The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-05-23
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Chief is not responsible for the
views expressed by correspondents.
Donaldson or DonaIdsonv;lle +?


Donaldson or DonaIdsonville?
Editor Chief:
Justice to the members OF the
Chamber of Commerce, as well as a
proper respect for the opinion Of
the citizens of this community, de-
mand reply to the letter OF DR..
John S. Thibaut, which appeared in
your last issue, attacking this or
ganization because of its attitude in
regard to a minor change in the
name Of this city.
The action of the Chamber of Com
merce in circulating a petition for
the purpose of feeling the sentiment
of the people of Donaldsonviille with
respect to the above change was
taken after conference between
some of the leading members of that
body. both business and profession
al men, all thoroughly identified with
the welfare and progress of this city,
and whose records and public spirit
prove their affection for dear,
good, old Donaldsonville.
The petition referred to stated
clearly that the Chamber of Com
merce, believing that for VARIOUS
reasons it might be advisable to
change the name of this city to
Donaldson first wished, however,
to ascertain the sentiment of a ma.
jority of the citizens. There was,
therefore, no more reason for DR..
Thibaut's statement that We wege
seeking to change an historical
name for one which has not yet
been conceived in nor brought forth
out of the fertile minds of above-said
innovators and iconoclasts," than
there was further on for his allusion
to our action as petty and pusil-
luminous" The learned doctor I'M
doubtedly knows that the meaning of
the word pusillanimous carries with
it the imputation of something mean
spirited and coWardly. We leave it
to the judgment of all fair-minded
men whether there was anything of
this nature in our well-meant effort
question and in case Of any decided
and intelligent opposition to drop the
matter for all time.
We believed, however, that as
there was a strong feeling among
the representative business men of
this community in favor OF the
change, it was the duty OF the Cham
Der of Commerce to take up the mat
ter and at least submit it to the
people for their decision. That was
what our petition said and that was
all it meant. Neither commercial
ism" nor public policy really demand
is no reason why we should s.let
commercialism perish, as Doctor
Thibaut dramatically expresses it.
But to prove that "Donaldsonville"
is found inconveniently long by the
outside business world, we quote
verbatim from a letter written July
II, 1913, by the B. F. Cummins Com
pany Of Chicago to Postmaster Gut
gou: ''The name 'Donaldsonville' is
about the hardest proposition we
have ever received for any canceling
machine, big or little. We have,
however, been able by making the
plate ob1ong, ETC., etc.
Now we thought that If without
arousing the antagonism of any con-
siderable portion of the population,
we could have the willie dropped
from the name Of the city, it would
rid us Of useless and awkward ap-
pendage which consumes both time
to write and time to pronounce, of
no real Specification so far as the
name is concerned; that the change
would not only result in the advan-
tage of shortening a name, which,
because of its unwieldly length, is
often the victim of such an ugly alb
breviation as 'D'ville," but prune
it to size more appropriate to
city otherwise beautiful and up to
date. Indeed, we considered it not
so much a CHANGE as a mere
of the name.
Not only that. Knowing that the
founder of the city was one William
Donaldson and that the town was or
iginally called Donaldson, we were
not conscious that the mere sugges-
ton of restoring the old name would
be considered such an act OF desecra-
ton as to merit the epithets of icon
oclast and innovator which our
worthy friend has seen fit to hurl at
our heads. However, it is evidently
an example on our part of fools
rushing in where angels fear to
tread"
Although not fully convinced of our
appalling ignorance, We followed DR..
Thibaut's advice to .read the his
tory Of Louisiana and we are now
CHINO RI chaya 4x,Sth
interested friends some of the results
of our reading and research, even at
the risk Of again being called icono-
clasts, which word, after all, has
another meaning than idol smasher,
being also defined by Webster as
zone who exposes or destroys i'm
positions or shams. y
The earliest authentic record we
have found goes back to the year
1913. 1t is an act of the general
assembly of Louisiana, approved
March Is, that year. and is entitled,
An act to regulate the police of
the town of Donaldson in the parish
Of Ascension In the body of the
act, the town is also called Donald
son, showing conclusively that the
name was originally Donaldson and
not DonaldsoIville.
In Section of an act OF the gem
eral assembly approved March Z,
1928, entitled, An act to accord GER
ain privileges to the town OF Don-
lldson, it is provided that all that |
PORTION of land laid off and divided |
nto lots by William Donaldson, the
original plan Of which is recorded |
md deposited in the office OF the |