The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-08-18
THE FETE CHAMPETRE.
Delightful Entertainment Mt Dutci. Stores.
A Brilliant Success in Every Respect.
ASCENSION PARISH August Is, 1888.


EDITOR CHIEF:
1t has been some time since have taxed your
patience with the effort to decipher a puny at
tempt my part to give the readers of the
CHIEF bit of news from this rural section.
The conspicuous absence of the typo or jour-
nalistic fraternity from the recent fete cham
petre ct Dutch Stores, is my only excuse for
penning this. To say that the fete was grand
SUCCESS, both socially and fnanclally-taking
into consideration the straitened circumstances
of the people-would be putting it light. The
entertainment had for its objects the raising of
funds to build a school-house at Dutch
Stores and repairing the fence around the
cemetery at Almond Prairie. The affair was
under the superintendence Of that staunch
and reliable old resident of the eighth ward,
Pierre Paul Braud, assisted by Messrs G.. Z.
Blouin. H. D. Minor and others. To give the
naIne Of each and every individual that contrib
uted to make the fete success would require
more space than you could spare, and to ade-
quateiy describe the affair would require an
artist with an imagination to conceive and n
soul to appreciate beauty, gayety and chivalry.
1t is enough to say the whole affair was both
Il credit to this section and to those who con-
ceived and conducted it.
One OF the features was an exciting horse
race between the feetest flyer of lower New
River, known by the name OF Sam Patch, and
tho most reliable quadruped of Dutch Stores
neighborhood, named Storm. The New River
mig is beautiful iron grey and the Dutch
store racer is deep blood bay. There was very
Il n +l,o
prospective dash. Bet were offered and taken
in u quiet way, the grey being decided favor
lite. The horses were brought the track
promptly ut P. NJ, when the excitement began
with numerous offers to bet on the favorite,
and it was soon demonstrated that the grey was
either the best horse Or his friends had the
most greenbacks. A few bets we're taken giving
Storm nine feet or a length, and some at odds
OF 800 to $50 on the grey. After several efforts
to start, tho horses were sent off little before
Up. II. The grey took the lead from the jump
and kept it, winning the race by twenty-eight
feet without much effort. Considerable money
changed hands, varlously estimated at from
800 to $40.
After the race the f6te was the centre of at
traction and the throng of eager and excited
humanity repaired to the spacious grounds and
inaugurnted the frolicsome convivallty Incl
dent to such occasions. The fair opened at
A. NJ, and the crowd gradually increased until
nightfall, when about 400 people had assembled,
including representatives from four parishes,
Ascension largely in the ascendant. The grounds
were beautifully laid off and after being illu-
minated by myriads Of lamps, looked like
dimlnutiye city at distance. The dancing
pavilion was erected in the centre OF the
grounds, under the maiestic old Gve-oaks,
where the young, gay and beautiful tripod
the light, fantastic toe" to the music of q
string band under the leadership of that ac-
conplished yiohnist Tegros Guidry, with the
accompaniment Of the flute In the hands Of that
expert, Fred. Breaud. The tables, upon which
appeared every variety Of edible and liquid re-
freshment, were admirably arranged In a circle
surrounding the grand stand or pavilion, where
hunger could DO appcasod and burning thirst
quenched at moderate prices. To give the
names of tho various ladies who presided over
tho refreshment tables would require one bet
ter acquainted than your correspondent, and
would ill the larger part of q page of legal cap.
iloHcFeI, We oDotIseu tiltiU tiio iildtlollJ
danes and fair demoiseiles We'd with each
other as to who could or would contribute tho
most in making the affair success and the
guests happy and conteEted
l can not forego mentioning four well
known Individuals who dishcd up ice cold
beer and lemonade to the male portion of the
guests. am sure none conld have done better
than z. L. Breaud, we BoniCard, j. Armand
Leblanc and +. +. Babin.
/ have heard from reliable sources that over
300 were the gross receipts, and that fully $3.50
would be net, but at all events an amount al
most if not quite sufficient to cover the expense
of the desired objects.
Now, Mr.. Editor in conclusion, l will again
say l have by no means done Justice to the
occasion, and If ever there is another affair of
the kind please let the Grand Sachem of your
wlgwam have a leave Of absence and take III II
fhte champetre or soiree dansante in this rural
retreat otherwise shall be forced to bore you
with another scroll to give you and your read
er5 an idea as to how things are progressing III
this part of his dolninions.
PRO RE NATA,