The Baltimore County union., 1883-01-27
corrsspoHdsaes Baifi@ors counfy Un.on.
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
Smallpox acknowledgements Efforts
Stiil Put Forth 20 Stamp it Out
State Board OF HOaith's Un-
wise Action-Danger.
Gus Crossings, sc.
BALrIuonr, January 2l,h. Issa.

BALTIMORE, January 2ith, 1858.
by some means or other my regular "Ncst0r"
letter 10 THE UsioS, mailed here last Wednesday
afternoon, failed % reach it, destination In Tow
sontown until Friday, too late for your Saturdays
issue. This 10 the second time such an accident
has happened In the past three months. II ought
not TO be, but mistakes sometimes occur In the
best regulated families. tits indeed almost amaE.
ing so Few difficulties Of this character take place
do considering the vast multitude Of letters tha,
have 90 pass through the postofice.
am glad to learn that the smallpox which has
been prevailing In baltimore TO = considerable ex
tent In the past few months, is on the rapid de-
crease, the cases In the forty eight hours ending
last evening being nearly onc.haif less than they
were the forty-eight hours previous. II Is also
very satisfactory 70 know that the loathsome NAL.
ady has not spread TO any general extent beyond
the few lower wards on the extreme Of East BAL
timore, or what Il termed feli's Point, aud on
Federal Hill, or South Baltimore. These are the
localities where the disease Grst appeared and Il
seems yet 20 be mainly confined 10 them. The
eases have been but few and far betwcen--not at
all alarming or dreaded-in the central portion Of
the city in the vicinity Of the Postohice. the Gus
tom House. the City Hail. or indeed 10 any Of the
middle wards where strangers and visitors most
assemble when coming 10 town. There have been
no eases Of any account In the immediate vicini-
ties Of any Of the prominent railroad depois or
steamboat iandings, nor In the leading active bus
tnett tunTaukuIAItt. IenIilc W tuesC sttAAeua
seem scarcely 90 know, think of or talk about the
matter and manifest no alarm or uncasness al all.
attending promptly 20 their daily av0cations as
usual. In the northern and northwestern regions
there have been scarcely any cases. These sec.
tions are remarkably healthful in every respect.
Those who have died from the malady having
been generally citizens Of the eastern mud southern
wards-to a great extent negroes and persons In
very INDECENT circumstanecs-wero buried In
private grave.yards and cemeteries distant from
the city burial grounds set apart for strangers
and the very poor. Only few interments of per-
sons dying 0t smallpox have thus far taken place
IN the most noted cemeteries. II Is safe 10 say
that the disease has. up 10 this date. been mostly
confined TO those careless In their habits Of living.
including cleanliness, eating. drinking. ETC., SOME
of them given 10 intemperance aud other bad
habits. Those known 60 be careful, who were
properly vaceinated either In early life or subse
quently. are seldom overtaken by the malady. IL
Is gratifying 10 know that through private and
compulsory means \ large majority Of our citizens
have already been either originally OF sccondarily
vaecinnated. and before many weeks every citizen
will have undergone the operation. The most
determined and energetic measures still being
made by the Mayor. the Board Of Health and the
citizens generally to have the hateful pestilencc
thoroughly stamped out.
There has been a very just and almost universal
condemnation by all intelligent citizens Of the re-
cent foolish and unjusti6abe act Of the 'mcsnbcrs
Of the State Board Of Health IN calling upon the
authorities at Washington for assistance. through
financial aid on the part OF the General GoVcrn-
ment TO aid in relieving citizens from the
ages Of the smallpox. when IL was neither asked
nor needed. The tendency Of such folly was of
course TO produce an unnecessary alarm and seri-
Gus injury to our trade aud business in every de-
partment by frightening country pcopie-ncT-
chants and Others-so as 20 drive them away or
to other markets to make their purchases. This
has aud will for some weeks seriously injure our
legitimate business. II is hoped, however. that
in a few days hence-or weeks at iafthest-our
authorities will be able to announce that there il
smallpox in the city, that the last case has been
recorded and that people from all parts Of the
country can visit our metropolis With impuniiy
and in perfect safety.
The crossings on our most crowded streets are
daily becoming more dangerous and annoying in
consequence Of the greatly increased number Of
city passenger cars. drays. carts and other vehi-
cles. IL Is fact too palpabie that drivers Of
these things are becoming ineNcusably reckless
and careless. seeming 60 but little whether
they run over and injure pedestrians or not
Often people walking have 20 wait some minutes
before they can venture upon a crossing. and then
are in danger Of bein; knocked down. especially
those no, active and agile as when young
There l. strict city ordinance in reference there
60 which IL not enforced out Of ten times u Is
violated. The authorities should see 10 glafing
oiense and protect pedestrians as well ast those
driving vehicles.
The recent finding of three large. hard ealeined
balls in the stomach of valuable horse that died
here a few days ago. has excited a good deal Of
curiosity. IL l. certainly curious circumstance.
remember myself seeing several years ago some
two or three similar balls taken from the stomach
Of \ COW whose death they caused. One Of them
was large. hard and round n fifty pound cannon
ball. the others like large grape shot. They we're
formed Il was alleged, OF sand. hogs bristles and
hair. which the COW n, different times had licked
up and swallowed from the ground where farmers
had ughtered hogs. in order TO &c, salt spilled
there NESToR.