The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-02-08
AROUND:
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHERE DICKENS
GOT MS QUEER NAMEs-TRICks OF THE
BALTIMORE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.


BALTIMORE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
BALrIMogr, February list. 1879.
Night before las. | visited one of The
engine houses, N order 10 see how they did
business there and learn something about
the fire department of this great city. Bal.
tlmore has thirteen steam fire engines dis
persed throughout It's limits. They are
always ready for instant uss-,hat is to say,
the water in the boilers Of the engines il
always Kept boiling hot, by being connected
with coil Of iron pipe that is filled with
water and placed inside of coal stove de
signed for the purpose. This arrangement
Is 50 constructed that the passage of the
wheel OF the engine sewers the connection
between the engine and tie stove and there
is no danger Of the engine taking the stove
with 1t when it starts to a fire. The fur
naces of the engines are always kept filled
with wood, ard rs soon as the alarm OF fire
is suuufied, it is ignitcd, ami in moment
or two the machine is ready 10 thlow water
probably fifty times as high as JoH0h',
'ehaie, or anybody else's whale, Of either
ancient or modern times, has been able "a
spgrt ii.
This reminds ne that poor Jonah had a
rough time of it for several days; aud dc
this connection, only that | was reminded
of him by an important historical discov,
cry ! made yesterday of an individual
named Lazarus, who keeps 4 store near
the engine house have been writing about.
| have no; vet had time to interview him
and learn his history and l.euealogy bur
hope TO be able to do SO in few days. II
has been carise OF wonder 10 many per
sons where Dickens learned all the queer
names of the queer characters that he has
introduced TO the literary world, but there
is nothing queer or strange about it-he
got them of the sign boards of London
and il he was in Baltimore now he could
get, probably, n hundred more quite as cur
Gus aud suggestive ones any he ever
used. Some time may write chapter
upon these curious names myself: but III
the mean time. | must revert To the steam
engines. or rather Ia the fire department.
from which like one Of the characters i'll
ucle Toms Cabin" | forget which one
it was that was always getting off the
track have wandered away.
In addition To the thirteen engines, there
are three hook and ladder companies and
thirteen hose carriages; each of these vehI
Giles is drawn by two horses, which are kept
harnessed night and day, They are SO
hItched in the stable, 10y mechanical Ar
rangement. that they are unkItch-d by the
same current of electricity that rings the
alarm bel. in each station. This same cur
rent, 10y nice mechanical arrangement, l.
made in the night time To turn on the gas
IL is an exciting scene, when the alarm of
fire is given three times daily To see the
horses rush with alacrity and precision.
each to his respective post, ready and
anxious Ia rush out and tear along the
streets to the scene of the conf grafton
with the wild impetunsliy of the horses
that participated IN the races aud games
whcrewIth the old Greeks were wont To
amuse themselves when Greece was in it's
infancy. Some of these horses are great
pets; Others of them have grown grey in
the service of the fire department, and seem
never happy when flying with the
speed of ancient characters tn a fire.
Mr.. Moody and Mr.. Harrison still con
time their work, trying To evangclize tins
city. The former has dispensed with tick.
cts, and we have been Informed his private
secretary Mr.. Bliss has engaged in the
temperance work. II we NAV be allowed
To do So, we express the hope that he MAY
do better than some OF his fellow lecturers
who have been in Elkton. Last week two
young men, one of whom is professor oi
gymnastics So We have been Informed, and
we beg his pardon, and everybody elscs toe.
If we have been mIsinformed IN the gym
nasium of the Young Mems Christian As
snciation, contested IN walking match !,
Don't be astonished, gentle reader, for there
no doubt of the fact that this Associa
tion .nstensibly organized for the pro;nul-
CATION of tie doctrines aud teaching Of
Him who spake AS never man spake. and
whose whole ministry was one of self-d-
NAL has a grand building that cost many
thousands of dollars aud part of it is de
voted Ia the purpose of gymnastics. What
would Peter or Paul have thought if their
prophetic eyes had looked down the vista
of the ages and beheld this perverson Of
the name aud fame of their divine Master :?
We certainly live in the patent age OF
new inventions - and by aud by we will
probably have 4 patent religion, warranted
tn save souls, If ludiciousiy applied, under
all circumstances, aud take them straight
from the gymnasium in the upper room -
of the palaiial building of the Christian
-issocidtioH. 10 the sweet iisds beyond the
swelling flood Mr.. Moody was invited to
witness the contest bet ween the champion at
the Y. NJ. c. a and the other fellow who
is professor in u rival establishment of the
kind, but, much 10 his credit, he refused Ia
sanction it by his presence He would have
done better II he had rebuk.d it, and de
nOunced the whole arrangement, as one in
consistent with the practice or the teach
ing. of the founder Of the system that this
association caricaturss and falsiiies.
We were reminded by this walking
match OF certain John VS., who Gnce
lived in the upper part of Cecil county and
who had not quite as much sense as the
innocent man that Pollock describes i'll his
Course of Time" that was quite good
and exemplary Christian. One of the Va
carries of John VS. mind leads him To
tramp the country over and over, inquiring
for work. and, poor fellow, when he gets
job he hardly ever remains at 1t more than
day. For forty years, AT least. in Win
ter's cold and Summers heat, he has
tramped and tramped. but though he is
poor and lpwly both in mind and estate, he
in early life became a convert to Chris
tianity, and the writer has seen him knsel
down and pray in a secluded place along
the road side. Not the least curious thing
about this strange man is his idea of his
mission in life. for upon being once asked
what all this iucessant walking meant,
John n-skly replied that he was " traiktHg
for the LDrd''
The reader can mako his own applica-
tion. We have only time to add that Mr..
Harrison is still carrying on his gymnastic
performance IN the church on Hallelu jail
Hill, and that We have made further IN
quiIy about the salary he receives. and
were assured by the police officer in charge
of the door that he H. receives SO week
ly, in addition 10 his board.
sS The Baltimore Postmaster, General
+. b. Tyler. recommends kcllers Roman
Liniment in strong terms. II las cured
him of Rheumatic Pains.
TRUSTEEns SALE
Town Property in Elkton.