The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-09-08
DoNALDsoNyIIIE La SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER s. 1906
NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
Genesis of the River shrimp-Drummers
Philosophy-street Car Transfers.
Opening of the Theatrical


Staff Correspondence of The Chief.
Coming over from Donaldsonville
the other day-and incidentally want
TO mention that during my recent visit
there | was very much impressed with
the many Improvements which are
going on, and the remark able strides
the town seems to be making in every
Way-I overheard an interesting con-
Yers alton between some travelling men
concerning the origin of that most
deleetable and daintiest of dainty edi-
bles-the river shrimp. One OF the
drummers advanced the astonishing
information that the river shrimp is
not, as considered by many, species
by itself, but is in reality merely an
offspring OF the common lake shrimp,
the river variety deriving its superior
deIicacy and favor from propagating
il fresh water instead of salt water.
The drummer who expounded the orig
nal theory confirmed his argument by
calling attention to the fact that the
river shrimp is found only in Louisi-
ana and Mississippi, and only at
places in both these states where the
river is directly tributary to the gulf.
T had never given the matter any
thought at all, and doubtless neither
had you, but come to think of it, that
theory seems pretty plausible, does it
not?
like to listen to travelling men
talk; they are such well-informed
class of men, as rule, and throw
them together for any length Of time
and the result is likely to be any num-
Der of good stories and some dialogue
worth listening to. Another of the
party of drummers who happened to
be on the train the same time I was,
idly offered the suggestion that il
might be an excellent plan if all the
travelling men in the United States
combined into sort Of fraternity and
every time a member died. each living
member would contribute simply q
dime towards an insur ance to be left tc
the deceased MEMBERS family. That
sounded supremely simple and reason.
able to me, and / silently wondered
why someone else had not thought o1
SO excellent plan long ago. But
instantly another Of the party put in
his oar: ssConsidering the many thou
sands of travelling men in the states
and figuring on an average of two
deaths day, that would mean a daily
expenditure of 20c.n ''Weli," re-
joined the first drummer, s'what's
twenty cents a day2" 'sSix dollars
a month, seventy-tWo dollars a year,
and one thousand one hundred and
forty dollars at the end Of twenty
years-that's what it is!'' said No. z
heatedly. "Twenty cents a day is big
sum for a poor man, and If the man
with sufficient salary to afford il
would only put aside that twenty cents
a day, he might accumulate his OWE
insura ance in time-and collect it with
out having to die for the privilege,
too!n
It is to be deplored that a city like
New Orleans should be SO sadly be.
hind the times in the matter OF gen.
eral street car transfer. Nearly every
other large city, and many of lesser
size and Importance as well, enjoy
perfect and thorough systems Of trans.
fer which the New Orleans Railways
Company would do well to emulate
Even Quebec, the picturesque Cana.
dian city which is SO delightfully."- old
Efashioned in every other respect,
found exceptionally long On transfers
and any point in the city can be
reached for single fare. The few
transfers that the New Orleans cars
do have are positive travesties. Fol
instance, to reach Esplanade avenue
for one fare from up town, one mus
transfer at Canal street from the
Peters avenue line to the Villere anG
from thence to the Esplanade belt
Mind you, one must deliberately le
an Esplanade car 60 by and enter {
Vi1lere car before he is entitled to ar
Esplanade transfer. Was ever any
thing more stupid or was sever there {
greater waste of time and energy fol
no reason at all? 1t would be {
| mighty good thing if the uptown line.
should issue transfers for the down
town lines an6 vice versa, and surely
| benefits would be bound to accrue tC
| the Railways Company as we'll as the
city and people by the adoption O
such course. hope the Railways
Company reads this and thinks i
over.
Three OF the theatres are open-tht
the Lyrics doors will be aiar mex
Monday night. West End is yet i
| full blast and will be safe to maintair
its present popularity as long as tht
warm weather continues. The popular
Orpheum, the most successful vaude
vile theatre ever conducted il Nev
Orleans, is to 'sget into the game or
the 17th instant, and the curtain vii
be rung down at West End the nigh
before the Orpheum 5 curtain is runs
up. Tom Winston, whom eVerybod!
likes, is to have the management o
the Orpheum this season, and Johr
Chaffe will be his right-hand man
/ Johns official title will be press agent
/ but his sphere Of usefulness will com
prise any old thing necessary to b
done anywhere and at any time to pro
mote the interests of the favorite play