The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-17
LOCAL BREvITIEs.

Snow.banks still linger in shady hooks and
corners.
Delinquent taxpayers should make haste to
settle up; there's trouble in the air.
The lilac and maple buds are swelling, and
the gardeners are preparing their hot.beds.
This is the season for public sales, though
the number bids fair to be fewer than usual.
The drummer is around, with valise and
samples, soliciting for the Spring trade.
St. Valentines Day brought an exchange
Of many tender missiyes, chiefly among the
Juveniles.
We hear no more Of a town clock. The
subject has been permitted, we suppose, to
sleep the'sleep of death.
Look ont for the tax collectors, about this
time, and let the tax collectors look out for
the counsel to the Commissioners.
The period when ''the ducks eat all the
mud up seems TO be a long way off looking
at it from n Westminster standpoint
Oysters have been plenty, through the win,
ter, thanks to our enterprising vendors.
Fresh hsh, also, have been occasionally sup
piled.
Plant tomato, cabbage, lettuce and other
garden seeds, in boxes, and keep them in
warm rooms, if you would have early yegeta.
bles.
The trailing arbutus and the snow drop be.
gin to peep from under the leaves, aud the
eallow naTsbsns Is pushing its stamens into
notice in sheltered positions.
And now the conscientious churchman will
keep the Lenten season, very strictly, on
eggs, fish and oysters. Flesh Of swine and
bovine will be religiously eschewed.
The ''ethereal mildness' of the preceding
three weeks, was all blown southwark, BY a
rafting north-wester on Monday, and by
Wednesday morning the mercury was down
to lso.
The State Lecturer, at the Grange meeting.
last week, very aptly said, in the presence OF
the beauty OF Carroll which graced the meet.
ing, that, ''if Cupid did not visit these parts
frequently, he must be blind indeed.n
The stage at Odd Fellows Hall is the sub.
ject Of complaint as often as an exhibition is
given there. 1t is entirely too small, aud the
ceiling is too low, but it will be long time
before we have a better.
II the mud upon the streets was scraped up
into piles and hauled out upon some farm, It
would make valuable fertilizer, our streets
would look much better, and would not be
half so dusty when they become dry.
The pressure Of the times has affected the
cigar trade in this city. There are indica.
TONS however, Of revival in the Spring.
The cigars manufactured here are all honest
brands, really what they purport to be, with
no deceptious filling, and may be relied upon
as good.
The man who was never drunk, who never
smoked a cigar nor took a chew Of tobacco,
is in town. Would there we're more of them;
for, not only the men, but ninety. nine in every
hundred Of the boys you meet, are making
smOke-staeks of their mouths and nostril, and
remind one of the highpressure steamers on
the western waters.
There is not a public library, reading room,
or lyceum, in Westminster. The Young
Mems Christian Association have a hall and
small library for the use Of its members,
but for public use there is no such place,
How do the young men employ their leisure
hours in the evening? Unprohtably to them.
selves, il isIto be feared.
Ascension Church was packed on Tuesday
afternoon last, on the occasion Of the nuptials
OF Miss Annie Wood and Mr.. John Babylon.
OF this city. Nothing draws" like a wed.
ding There is certain 10 be full house and
no vacant seats on such occasions. Weddings
have been going on ever since the rib was
taken from the side Of our great primal pa.
:ernal ancestor, but they are a novelty still.
Westminster has not lacked auusements
the past week. Professor PharazFn dispensed
valuable gifts and little ventriloouism
and sleight of hand, which transferred the
little jokers" from the pockets of our Cit.
zens into his own. Then came the "Original
Louisiana Minstrels, whose mission was
to exchange few musical notes for notes of
different sort. Lastly came La Rue's
Great War SHOW" illustrating the war for
the Union, but not casting much light on the
best methods OF hoeibg corn and digging DO
tatoes.
Isn't it great mistake for farmers to crowd
all their stock, farming implements, proven.
der and grain, into their barns, so that if the
barn takes FIRE, the flames destroy everything
at one fell swoop7 Wouldn't ii be better 10
have hay, straw and fodder under barracks
at a safe distance from the buildings? And
would it not be better TO have horses and cat.
tie housed in stable separate from the barn.
In word, is il prudent and economical 10
build large and costly barns and store them
with the most inhammable material so that the
structure and contents may be reduced TO
ashesf These qieries may be discussed with
profit by the Oranges and the Farmer Clubs.
There are As stores, shops, &c. Of all grades
in Westminster, drug stores, 8 hotels, 4
restaurants, large carriage mandatory, ]
dyer and bleacheE plumber, 3 tin shops, Q
bakeries, cigar manufactures, 2 machine
shops, 2 cabinet makers, 8 blacksmiths. 2
livery stables, photograph gallery, marble
worker, 2 coal and lumber dealers, tannery,
news stand, physicians, merchant tailors,
dentists, 8 churches, angels Of the chur.
ches, schools, IS lawyers, 8 doctors, 2cem-
eteries, druggists, ] paper hanger, shoe
Makers 2 brick yards, besids carpenters,
plasters, pump makers, weayers, broom ma.
kers, and 2 weekly newspapers, and enc
monthly THE Bors' RIGHrs.