The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-01-19

OF some OF the captains were very elepan
| made OF satin and plush and embroidere
with gold lace, costing $500 or 800. TIL
| outfits of some of the clubs cost $1,000. ]
was all like Mardi Gras in New Orlesn
without the method and artistic arrange
| ment. With shouts, whistles, beating
drums and music by the bands. the merr
masters, followed by thousands of people
paraded the streets until midnight, whel
| they gathered around Independence Hal
| to hear the bells ring out the dying year O
1883 and ring in 1884. AS the clock struc
u, the crowd, fully 5000 strong, shoute.
and danced as if mad-delighted at the ad
vent of the new year. When the twelv
| strokes had sounded for the hour, 1O8 wer
given for the year of independence, ane
then, one, eight, eight, four, for the ney
year.
The parade wound up with refreshment
and Jolly go-hone, SO that it was not un
til the wee short hours of the morn tba
quiet prevailed and down town resident
were able to sleep.
In the upper part of the city away from
the deafening and discordant noises it wal
soul-cheering to hear the lovely chimes @.
Holy Trinity and st. Marks ringing on
Home, Sweet Home "The Last Rose o1
Summer" "Bonnie Blue Bells of Scotland
and dear old "Antioch.'
In some of the churches devotional ser.
vices were held to usher in the new year
At st. Clements Church the services were
very impressive. A few moments before
IL o'clock Father Converse exhorted the
congregation to ask pardon for the sins OF
the old year and pray for help that the
pages OF the new year might be kept clean
and spotless. Then all knelt in silent
prayer until the new year had fairly set in.
In retrospecting the dead years, there is
nothing sadder than the contemplation of
the Coroner's list of unknown dead. Moth
ing speaks more pointedly of the utter
wretchedness which falls to the lot of many
OF the human family. In 1883 Ito persons,
old and young, died with 'none so poor to
their names. Seventy of this number were
infants who died from exposure and star
vatlon. The remainder were white males
strange to say. not a woman among them.
The Coroner's inquests during the wear
were l115. Of this number 100 were sui
cldes, llO accidents by steam car railroads,
eighteen by horse car railroads and eigh-
teen by sunstroke. The majority of the re-
malnder from natural causes.
The police made 5000 arrests during the
year, and of these $4,000 were classed as in
toxlcated. drunkenness, you see, is the
great trouble. A fine of 50 so and twenty
four hours in prison is the penalty, but it
Is no preventive. If the prisons are
crowded-and they generally are-the
drunkards are turned out in two or three
hours. Oftentimes they are reckless
enough to get drunk with large sums Of
money about them. Not long ago a poor
fellow was picked up dead drunk in the
yilest part of the city. He, had just come
INTO possession of nice property by the
death of a relative and had $1,000 on
his person. Of course as soon as he was
out of prison he enacted the Same roll
again.
The ball season has fairly set in and the
society people will be in q whirl until Lent
admonlshes them to stop. A number of
grand entertainments are in preparation to
come Off during the next two weeks. The
style now ls to dance on waXed floors. Peo-
pie have gotten the idea that the fuzz which
rises from the crash with which it has been
The custom to cover the carpets is IN
healthy. Quite number of Philadelphians
will attend the grand ball to be given by
Mrs. Astor in New York, January q. Over
said, surpass the Vanderbilt ball. The
gentlemen will wear knickerbockers and
ong stockings for full dress.
MIR. Matthew Arnold has given three lee
'ures here. His audiences were not large
md did not seem much edited. The Bos-
onlans were indignant at his estimate of
emerson, but other folk, who do not quite
Worship Emerson, think him very just.
ar. Arnold, as a lecturer, is not interest
ng. Of all his lectures that on Emer-
on Is the most likely to keep one awake
DIR. and MRS. Edward Coates, who have
'een entertaining Mr.. Arnold in their
n elegant dinner at the Bellevue Hotel ON
thursday. 1t was the most elegant affair
# the season, and some of the grandest
representatives of PhiIadelphia's talent
we're present. The table was arranged
round a perfect garden of blooming
'lants-the guests were seated at the outer
dge. From among the plants arose tree
q whose branches were singing birds. The
able decorations were novel and beautiful |
he ices represented castles and light
ouses, with lights within which shone
trough the frozen sweetness.
Sergeant Mason, ''Betty and the Baby"
7ere secured by the Dime Museum for one
veek at q salary of $1,000. They are
rawing crowded houses. People are ca
er to see the would-be hero of the Nation
the man who was brute enough 10 at
empt to kill defenseless prisoner, and |
eartless enough to be proud of the act /
IL the curiosities of the Museum were ban
ueted by their managers New Years
light. Imagine the picture: Sergeant
Jason at the head of the table Betty and
le Baby had not then arrived, the fat
sdy (only 460 pounds) at the foot, the
warts, the Botocudo indians, the skeleton
IAN, the elastic skin man, the boneless
ian, the hairy woman, the Circassian lady, !
le fat boy and others disposed on either
de. Sergeant Mason seemed quite in his
e1nent and confirmed the old adage, |
Birds of a feather will flock together.
YRAGMEN
There was suicide epidemic last week !
The New York Sun has very gracefully |
ropped Mr.. Holman. Who next?
The annual report of the Board of Health |
lows decrease of small pox-639 eases |
80 than 1882.
The theatres here took in 10000 Christ |
as day and evening. aaaIgre the bad |
Gather. The Dime Museum took in 81 |
The fashionable dances for 1884 will be |
e Saratoga lancers, the lawn tennis quad |
lie and the glide.
The North condemns the South and
est for settling disputes with firearms.
massachusetts, has adopted the same plan
late.
Judging from reports Of insane asylums
| over the United States, the number of
sane persons has nearly doubled in ten
,ars.
The Commonwealth Club of Philadel-
liza is making preparations to give Speaker
arllsle grand reception. Leading DEM
rats far and near are to be invited.
The city compels people to clear their
aewalks and cutters of snow as soon as
ceases to fall.
George w. Dunn, for whom the beautiful
ose Keiser threw away her life, was for
erly resident of this city.
Some of those who desire to be delegates
the next National Republican Conven-
IN from the city districts have declared
r Robert Lincoln for President.
Pennsylvania is delighted with Carlisle /!
lW that he has given her the chairr.a an=I,in