, hyacinths, hy-
drangeas and roses: but nowhere is there
any thing of the kind to be seen out of hot
houses. The grass IS green and the dog |
wood is in bloom. that is ALL
While the cyclone was devastating in the
South, we were having cold easterly wind
with rain and thermometer at 40 degrees; |
so that we were glad to return to oyercoats. |
furs and fires.
There has been but little on the street in
the way of spring fashions. A week ago [
saw light-colored costume that looked too |
early. The shop windows are full OF ex-
quisite goods. In one window is suspended
an immense carrot, which means, I pre- |
sumo, that yellow is the color. Why, of |
just now. Every body, blonde and bru-
nette, wears it in all the shades, from yel-
low-brown to pumpkin, lemon or sun
flower. and houses are adorned with yellow
hangings. Bonnets are worn small-some |
are just mass of marigolds, crown and all, |
with lace ruching i'll the front. Wide |
collars of yellow forentine lace are worn |
1,@- IL
But, of all dresses, there is none equal to
black silk, which increases in popularity.
For summer the suits are in black satin,
surah, and velvet embossed grenadine. |
Spanish and chantilly lace are much used |
for trimmings. Novelties in summer para
soils are in rough-looking Turkish toweling.
The tip-top style for evening fans, is os-
trich feathers, in differe2t colors, mounted
on tortoise shell, with bird or flowers in
the centre. Long gloves are still worn;
very bouffant drapery: only it is to be
hoped the short, dumpy woman will not so
disigure herself. No one should for mo-
ment consider an unbecoming fashion.
The most popular of white goods is a kind
of India muslin called May-mist, because of
its resemblance to the white wells of clouds
which float over the meadows in May.
which demands that any thing to be stylish
must be English. Now, for ladies this
calls not only for a certain style of cut and
makeup, but heavier grade of goods, such
as men wear. 1t was found necessary to 90
to the tailors to get the goods made up
For many years tailors made
jackets and coats for ladies, but now they
make whole suits and the business is in
creasing so rapidly that one firm of mer-
chant tailors speaks of opening an estab-
lishment expressly for ladies.
So it is for the sake of style, ladies go to
tailors to be measured and fitted. Is there
any thing that the poor, silly darlings won't
do for the sake of style?
DR.. Atkinson an eminent physician here