The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-12-20

at least good enough for dollar concert :
Among the permanent improvements de-
manding especial mention is the building
going up on the site of the World office.
Few such calaInities as the destruction OF
World Office have occurred in New York.
The building caught FIRE about 10 o'clock
in the morning. The street was filled
with thousands Of people-and hundreds
were employed in the building Itself. When
the alarm was given the people up
| stairs were quite unconscious OF their dan
ger. The inside of the building was q
with oil kinds of infammable material. The
stairs caught fire and communication. with
the upper stories was cut off, and there, in
broad daylight, thousands of people stood
/ to see number of their fellow creatures
perish miserably before their eyes--they
having no appliance to reach them. While
| three persons in the upper story saw the
flames mounting up to them and no human
aid near, death seemingly inevitable, a
street Arab climbed telegraph pole, cut
the wire, swung it over the burning build
ing, and on it they all escaped,
building is now being erected on this
memorable site which will be able to defy
the elements. Nothing short of an earth
quake will ever bring it down. 1t is as fire.
| proof as the art of man can make it, being
| all built of iron and brick and SO arranged
that one room might be on fire and per-
son in the next one know nothing of it.
| The first two stories are of iron and the
several stories above are of brick. When
| finished it will be an ornament to the city.
The other.end of thesittle block on which
| it stands is occupied by the New York
| Times, and the entire plot, forty years ago,
was the site of DIR. Springs church, one of
| the most fashionable and wealthy in the
| city.
| Speaking of churches, it is really refresh
ing to find one house dedicated to Chris
| tian worship that Manmon has not shaken.
The old Methodist church on John street
has passed its hundredth year. Here the
early founder of Methodism first dispensed
Up to the time of the erection of this
church, they had found their congregation
on the highways and in the fields, but here
it first found local habitation and a home.
Other churches which were great and
strong when it was a struggling infant
have disappeared and been forgotten-the
busy war of business is all around 1.-THE
people have all gone away from the ward
in which it stands, it being the least popu-
lous in the city. On Sabbath day the
streets in that part Of the town are lifeless
and dead, for the people who once lived in
these houses have all gone up town: but the
old church stands there still, very small,
and not a particle aristocratic, it is true,
but clean and respectable nevertheless,
where you can hear the gospel as Wesley
preached it-plain and true, with no
stained glass windows, nor gewgaw sur
roundings, but where the gospel of Christ
is all in all.
But business is making great inroads-
1t Is gradually but surely sweeping away
the rookeries of the Five Points, and in
few years they will only live in the I'M
pleasant memories of the past.
As we approach the LIST of January, we all
look forward to one of the most radical
changes that has ever taken place in onr
city government
For the first time in our history the
Mayor is clothed with despotic power; he
can appoint who he pleases without the |
interference of the Aldermen. This is in
deed blessing, for no matter how bad the
Mayor may be he can never be as bad or /
as corrupt as the Aldermen.
The week has been somewhat e7entfuI
We have had another case of confidential |
clerk. large firm on the Sixth Avenue
had nice young man, who ON salary of /
$3.50 kept "a coupe, lived in fine house,
sported his handsome figure at watering
places, freqnented the opera, took in Irving
and Terry, Fanny Davenport, the Opera
Bouffe, Monte Cristo, and all the other
sights and things. At last his sapient
employers got it through their heads that
these things cost money, and on overhaul
ing his accounts deficiency was found of
several thousand dollars: the consequence
IS that the fascinating young masher is ar
rested for forgery with fair prospect of
states prison for the next ten years.
Irving can't act Hamlet. It is very funny,
very unique, very picturesque, but it is not
Ellen Terry is all right, but
re can't go Irving's Hamlet
Three elopements; fellows ran away with
other fellows wives, and now the other fe,
ows are afraid they'll bring them back.
They have bagged the thieves who broke
nto the Kings county penitentiary, and
low these chaps who were SO anxious to
Freak IN will have chance to find out how
pleasant it will be to reside there for the
lext ten years. Warden Green will make
warm for them, and I think it will be
ONE time before any burglars will break
nto the penitentiary again.
Stocks have taken little jump; none of
he big operators are in; they are all fight
ng shy of the market
The flight of Mother Mandelbaum. the
glorious fence and patron of thieves gen
rally, was twenty-four hour wonder, but
) hailed with delight by all honest people.
We are not particular who gets her, SO we
ave got rid of her.
Five terrible suicides cloud the week, bnt
lek sink out OF sight and the tide of the
reat city rolls on. The streets are crowded
18th the best dressed people to be found in
ny city in the world. The theatres are do
'g rushing business. The fine weather
As br0Tg1 tho sala Of ur;,4ar r.aol,