The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1885-04-04
OUR LETTER FROM BRoADBRIM.

An Evangelist's Downf.'l-C Celebration of
st. Patrick's Day-The Trial of Bank
President Fish-A Female Swindler in
the Toils-A Wealthy Gambler In the
Penitentiary-Indiscre of u Young
Episcopal Clergyman.
NEW YORK, March q, 1885.
EDITOR CHEF:
For some years past large sign has
hung in front of the Cooper Institute.
"Gospel Temperance Services, conducted
by c. A. Sawyer" Thousands upon thou
sands have listened to the stirring exhor-
tations of this eloquent evangelist, and
many have been gathered in from the
streets and slums to live new life and
once more raise their heads in the haunts
of men. There was no kid-glove aristoc-
racy about the audience that assembled
there each Sabbath, but there was always
a place and welcome for the ragged tramp
and the outcast whom the priest and the
Levite passed by; the working principle
being that anything which bore Gods
image was worth saving. Each Sabbath in
that vast multitude there was one central
figure standing out bold and clear, and as
he spoke of the Saviour's forgiveness, and
the Joy of the promised salvation, lie
seemed to be transfgured into an Angel of
Hope. It will carry grief to the hearts of
thousands to hear that the great evangelist
has fallen from the glorious height on
which he stood for years. He has been
hurled down to the depths by the Tempter
though not, trust, like Lucifer, never to
rise again. 1t is more than forty years
since John B. Cough met with a similar
mishap, but John B. Cough lived to repent
his momentary folly, and has been spared
for many years of useful labor-and the
end has not yet come. Every effort will be
made by the friends of the unfortunate
gentleman to rescue him from his present
humiliating position, in the hope that he
may be restored to life of usefulness and
honor.
. st. Patrick's day has passed by, and not
a man killed-not even a skull cracked.
For many days past the air has been full of
war and rumors of war. It was SO not only
in New York, but our Brooklyn brothers
and sisters we're on the north side of friend
ly; and across the North River our fellow
citizens of New Jersey we're torn by intes-
tine discord, which threatened serious con-
sequences on the natal day of Ireland's pa
tron saint. Several weeks ago, resolutions
had been passed in the Common Councils
of both cities that it would be the proper
thing to do to decorate all the public build
ings on the 18th of March. Accordingly,
at sunrise the green flag of could Erin J"
was hoisted over all the public buildings,
and the two cities we're as gaily decorated
as if st. Patrick was native of Brooklyn or
Manhattan. But trouble had been brewing
for weeks. The Ancient Order of Hiber-
mans, which up to that time had presented
a solid front against the Saxon foe, was
house against itself. A number of its mem
bers joined the Clan Gael, and the An
cient Order promptly expelled the offenders.
Then the expelled members resolved that
the expellers we're an illegitimate body,
and that they-the expelled-were the
"Only Original Jacobs;'' and right there
came the hitch on the st. Tatric!11's day
procession, and it looked as if we were
going to have battle that would throw
Vinegar Hill or the Boyne into the shade.
Each Of the rival factions got permit to
parade, but as the Mayor of Brooklyn dis
covered the belligerent attitude of the par
ties he promptly revoked the permits. Then
it was agreed that the two factions should
parade at different hours OF the day. At
the last moment, however, one of the fac
tions resolved that they would not parade
at all, so peace reigned in Warsaw. The
faithful guardians of our cities peace
buckled on their long night-clubs, but the
crowd they had to deal with could have
been ruled with a lady's fan. The process
sion, if not as large as in former years was
nevertheless large enough to convince any
Yankee skeptic that st. Patrick was one of
the liveliest saints on the calendar. And if
the spirits of the blessed made perfect are
ever permitted to get peep through the
gates of pearl, or over the golden wall, st.
Patrick must have been exceedingly graf
flied at the respect paid to his memory in
the Republic Of the West. The day was
bitterly cold, but the men stood in line like
heroes, and never sought the usual conso-
lation which even heroes on the march
sOmetimes seek on a frosty dav Tn ron.