The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-06-21
The Smoke Bend Fair.
Gratifying Success Of the Entertainment
for Benefit Of st. Francis of AS
sfnm,s Catholic Church.

l
Gratifying Success Of the Entertainment
for Benefit Of st. Francis of AS
| stunts Catholic Church.
With much pleasure we announce the
efninently successful issue of this charita-
BILE enterprise. Our readers are only too
we'll aware of the circumstances which
necessitated the undertaking. Far from
us be the thought Of reviving any con-
troyersy on the subject, yet in common
/ with all unprejudiced minds we may be
allowed to rejoice that the cause of practi-
ton. The Rev. F. Ceuppens, being by the
deplorable misunderstanding between him
and the church wardens. debarred from
the exercise of his sacred functions here in
town, has for more than year been offici-
ating in dingy little chapel improvised
from dilapidated old store at Smoke
Bend, three miles up the river, in the
midst of q pious communicable descend
ants, in all probability, of that glorious
| band of exiles from Acadia who in other
days of trial "when daily injustice was
done, and might was the right Of the
strongest" knew how to cling to faith
4 and g Father Felician " at the sacrifice of
all else that life affords. Proud indeed
may they be of their ancestors, and COM
placently must the spirits of those ances-
tors contemplate the zeal and fervor of
their worthy descendants in connection
with the fair at Smoke Bend; and consol-
ing too must it's outcome have been to the
in their midst in obscurity and sorrow.
But "silence and sorrow are strong, and
patient endurance is Godlike; therefore
accomplish thy labor of love, till the heart
is made Godlike, purified, strengthened,
perfected, and rendered more worthy of
heaven"
| The concourse of highly respectable
members of the community on the fair
grounds was in itself ample proof of
genuine sympathy with the cause, but
| tried even by the imperial standard of
! the mighty dollar, it was not found want
ing. Fifteen hundred and ffty-two dol
lars worth of sympathy is no trife, and
this is still further enhanced by the state
ment that the net profits were nearly
| $500, showing that most of the
materials" for which the dollars were
ostensibly exchanged must have been fur
nished gratuitously by benefactors and
sympathizers. We are happy to under
stand that much of these Materials
were contributions from our fellow citizens
in town, proving that charity still abides in
our midst, and encouraging the hope that
the revival of faith may not be remote.
To be sure, the great majority Of the
Catholics of Donaldsonville were con-
spicuously absent from the fair, but we
believe this arose more from a certain
obstinacy inherent to human nature rather
than from want of sympathy with
cause which must be dear to any one
acknowledging a Supreme Being-the
cause of erecting temple for the worship of
the living God. Cold indeed must be the
Catholic and lukewarm his charity whose
heart does not beat in unison with the
Psalmist when he proclaims, 81 have
loved, 0 Lord, the beauty of thy House
and the place of the habitation of thy
glory" Though, as we have remarked,
there was many a vacant place, yet there
was fair representation of Donaldson
ville's genuine catholicity on the grounds,
and we doubt not all of them will to the
end of life recall the memory of the event
with pride and 'pleasure-pride that they
had the courage of their convictions to put
aside petty prejudices at such a time,
and pleasure at the retrospect of the
varied entertainments presented on the
occasion. Nor will this delightful retro
of which the church will be monument.
Many came who worship at other shrines,
prominently amongst whom we do not
hesitate to name those types of true benev-
olence and comprehensive charity, Mrs. NJ
Isral, MI. and Mrs. P. Klopman, who came
with their whole household and several of the
courteous young gentlemen employed by the
firm over which Mr.. Klopman presides, in
Guiding Mesars. A. Meter, Terrio, Blnm-
enthal, Levy, ct ais. We heard more than
one willy stall keeper assert that a few
more hacks freighted with parties like the
klopman contingent would have been just
the thing to make the Smoke Bend fair g
marvel of financial success. So much having
been said on the grave and material aspects
of the case let us devote a few remarks
en- passaTt to the elements of amusement
and entertainment afforded on the occa- !
SIGN.
The item of refreshment always occupy
ing prominent position in undertakings
of this class it is needless to say the promo
tiers of the fair at Smoke Bend were not
forgetful of tie wants of the inner man.
Committees had provided in a style worthy
of Partisan restaurant every delicacy from |
ice cream and chicken salad to champagne
and the homely but highly popular "lager
beer on ice."
We have formed unit in manga conviv-
ial crowd in the old world as we'll as in the |
new, but never in all our meanderings
have we been in the midst of threng
where the feast of reason and flow of |
bowl were so palpable to the most casual |
observer. During Saturday evening and |
part of Sunday an excellent band from ST.
James discoursed some exquisite music,
and on their departure Sunday evening
their place was admirably supplied by the
St. Joseph Band from this town.
But the GROWING features of the whole
series Of entertainments were the various
he Ell