The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-06-09

oI 10 IL 1t1lAt yOp bluso uittI
upon the Rev. DIR. Goss, a reputable Metho-
dist minister, of Brooklyn, to attest that as
soon as he touched him in the name of
Christ, woman On whom DIR. Goss had
lai d his hands, was instantly cured of pain.
What are we to think3 Is a large and re-
spectacle portion Of the community lending
itself to most gigantic and stupendous
fraud, or are we on the eve of the most
marvellous spiritual revelation of modern
times?
Saturday night, May 19, will be men,
orable as the day when the great bridge was
first illuminated by lightning. There was
no preliminary announcement, and it
bursted upon the two cities like revelation.
The night was comparatively dark, and the
river below, with its ghostly looking boats,
seemed almost black. Suddenly, like bolt
from heaven, came rush of light, and the
magnificent bridge, suspended in mid Lair,
stood revealed against the sky. We shall
grow familiar with it in week or SO, but
witnessed for the first time it is one of the
most strangely beautiful scenes ever beheld
by mortal eyes.
The defalcation in the Board of Public
Works grows in magnitude every day, and
the deficit which was supposed to be origi-
nally about $4,000, has now swelled to
nearly 100000, and the end is not yet come.
While Mr.. Campbell is acquitted of personal
dishonesty in the administration of his
Office, there is no question but that there
has been the grossest carelessness wherein
nearly quarter of million of dollars could
be abstracted from the treasury, and he not
discover it. Mr.. Carroll, the defaulting
clerk. is dead; his securities have had
ample notice and enough time to take care
of themselves. It is doubtful if the city
will ever recover a cent of the stolen money,
as there is generally hocus pocus about
these things by which the guilty parties
contrive to go free.
Governor Cleveland is far from happy.
The White House, which loomed SO grandly
in the distance only few months ago, has
now faded into dim prospective as land
scape in dream. ''The best laid plans of
men and MICE" etc. Tammany holds the
key of the White House, and it says
through Mr.. O'Grady to our stalwart Gov
ernor, off with your hat Sir, or you don't
60 in. The Governor prefers to keep on his
tile, and that settles it. Tammany may not
be able to elect Governor, but it can de-
feat him every time. A little Triumvirate
sits in Tammany Hall giving law to mill
ions of Democrats, and threatening them
with defeat if they rebel. If victory can
only be purchased by such abasement, bet
ter annihilation. This issue will have to be
met sooner or later. No great and proud
party can afford to be held by the throat,
or stabbed f1l the back by band of politi-
cal thugs, whose only idea of national Or
| ganization is based on plumber, and whose
proper home is the penitentiary. The peo-
| pie are with Governor Cleveland and the
noble stand he has taken for the right. He
| has added to his fame by squelching the
Savings Bank Wreckers, and I hope he
won't back down.
! But as I said at the commencement OF
| this letter, the opening of the Big Bridge
was the eliminating affair of the week, and
one that will be remembered and talked
| about three-quarters of century hence by
those who, on Thursday last, were held uE
in their fathers Or mothers arms to see the
wondrous pageant, the like of which New
York has not seen in the century. We have
had some grand celebrations here, too.
When Croton water was first introduced
into the city, New York held a jubilee, anc
well she might; for, except i'll very small
portion of it, supplied by the old water
works, water was sold from the carts a
twenty-five cents a barrel, and not a yer,
large barrel at that. Then came the laying
of the Atlantic Gable, mighty work, uni
ting together with bonds of iron, under tht
trackless ocean, the old world and the new
It seems but q short time ago, but the mel
are growing grey who were boys then. Blu
the fete of Thursday eclipsed ever thing o
the kind that has been seen by the presen
weather had been far from promising: th
season has been backward and cold, and i
looked as though we might have just such
spell of weather as marked our opening a
the Centennial and number of other cele
brations. In the early morning the Weathe
looked ominous, but towards noon tn
clouds broke, and before the procession
started more glorious day could not hav
been desired. Early in the day all Brook
|
each man, woman and child, of its 600, 90
inhabitants, felt that the mighty structur
about to be opened was his individual pos
session. Bunting was everywhere. From
the massive towers of the bridge, from tn
poor tenements Of the hod-carriers ant
street-sweepers, from even the Chimes
yash-house, to the palatial dwellings OF
the heights of the city, was one sea OF flags
The ships-of-war moored in the river, an
the gay dress of the numerous vessels in tn
harbor and river, added greatly to th
sDlendor of the scene. Towards noon, b
general consent, all business closed IN bot
cities; the Exchanges, banks and store
were closed. The reception of the Presi
dent, and the delivery of the bridge to tn
Mayors of the two cities, has been SO full
and SO ably described, that nothing can b
added. As night shades fell the mos
splendid and imposing part OF the fete be
gan. Lights and Illuminated lanterns hun
from every building and crowed ever
thoroughfare; electric lights sparkling lik
miniature moons in every direction, mad
the streets as light as day, end the surgin
merry crowds that thronged them scenes
to feel no inconvenience Or displeasure 6
the pushing and squeezing which demo-
ished fine spring hats and left costly dresse
in hopeless ruin.
It was an era of good-fellowship such q
one only sees once i'll lifetime, hoilda
in which all but few addle-headed lunatie
could Join. It was the celebration of th
marriage of two of the grandest cities of th
Republic, which trust, before many years
may be ioinedin one splendid municipalit,
with as many millions of inhabitants as ti