The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-04-18
Letter from Baltimore.

Letter from BUCttWOTe.
BALTIMORE, April 18Th, 1874.
Our city has been, as a general thing, rather
dull since the date Of my last epistle. This may
be attributed TO cold, cherries, unpleasant and
somewhat unreasonable weather. We had freez-
ing Saturday and Sunday nights. Many are ap.
prehensive that vegetation has been injured.
learn from private sources that considerable in
jury has been done to peaches on the Eastern and
Western Shores, where great abundance OF that
fruit is now grown, it having become a leading
article of traffic with many farmers there. Some
Of them indeed, depend almost entirely upon
their peach and berry crops for substance
Strawberries have also sustained injury, but rot
to very serious extent We live in hope, how
ever of having our market fairly supplied with
these Injuries. The late accounts of hard freez
ing in the vicinity of Norfolk, Virginia, and por-
tons of North Carolina, where immense amounts
of early fruits and vegetables are raised that sup
ply our Baltimore market, prospects are exceed
ingly discouraging. If these be true, as doubt
less they are, those fortunate enough to secure
crops may expect high prices for them.
Farmers and others with whom have recent
ly conversed from all parts of Maryland speak
very encouragingly of the prospects indicated by
the growing wheat crop-aso rye. This is par
tcularly the case in Frederick, Washington, Car
ROLL and indeed all counties of the Western Shore
The winter, it is said, has been favorable, and if
nothing intervenes to prevent, of an unforeseen
character, we may look forward hopefully to an
abundant harvest Whether this be welcome in
telligence to your 'grange" readers l am unable
to divine. Many farmers, indeed prefer the fore
running appearance in public prints of gloomy
accounts in the expectation of prices being kept
up when crops are garnered and ready to SELL
We of large cities who consume and pay are on
the reverse side. Low prices suit US best, and it
is tolerably hard scratching TO get along even
then. The truth is in all great commercial me-
tropolises like Baltimore, large portion of the
population are producers and obliged to live
by their wits. They are like drones in bee hives
of no use-perfect cormorants on the body polite,
and subsst upon the industry of others. There
are in Baltimore not less than seven hundred
lawyers, young, middle aged and old, whose sig
ni6cent shingles cover whole sides of houses ia
various streets contiguous to the Court Houses,
and yet there is not legal business enough for
one-ith of them. Those we'll known and in full
practice, commanding confidence, get nearly all
the cases worth having. How the others live is
q mystery, saving few who probably possess
some means or have opulent fathers or friends to
rely upon. They may be fairly ranked with the
non productionists Similar remarks are appli-
cable to physicians or the aspiring sons Of Aescu-
lapius and old Galen. Better for four-ifths of
u
and Ego West" or somewhere else where wider
field is open, and make better use of their time
before manhood svigor weakens and grows weary
CT energetic enterprises.
Young men who stupidity waste the prime of
life in semi-sats6ed attempts at doing something,
amid ease and luxury, amenable to seductive in
luences of profgacy and dissipation, had better
seek them fortunes where something can really
be done free from such allurements. | am of
those who believe there is ample opportunity for
energetic, perseverlng young PROFESSIONALISM and
others, in every State down South, where pros
perity might be realized if they had courage to
make the trial. Instead of this, however, there
are by far too many Southerners-especial since
the war-seeking the older States and cities to
commence professional careers and other business,
where inability to compete with those already es-
tablished begets failure.
For some reason, | cannot tell why, Baltimore
lags unnaturally behind in her trade and COM
merce. She does not come up in that respect to
what has been expected. Commendable improve
ment has taken place in her extension and i'm
provement in buildings. Thousands of dwellings
and stores are now idle, or without tenants We
must have business before people can pay land
lords for the use of their property. What is the
use OF great city, OF value of property in it, I'M
less trade grows commensurate with the increase
is to become a commanding manufacturing mart,
and until that end be attained she will lag be-
hind. The experience of nearly forty years res
idence here has convinced me of this fact.
Jay Cooke, the once great American banker,
was in our city few days last week sojourning
at Barnum's. Helooked WELL was in good health
and spirits. ] may say upon reliable Information
that he is likely to come out of his financial Diff
culties much better off than was expected, saving
for himself out of the wreck, probably one mil
lion to one million and a-haf of dollars. When
all matters are fairly adjusted 1t is more than
possible he will again enter into business as a
banker with promise of deserved success. One
who did so much in time Of need toward aiding
our country financially and otherwise, cannot be
forgotten or fail of grateful appreciation.
There was quite large meeting probably fifty
or more--of Baltimore county gentlemen assem-
bled at Guys Monument House last Saturday
evening. Their object was, believe, to consult
with reference to an apportionment of the State
assessment. Our daily papers have thus far over
Journed to meet again next Saturday evening at
the same place when conference is to take place
with residents of Baltimore city, and, possibly,
other parts of the State on the same subject full
repor, of the proceedings doubtless, to be made
afterward. One thing is certain, SO long as they
congregate at Guys there can be no danger of
starving with Col. Little at the helm
From the best information at hand, and on the
authority of persons protesting to know, the
chaaces largely in favor of the city extension
law being ratified by a vote of the people Bal
timoreans who deeply Interested in its success,
will not be backward in affording substantial aid.
campaign already wages warm
ly. There may, however, be some doubt regard
ing the success oil that Uery neW subject, the Jones
Falls enactment.
T. = r
hope to give your readers an interesting romance
appertaning to Baltimore county, founded on
fact The heroin still survives. 1t will be en-
tirely circumspect and considerably historic.
Business continues dull and unsettled Money
is abundant and easy though not much in de-
mand. 1t reall: goes II begging for approved Sc
curties NEsToR