The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1877-08-11
LETTER FROM PHOENIX, N. c. .R.
The Phoenix Exhibition-Whatt the Mem
bers of the Committee Have to Say.
PHnNIx, BALrnroRr COUNTY, Aug. ID, 1877.


PHOENIX, BALTIMORE COUNTY, Aug. I'd, 1877.
Messrs Editors Baltimore County Union:
We, the undersigned, have seen article in
your paper of July 2Sth, headed, "Iiigh Times at
Phoenix" Said article had reierenceto an exhibit
ton held at this place on the 18th. We wish to
inform you that your correspondent has deyiated
very much from the truth, and has put in your
paper for circulation a malicious falsehood, and
feel it duty to take this means to eXonerate
both ourselves and the ladies and gentlemen con-
nected Herewith. We say ladies and gentlemen
because they are such. Your correspondent infers
not, but perhaps he is Ut judge. We think no
gentleman would act as he has. He has been
very hasty to jump at conclusions without regard
to the truth, and we would be very glad to have
his name inserted in this that all may see the
name of one who considers himself type of true
morality or perfect holiness, we know not which !;
perhaps both.
In the first place it was not Sunday School ex
hibitOn and never intended to be considered
as such, but gotten up upon true moral
principle, with the intention of devoting the pro-
ceeds to charitable object, and if your correspon
dent was as smart as he imagines himself to be, he
ought to have known what was to be performed by
the programmes, which were freely distributed
among the audience.
Your correspondent said the exhibition began
with a sort of ''female minstrel performance fol-
negro deIineations, ribad jokes &C." We deny
considerable portion of that statement. There
no such thing "dances," except in one play
in which an aged lady and her daughter, in course
of conversation of years gone by, when the old
lady young and used to dance. The question
was asked the daughter if she could dance, and in
answer she said she thought she could, at which
the mother requested the daughter to try a few
steps, which she did, and gained for herself storm
of applause to repeat it, which was done to the
satisfaction of ALL as far as we know, except your
correspondent, and had we known he was so dis
gusted We would have given him his money back.
The speeches and pieces played were performed
in churches and other places, before respectable
audiences as the one assembled on that occasion,
(which was undoubtedly very respectable one,)
and never before condemned, but always applaud
ed And as for ''ribald jokes we deny anything
of that character being connected with the affair
There was nothing occurred to injure the feelings
of any one until the closing scene when, very I'M
fortunately there were two persons under the influ
ence of liquor who came in through window, and
by an error of the stage manager, presented them
selves on the stage and one began to make use of
very profane language, which brought things to
very abrupt close.
We are happy to say that we had q very re-
spectacle audience on the following night, and the
performances were more strictly conducted, which
met the appreciation of all present
L.. L. SHERTZER,
X. +. SHERTZER, C,,;.to
THOMAS PRICE,
JACOB GOsNELL,
GThe only error in the article as published by
us, headed "IIigh Times at Ph@niX,' was the
statement that the entertainment puportcd to be
a Sunday School exhibitior 1t was not gotten
up by the Sunday School, but, as appears from the
above, by the members of the committee, whose
names are signed to the communication. We have
conversed with several reliable gentlemen who
were present at the entertainment and they assert
positively that what we stated true, with the
one exception above alluded to. There were pro-
grammes and they "were freely distributed among
the audience" but the trouble was the programme
,oas not followed. One of the members of the
committee did go upon the stage and announce ga
double song and dance by two young ladies" "
which was not on the programme. The speech by
an intoxicated individual, who blacked up for the
OCCASION was full of "ribald jOkes"-in fact down
right obscene ones-which disguised every re-
spectacle person in the audience. The committee
acknowledges that "twO persons, under the inhu-
ence of liquor" were taken in at the stage win
dow, and whether they presented themselves on
the stage with without the consent of the "stage
manager they there and used the most bias
phemous language in the presence of the audience.
The committee says that the following night ''the
performances were strictly oJserCed," which
is virtual acknowledgment on its part that the
entertainment of the night before was not what it
should have been. We are sorry to have to devote
so much space to this Affair." but do it in order to
set ourselves straight. To show that the members
of the committee are "weakening," on Thursday
morning-snd since the above was in type-we
received letter from one of them asking that his
name be left out, with which request we have com
plied.-EDs. UNION