The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-07-11

bidder, and the erection of the buildings will
he at once commenced. His contracts will
amount to over $2,50O,O0O.
These are but few of the extensive building
generations that are being carried on here, and
show that we are losing our Quaker plainness
of architecture, and are becoming more and
more adorned.
HOW OUR POOR LIVE.
Bedford and Spafford Sts., at this season OF
the wear, are not very inviting places. Iney
are The Five Points of our city, and are the
scenes of much misery and restitution The
moor are here crowded together in tumble down
tenements, and crowded apartments. Every
available foot of ground is built upon, and such
a thing as yard to house Is uakno"h. Az
real estate, and tho tenants have poor accom-
modations, and large rents to pay. Here the
poor live from "hand to mouth" as is sexn sJT
the numerous pawn broker shops, where poor
wretch can have few pennies advanced on
the smallest article Of wearing apparel. Sec
Fond hand stores abound in the vicinity, and
junk shops, and suspicious looking restaurants
are to be seen on every side. Small groceries
with half decayed vegetables exposed at the
door, and windows hung with cheap goods,
adorn the corners and whiskey shops where
villianous compounds are solo, are PLENTIFUL
Siokly looking children are playing in the gut
ters, white and black mingling indlscriminate
| ly together, while the pavenents and door steps
| are filled with half drunken men and women.
| What contrast there is in city life In one
| portion of the city hundreds struggling with
poverty, while a few squares distant, million
aires are living in luxury and grandeur.
John Chinaman has lately taken up his abode
| here, and is in active competition with Bridget
| and Dinah in the laundry business. John works
cheap, washing clothes atabout half the usual
price, and consequently is we'll patronized.-
| John
the Ire of his opponents, and we are afraid that
| he will wake up some morning and find himself
interviewed" and will learn as he has done in
California, that he must bic to some more con-
| genial cline.
GEOLOGICAL GARDEN.
This new enterprise, Of which brief mention
was made in our last letter, was formally open
ed to the public on Wednesday last. The col
lection, although in its infancy, is quito large
| Is reptiles. The Geological Society state that
| the garden is not completed, and that
+hn-e ora nn,,hn~ Of aninaafs coon to~6e ad-
ded to the collection The "garden" comprises
thirty acres, in the West Park, and is fitted up
with every convenience. Strangers visiting
here should by all means make it a visit, as i
Will well repay them for the time spent in Wis
iting it.
| CoUNTRYMAN SwlNDLED.
1t is surprising, when confidence men are Sc
thoroughly exposed in the newspapers, that
persons visiting our city will allow themselves
to be approached by entire strangers, and be-
come SO intimate with them. A gentleman
from Cape May, N. j., formed an acquaintance
with stranger here a few days ago. The
stranger treated the Jerseyman to several
drinks, and finally proposed to trade watches
The Jerseyman handed over valuable time
piece, and received in exchange tin bulls eye
and while the sharper was attaching the watch
to the Jerseyman's chain, he distracted wal
let from his vest pocket containing see. The
Jerseyman, although pretty well Intoxicated
missed his money and seized his new made
friend by the leg as he was running up a pair
of stairs, and received in return severe kick
ON the forehead. When he recovered his friend
was gone, and he returned home to tell chow
he had seen the elephant"
| Yours truly, =