The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-03-30
WARMLY WELCOMED.
Congressional Party Entertained at Recep-
ton and Banquet-site of Proposed
Lafourche Locks Inspected.

gatlon OF members OF c0ngreSS-mOSL
of them belonging to the rivers and
harbors committee of the house of
representatives who have just re-
turned from trip to Panama and are
now engaged in making an inspection
of some of the waterways, harbors and
public works of Louisiana, was the
most important event of the past week
in this community and will long be re-
membered for its many pleasant fea-
lures and possible beneficial results.
The distinguished visitors arrived
here on the government steamer Mis-
sissippi at $50 O'Clock Tuesday eve
ming and were met by committee
comprising nearly a hundred promi-
nent citizens of the town and vicinity,
led by Hon. r. n. Sims, member OF
the board of control of the state peni-
Tertiary. and Mayor Charles Maurin.
AS the vessel neared Donaldsonville
and drew into the wharf at the head OF
Houmas street, salute of thirty guns
was fred by a detachment of Camp
No. 126, u. S. G. ", under the direc-
ton OF Brigade Commander Edmund
Maurin, the gun squad being consti-
tuted as follows: Lieutenant L. A.
Landry, Jr. .sAdjutant P. Camel, Tel
esma Leblanc, David Israel, Jr., F. j.
Michel, r. N. Slator and W. Acosta.
From the wharf the visitors were es-
corted to the head of Bayou Lafourche,
where an inspection was made of the
dam which presently cuts off commu-
nication between that stream aud the
Mississippi river. The congressional
members Of the party were emphatic
in declaring their opinion that this
obstruction should be removed at the
earliest possible time, and that the
bayou should be restored to naviga-
ton either by rebuilding the levees
along it's banks or substituting locks
for the dam.
An informal reception followed at
the rooms Of the Donaldsonville So
cial Club-erstwh1le the Ascension
Club-which had been beautifully dec
Grated with ferns, palms, pot plants,
cut flowers and MOSES by committee
of ladies under the supervision of Mes
danes F. B. Lemann and E. N. Sims.
A large number of ladies of Donald
sonvil1e and vicinity participated in
this function, and their presence added
greatly to the success and enjoyment
of the OCCASION Light refreshments
were serveds
A banquet at the Nichols Hotel
which, for it's menu and general APP
pointments, was one of the SWEETEST
and most elaborate ever given here,
concluded an entertainment program
that was carried out most admirably
and would be hard to excel anywhere.
The table decorations were the handi-
work of Mesdames Lemann and Sims
and were attractive in the extreme, the
snowy cloths being literally strewn
with fragrant Yiolets and sweet peas,
while tall vases held clusters of Amer
lean Beauty and LaFrance roses, in-
tertwined with ferns and smilax. Sus-
pended from the ceiling at one end of
the tables was a decor rated piece OF
woodwork embodying the words,
WELCOMES Rivers and Harbors Com
mittee.''
The mems cards consisted of outer
and inner folders bound together with
a silken cord, and were dainty pieces
OF art. On the front page were en-
graved pictures of the historic old
Catholic church, still standing, al
though not in uses and the municipal
market, and beneath them was the in
scription: 'What We Built Donald
sonville on in 1869 Surrounding
the pictures was a representation, in
colors, of the four principal products
of this section, namely, cane, cotton.
rice and corn. On the first page Of the
innner folder was printed an original
poem by Miss Ella Bentley, addressed
to the ''Molders of Destinies--M Makers
of Laws
Mr.. Sims presided as POSTMASTER at
the banquet with his customary sang
froid and grace, and welcomed the
guests will well-timed eloquence. The
other speakers of the evening were
Congressman DeAlva S. Alexander of
New York, Roswell P. Bishop of
Michigan, Edgar G. Ellis OF Missouri,
Benjamin G. Humphreys of Missis-
sippi, George F. Burgess OF Texas,
and Jos. E. Ransdell, r. F. Broussard
and A. p. Pujo of Louisiana, and
their addresses were rendered particu-
larIy acceptable and interesting be-
cause of the assurance uniformly con-
Feyed by the orators that their votes
and influence would be given in favor
of the intercoastal canal project and
the selection Of Donaldsonville as the
eastern terminus Of that important
waterway.
Each of the speakers paid a pretty
tribute to Miss Bentley, and Congress
man Broussard, in the course of his
remarks, referred to her as 1.-THE sweet
est flower that has grown on the banks
OF the Mississippi river" and said
that "Longfellow, in his Eyangeline,
has immortalized the Teche, but Ella
Bentley has immortalized the Missis-
sippf.s'
r,lo s,;sitnrs Left at LIE n,clnclr n