The Baltimore County union., 1883-12-29
rorresPoa5ese- Baisia,aSs County rsioa
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
The Christmas Festivities -Dlsagrooable
weather-Local optlon--Business
New Years, Etc, Etc.
BALrtxoRg. December 2e,b. |

BALTIMORE, December 2eth, isSS.
Editors CHioR :-Christmas has come and gone.
though not without leaving many Of It's aecustctn.
ell memories and Impressions. So Car a. the
weather was concerned u has scarcely ever been
equalcd for disagTrcableness. During nearly a
half century "a whole lifel In Baltimore, have
never seen IL worse or more uniavorabe. II was.
truly, day Of days. On Monday, u day devoted
TO shopping. purchasing articles for presents.
souveniers, etc, Il was intolerably abominable,
with snow, rain. sleet, mud, slufb, chilly atmos
pheFe. iee and all else tending to operate adversely
TO outgoing, promenading. that could be thought
o. Notwithstanding, Thousands Of young. middle
aged and old--male aud female-were out on the
streets, In fancy stores, etc.. in their notions
and beautiful substantial articles, so that, even
barring the unpropitious weather, shop keepers
did a very fair trade. Like Jack the Sailor, the
devotecs 10 Christmas seemed 20 say, "neyer mind
the weather so the wind don't blow = and there
really was very little Of "Oid Boreas." Ifthc day
before was bad, Christmas itself, " possible was
worse. We had snow, raining almost incessantly
from early morning 20 late in the evening, inter-
mingled With snow. sicct, f"g, etc.. and the walk
ing 30 abominablo that the few who did venture
out could scarcely get along. A consequence was
very quiet holiday outside of peoples residences.
Thus u was made decided home, family jubilee
aud festival, which was really the more enjoyable
by being kept In .doors. The churches were only
slimly attended at morning service. and mainly
by those most Jealous and devoted 90 the occasion.
Tho same may be said Of theatres and other places
Of amusement. There were. nevertheless. nuner-
Gus festivals given by associations and private in
dividuals, which took place and gave their share
Of enjoyment. Chief among these was the fcsti-
val partaken OF by the newsboys aud bootblacks.
: They turned out tbeing hardy and accustomed to
rough usage and weather. in fuii numbers. They
though; only Of fat turkeys and other good things
10 allay the inner manor boy Upon tho whole.
however-all :hings considerci-it was decidedly
IN unusual Christmas jubilee. business was
pretty generally suspended. except very modcr-
aiey in the way Of selling small fancy articles for
the present occasion, and that greatly interrupted
by the weather.
About sunset last night there was another of
those singular ruddy skies appearing In tho past
few weeks all over the country. II was the most
brilliant and gorgeous ! have yet nu;ircl.--
Scientists and astronomers seem not We, abl. -
divine or explain the cause.
Temperance people appear very active in push
ing their favoiie of local option. and i0sc
time or opportunity IN trying to pu, IL Ia the
foreground 60 be able. after the Legislature meets
a; Annapolis. 60 rally their forces the question
of getting a law passel suitable 10 that grca,
problem. On the other han,i, the whisky dealers.
or those in;cres;el In dis:iiling. brewing anI
othcrWi.e dealing in arden; spirits. are equally
alive and active On their side Of the qucstion.-
The prospect Is of very spirited eonrs. but they
feel confident of coming out triumphant on what
may be termed the true advocacy of soiid sensible
temperance in all things not oniting that Of local
option. pretty much alter the manner eusgrstcd
BY your correspondent Liberal Option" whose
communications hitherto appeared in THE uSioN.
Your correspondent. over the signature of 'Oc-
casi"nal." ia last weeks issue of Tur tNI"S.
tainly passes a very high and | think deserved
compliment upon you. Me-srs. Editors. when
speaking of your editorial article about the wa:
the local option law has been and l. evaicd anI
abused 10 ilavfcdc Grace. B-lair and other place.
in Hartford county. The best thing really, in H.
communication Is the ju.t praise hc seems 80 hon
cstly and kindly TO have given you for the very
liberal ani sensible views you entertain upon the
great and absorbing question nT temperance in all
things. The past. present ari ultimate discussion
Of this mnmcnious problem. will. have M doubt,
even i: /; fails in establishing io,ai option laws.
will be q bring aOout more effective and useful
4 condition of uniyersal Temperance In requiring
n more stringent aud effective license system in
not only encouraging tho drinking Of what the
Hartford calls 'pizen. but the substiiution Of
n purer article unier s,atuaiory enac;menis.-
This done AMI great good must follow. even II
both local option anl prohibition linser in the
back ground. Won. Mcssrs. Editors. can never 60
amiss in elingins 60 the temperance views "Ocra-
sionaI" 50 kindly and aa,teringly gives you credit
for in his late communication TO TnE CNioN.
A. the week has been. and will be until after
New Years. eunsilerably interrupted in business
by the holiday also the bad wea;hor-therc is
therefore but little change and not much 10 bc
said upon commercial matters. Prices Of leading
articles remain about the same. Country people
who attend our city culinary variety markets
have been much disappointed in selling their tur.
keys. chickens and other products designed for
the holidays, by the very bad weather keeping
them away from the city in the pas, few days.
New Years will be n regular holiday with
general suspension Of business. Very many cit-
Iens-as hitherto--Wiii devote IL 20 making calls.
frisndly visits, etc. Permit to wish you,
Me.srs. Editors all your readers and friends. the
compliments of the season. SEsroR.