The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-04-14
OUR NEW YORK LETTER,

Farewell Lent, with Its Notifications and
Sorrows-=The Great Vanderbilt Ball.
Discourse straightforward Exhibi
Of Pugilism-The Jeanette Survivors
The Irish Question, etc.
@e New YORK. April 7, 1883.
EDITon CHEF:
1t is always II good plan to begin at the
beginning and while the first day of the
week was Easter, one Of the most joyous
Christian holidays of tho year, it was tho
second day of the week that was most anx-
iorsly looked for by expcctant thousands i'll
New York, who We're waiting to make them
selves amends for any modification that
their flesh might have undergone for the
previous forty days. Many of our asst ute
newspaper scribblers speak of tho Easter
Carnival; never was there Il greater mis-
homer The Carnival is the riot that pre-
ceeds Easter; Cdrnc raic, or to give a free
translation, goodbye, meat. Ca,me being
meat, and pale, good-by or farewell. Eas-
ter Monday marked u new departure in our
social life. Not that balls and masqucrades
and gorgeous iaasts have not been given
here before in Easter time. but tho Wander
'bilt ball marked IN era Of colossal extrava-
gance, the like of which has not been seen
by the present generation i'll the United
States.
Mrs. Grundy has made her estimate of the
cost, and the gucsses are anywhere from
$4,000 to 100000. The single item of
champagne was put at $4,000 by the giver
of the fetc, and We must rccollect that even
the finest of champagne can not be consi,-
cred as q costly wine. There are plenty Of
vintages q bottle of which would mortgage
an entire basket Of Clicquot or Verzcnay,
and it is fair to presume that these wines
were not strangers to Vanderbilt's feast !;
but while Land and sea were ransacked for
every Injury that could please the eye or
crafty the taste, the wild and reckless ex-
travagancc in costume is without n parall Il
in our history. Among the female portion
of the company there seemed to be q wild
desire to outshine anything that could be
brought in competition with themselves.
Silks and yclvets of the costlest character,
laces of fabulous value, jewels rarely seen
Except in the courts of Empcrors and Kings
were there, amounting to millions Of dollars.
1t was estimated that the diamonds worn
by ono lady were wo! til a half million of
dollars, and there were many whose display
could not have been short Of 100000 For
weeks and weeks our fashionable modistes
and costumers have been driven almost
A., I. II 4
day night. During the last three weeks of
Lent the feelings ensendercd assumed the
form of a craze, and the pressure brought
10 bear to secure invitations was trcncn-
dous. To get lett in such an affair appeared
like social ostracism, and the proudcst of
the old blue bloods did not dislan to beg
an invitation to the palace of the purse
proud parvenue. This mumnling and
masking is by sensible people supposed to
be pastime for children and fools, but in
that brilliant assembly were grave old mer-
chants and learned professors, trickcd out
in yellow and blue silk knee brceches, satin
coats, and vests to match, laces, ruhies,
wigs and all the tomfooleries usual on snch
occasions. The affair, though brilliant be-
You'd any thing that has been seen by tho
present generation, was not ono of unmxed
pleasure. Mr. Vanderbilt's house will only
hold about SO many people, and ten times
as many wanted to go as could possibly get
into the house, and the consequence was
that the outs, who are quite numerous, pro-
nounce it tho most shoddy affair that has
ever been seen in New York. The reporters
of the great New York ,lailics, who were d.
mitted in ut the back door, and RECALLED on the
fragments of the supper, have without ex-
ception described it as one of the greatest of
social successes. 1t is said that Mr.. Van
derbilt. knowing the weakness Of these
gentry, ordered basket of seven dollar
ar;' half champagne, and it wls the OPT
,oiss draughts Of this inspiring liquor which
gave such rosy hues to the ball of Monday
night. As | said at the beginning of this
"sletter, it marks q new departure in our
social life; a departure from that plain and
sturdy republicanism which was once our
glory aud oar pride it makes an era of ex-
.trayagancc and corruption which sooner Or
later will shake this republic from turret
to foundation stone, for while the jewellers
were dancing and teasting ON Monday night,
two thousand angry communists were in
council, asking how all tho wealth WAS OBJ
tanned that was SO lavishly scattered to tho
winds that night Such display this in a
Republic are traught with nothing but evil
this ostentatious Haunting of their wealth in
tthe tuccs OF the starving poor, savors but
little of wisdom; and unless they shall
lealn something from the experience of the
past it may not he, many years till William
II. Vanderbilt and others of like ill may
not have to ask second time of the com
mur.sts of New York, sWhat are you going
40 do ehont it -. ,,,t. |
AS intmatcl in my letter some months |
ago, the seed OF rstlianism, which we sowed
Broadcast last year by Sulli van, has borne |
abundant fruit. Slogging and knocking out |
s,re now the order of the day, and the ruff !
fanisln of the prize rim Ssis casscd as among
orr fashionable a!Husements. 1t may shock |
our country sisters to learn that numbers of
our young ladies' are taking lessons i'll the
snmnly art, and y female professor OF the p
II. has opened y school i'll a fashionable
quarter up town. Where young ladies can
learn how to put up their maulies aud slug
each other Il la Sullivan and Coburn to
their hearts content, 1t is true the rewards
are tempting; s25ou0 a night can't be
picked up i'll every profession besides,
Boston says knocking ont is aesthetic and
Boston knows all about it. Will not some