The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1871-09-02
Letter from the White Grounds.
WHITE GROUNDS, Baltimore Co., |


LoNGNrcKER BRos.-Dear Editors When
disappeared frem you among the iron mines and
kaolin pits around Holli6eld's Switch, | was so
rude as to neglect the usual formal leave takiugs
This trust will be excused, for doubtless you
recollect it was twilight, "misty and grey" and
my mind was rushing toward Elysville. This
place situated on both sides of the Patapsco, once
belonged TO Baltimore county's most noted law
eiver, Gen. Hugh Ely, better known as Col. Ely,
who served his constituents approvedly as q
legislator through all the political changes OF
thirty years. So great was public confidence In
his honesty and integrity that when he moved to
an adjoining county the people still persisted in
electng him to his seat in the Senate, and recon-
ciled the question of residence by considering
him only sojourner abroad. After taking a
look at the ville" with an eyesingle to the beauti
full cotton mill of Messrs. Gary & llolton,
struck bee line for Golden Forest, the old
homestead of the Elys. Dropping a tear of
memory upon the slab beneath which the Gener-
al sleeps in dust, | strolled over the hills of the
farm, giving more than passing notice to Its I'M
mense quarries of white limestone, or American
marble as it is sometimes termed. Then strldlng
with Hiawatha footsteps soon found myself at
Powhatan, Situated few PAGES from the head OF
the Franklin turnpike on Gwynn's Falls, hive
and a half miles from Baltimore, and four from
Elysville. 1t consists of the village and two
cotton mills, the Powhatan and Pocahontas, the
first being one of the oldest mills of the kind in
the State, having been erected more than fifty
years Here terminates the Baltimore &c Pow
hatan Railway, but before taking car ! took a
view from Mount Alto, the adjoining rcsldenc-
of Dr. Field from which could see splendid
country seats aud villas i'll every direction. The
most prominent being the Meadows, The large
farm and county residence OF james Albert Gary,
which is connected with Baltimore and ElysVile
by IA line of telegraph erected by Mr. Gary al
his own expense.
A couple of miles by rail ana found myself
in sight of the romantic Village OF FRANKLIN, ad-
Joining which is The CrOmea, the prlncely park
OF Thomas Winans crowned by his castellated
dwelling known as Oriunda Two miles more
brought me to the village Of Calverton, which
adons the estate OF Hugh Geston, known as
Gelston Heights This height is identical with
Kitimaquindi, spoken of in the early history oi
MARYLAND as the capital of The kings of the Pa
tapsco tribe 1t vas on this spot that Tayac to-
uelher with his family was baptized in rude
chapel made of bark and erected by Jesuit priests
for that special occasion. Passing through the
length of this village ! might have transered
myself TO the city cars at the head OF Baltimore
street but preferred stepping across to suburban
village on the Frederick pike, vulgarly known as
Snake Hollow Here saw nothing worth par
ticular notice with the exception of very old
house with a strictly defined Mansard-roof, al
though it was built long before Francois Mansard
was born An architect went to Europe and re-
turned with model of this now favored style,
when he might have gone TO Snake Hollow in
less time and at less expense and obtained like
pattern, minus the name Mansard So much for
a name While | looked upon the old building
with delight and felt proud that the Genius oil
architecture bad deigned TO cast smile in this
vicinity at SO early day was grieved to see
the object on which it fell condemned 10 uses
vile" this relic OF the past being now kept as
a lager beer saloon. Seeing nothing excepting
sights suited to vulgar eyes, | bent my course
westward via old Frederick road, passing Mt
Olivet, Loudouu Park and several other beautiful
cities of the dead without entering, though be-
lieve all strangers are admitted free of charge,
that is if they are living, but if dead, no one, moi
even Mclean, White or Petticoat Harp himself
could gain admission, unless his six feet of earth,
which nature gives gratuitOusly to all, were pur-
chased saw ftom the road costly columns and
slabs erected by wealth to the memory OF little
dust, that in many instances once encased @
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