The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-12-08
OUR LETTER FROM BROADsRlM.

Celebrating a Centennial Under Difficult
ties-Ben Butler and Vanderbilt in Con-
trast Burning of the Old Windsor Thea
ter-Rccollectfons of the Stage-Death OF
John McKeon, Etc.
NEW YORK. December i, 1883,
EDITOR CHEZ:
The best laid plans
OF mice and men aft gang aglee.
New York is a disappointed city-a very
disappointed city. We have been grum-
bling for week. For months past, in a
quiet way, we have been fixing ourselves
for celebration. Centennial celebrations
had been going on all around US, and we
begin to think that it was about time to
take hand in it. Yorktown had one; Phila-
delphia had glorifed Penn; Baltimore
had celebrated the landing of Calvert; New
burg had jolly blow out to celebrate the
disbandment of the army; and we thought
if there ever was point in our history that
was worth celebration, it was when the last
Redcoat showed US the full front of his
back and sailed away across the briny sea.
We had been fighting for eight long years;
our ships we're fotting at the wharves, while
British cruisers lay off OF Sandy Hook
watching like tigers for prey. It was not
at all certain that they were going till they
went; and if ever a day deserved celebra-
ton it was November the 25th, 1888. bifty
years ago it was holiday almost equaling
the 4th of july All the militia turned out
and Revolutionary heroes, who were not
then scarce, were accorded seats of honor.
The veterans of 1912 were thick as hops,
and through the Eastern States every other
man you met was Captain Or Colonel.
But after he Mexican war it began to be
neglected, and the events of the late war
overshadowed every other celebration; but
some Of us old fogios began to think that it
was about time to have q revival, and
quite q number Of thousands of dollars were
raised to give due effect to the holiday. The
night of the 2ith was ominous, and the
morning of the 25th confirmed the evil
prognostic; the rain, cold and miserable,
came pouring down; the streets wore sloppy
and vet: every thing was soaking; no pat
riotis1n in the world would withstand it;
and, like Bob Acres's courage, it seemed to
ooze out of the tips of their fingers. But
while the multitude Wayered there were
men who we're made Of sterner stuff; men
who had gone through fire and who were not
to be frightened by water. There is not
another city in the country but would have
abandoned all thoughts of procession un-
der such trying circumstances; and it is safe
to say that there has been no celebration in
this century which has called together a
larger number Of distinguished mea.
Aside from the evacuation of New York
by the British troops was the unveiling Of
the statute of Washington on the Identical
spot and on the identical shore where the
immortal Washington stood to make his
inaugural address. Notwithstanding oil
the drawbacks, the celebration was q grand
one, and tough old Ben Butler was as loud
ly cheered as any hero III the celebration.
He stood uncovered in the rain, refusing
the shelter of IN umbrella; and when other
weakened patriots fed to shelter, he kept
his post till the last man of the procession
had passed.
In connection with the celebration there
was one circumstance which aroused COIL
siderable ilI-feeling. Mr.. w. H. Wander
bilt, although very rich man, is not con-
sidered by those who know him best as a
very wise man Or a very discreet man. He
owns what is supposed to be one of the finest
houses in the city; half the Bohemians in
town have tried their hands at describing
it, and it is a very fine house: but on Mon
day, as the procession passed, not flag or
sign waved from window or roof, where
looked as if tho bloated bondholder was
saying to himself, as he looked out on the
procession from his comfortable quarters,
"Oh! the public be -" don't know that
he said that, but it certainly looked like it,
The burning of the old Windsor Theater,
on the Bowery, takes away one of the old
theatrical landmarks of the city. On that
spot stood the first circus that New York
ever had under a roof, and it was here that
Levi North, the great bareback rider, ap-
peared, and the wonderful Sand boys and
hundred of others whose names have Il
brilliant saWduat reputation. June Titus
and Angevine, whose names weTe famous
as circus men, forty or fifty years ago, were
the lessees; and during their absence OH
their summer tours tho ring was covered
| over and it was rented as a theatre to who
ever would take it, but the patronage was
poor, for the old Bowery opposite monop-
olized the public, and we'll it might, for at
that time it was presided over by Thomas
Hanbiin, one of the handsomest men and
best actors that ever trod the American
stage. There, too, were the beautiful Mrs.
Shaw and Miss Missouri, a sister of Tony
Pastors, and one of tho hanClsomest women
in America Lester Wallack and his cousin.
James Waliack, with John Gilbert and
Charles Bilrk, the brother of Joe Jefferson,
were all members of the Bowery company.
Plays were cast there as they never have
been cast since, and probably will not be in
the present generation. There is play bill
| still extant with cast of Julius Ccasar, at
! the Bowery Theatre, which never has, and
doubt if it ever can be equaled. Edwin
| Forrest, then in his zenith, was the Brutus;
| the elder Booth was the Cassius; Thomas
Hamblin was the Mark Anthony: Mrs. Shaw
the Portia, and the rest of the cast was
made up OF the best actors in the city. But
wander from my subject of tho old Wind
sor. was saying that opposite such o thea
! tire any rival stood but poor chance: vel
| it was in that circus that Barney Williams
made his first appearance; his friends who
helped him to give the exhibition, losing
about forty doIlars-an immense sum &c
that impecunious crowd: yet, though Bar
ney went homo without his supper thai
night he lived long enough to accumulate
a quarter Of a million, ard died like a gen
tleman at his country seat, q few miles
from Brooklyn. But [ have been speakin.
Of ghosts: scarcely ono remains to tell tht
the story-Lester WalIack at seventy ane
John Gilbert at eighty still tread the boards
but another decade and they, too, will have
passed away and somebody else than Broad
brirl must write their story: ''Eale Ole
friends, peace to their ashes and the ashe:
of Windsor.
John Mckeon, the District Attorney, l.
dead: by 10 means great man or a grea
lawyer. he was one of the most honest ane
incorruptible officials that New York ha:
ever had. A Democrat through and through
he passed through the red sea of violence
corruption and crime without q tailIt upo1
his character. Surrounded for years by th
vilest and most debasing elements, Ii,
maintained character, pure and unsullied
which stood his party in need in their mos
trying battles. when, to lead forlorn hope
they chose him for their standard bearer
His death leaves void which will not etsiE
be filled. Good men will mourn the loss o
an honest and incorruptibie citizen, whil
thieves, gamblers, and rognes general
will rejoice that he who has made his nam