The Donaldsonville chief., 1906-12-22
NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
The Louisiana Gets Her silver Service
State Flag and other Gifts-Park
Improvements-Iore Money
for Schools and Streets.
staff Correspondence of The Chief.

/
mattered to the excited, happy thron
that gathered aboard the noble vesse
| TO witness the act OF presentation, an
the drenching doWnpour and fogg
; outlook on the river only served ST
J draw the people closer together a
somebody put it, and by no mean
dampened the ardor of the enthusiast
j spectators. Coleman E. Adler, Wht
designed the service, may well fee
proud of the laudatory comments ant
the expressions OF wonder and deligh
that emanated from those who thronges
about the stand covered with the ma
tional colors-the stand, you know
not the people-upon which the beau
tiful silver was displayed. The pre-
sentation speech was made by Gov
ernor Blanchard, who rendered ths
gift to the battleship in the name Of
the people of Louisiana, and follow
ing Capt. Albert r. Couden's apt and
delightful speech of acceptance, the
| deed of transfer, donation and accept.
ance was signed by Governor Blanch.
ard, Mayor Behrman, Albert God.
ehaux, president Of the Progressive
Union, and Capt. Couden. Brief talks
appropriate to the occasion were made
by Mayor Behrman, Collector OF the
Port Henry Mccall and Congressman
Adolph Meyer, after which w. O.
Hart, as spokesman for Mrs. John P.
Richardson, president of the Daugh-
ters OF l776-18l2, presented the ship
/ with a handsome Louisiana state flag,
the gift of the Daughters. Next fol-
lowed the presentation, through Chas.
S. Janvier, Of a portrait of Miss Jua-
nita Lallande, sponsor of the battle
ship, who is at present abroad. An
exquisitely bound set of histories of
Louisiana, consisting Of five volumes,
was then given TO the battleship, Prof.
Aleee Fortier rendering the gift in the
name of the Historical Society of Lou
isiana, of which he is president.
Andstill the erain came down, but what
OF that? Everybody was just as wet and
happy as could be, and delicious
luncheon, plenty of sparkling wine
and other good things helped to keep
the assembled multitude in excellent
spirits. It has been a gala time in
New Orleans ever since the Louisiana
arrived, and the officers and crew OF
the vessel are being dined and wined
and otherwise most lavishly enter
tanned, with a prospect that the pace
will be kept up during the entire time
the battleship remains in port, which
will be at least all the present week.
James Stewart & Co., the contract.
ors who built the Plaquemine lock
and are now engaged in constructing
the Chalmette and Stuyyesant docks,
will head a syndicate of American
contractor to be formed for the pur-
pose OF offering a bid for the con-
struction of the Panama canal.
At the sixth biennial convention
of the Intern ational Brotherhood of
Maintenance of Way Employees in
Toronto, Canada, it was decided that
the next convention OF the organiza-
tion would be held in New Orleans in
December, 1908.
The new steamship Momus, built by
the Morgan's Louisiana and Texas
Railroad and Steamship Company for
the New Orleans and Havana service,
arrived here Monday morning.
Archbishop Blenk went toe Lutcher
to attend the funeral of Very Rev. j.
B. S. Descreux, S. M, whose death
occurred at that place Friday OF last
week. Deceased was member OF the
Marist order, to which Archbishop
Blenk belongs.
At a meeting Of the Audubon Park
commissioners, it was decided to spend
SO, 900 in improvements. The shellroad
is TO becontinued, and the most import-
ant change contemplated will be the
leveling of the old leyee in the park.
Among other betterments will be the
planting of more trees and grass, the
closing of unsightly bitches. and the
providing OF drainage system. It is
proposed to have the work completed
by next summer.
At a conference between Governor
Blanchard and the four state fiscal
agents-the State National Bank, the
Hibernia National Bank, the New Or
leans National Bank and the Canal
Bank and Trust Company-it was
agreed that the banks will furnish
Sl5,0O0 for the proposed Louisiana
exhibit at the Jamestown exposition.
Miss Olga Nethersole, the disbin-
guished actress who appeared in emo
tionaI dramas at the Tulane theater
last week, delivered an address before
fashionable gathering in the palm
garden Of the St. Charles hotel Thurs
day afternoon, Id advocacy OF themove-
ment to prevent the spread of tnber-
eulosis.
J. T. Harahan, the newly elected
president of the Illinois Central Rail-
road, was rendered brilliant banquet
al the ST. Charles hotel at which about
two hundred leading citizens of New
Orleans were present. Mayor Behr-
man was POSTMASTER of the occasion.
A total sum of $50, 900 has been ap.
propriated for street repair in the dIf-
ferent wards of the city. The money
is to come from the increase in liquor
licenses, and Ii is intended to give the
public schools an augmented appro-
priation from the same source.
Merry Christmas TO ALL e. 3.