The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-06-20
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM BARTON, MD.

BARTON, ALLEGANY COUNTY, June Is, 1885.
Editors Union Shut your eyes and see town
about 2lS miles from Baltimore, situated on the
Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad, with a
population of 1900 to 1000 of English, Irish,
Scotch, Welsh, German, African and a small pro-
portion of Americans, living in houses some Of
whose chimney tops would lead on a horizontal
line far below the cellars of their neghbors, made
of bricks and stones and boards-the latter mostly
surrounded by black mud when it is wet and
black dust when it is dry, and you have Barton,
AlIegany county, Md.
The citizens are most hospitabe. They take
unusual pleasure in illustrating the record made
of the early Christians, when it was said of them
"they took joyfully the spelling of their goods"
as their frequent and pressing invitations at meal
time will show.
The mining interests occupy the greater part of
the industry and service of the people, and is OPP
Grated by men of more than ordinary mental cul-
ture. They are great readers, as the paper and
periodical department of the Barton postofice will
testify. One gentleman, whose personnel would
not attract special attention, receives Sl3 worth
of New York mail matter regularly during the
year at this Office, while in theological sense
their explanations and exegesis OF Scriptural
truth would surprise you.
The town is dependent almost exclusively upon
the operations in the mines. Merchants, millers.
butchers, doctors and preachers all feel the need
of this department of labor. When there is plen-
ty of work everything is lively, but when the
mines are closed or the miners on strike, Barton
is one of the dullest places in the world.
There are five churches-Baptist, Catholic,
Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian. The
Catholic and Methodist churches are the only
ones at present that have stationed pastors or
regular preaching. An improvement has been
lately made in the Methodist church by the intro
duction of handsome gold and ebony twelve
light chandelier, bought of Messrs. Ellis, Bangert
Co., Baltimore, and handsome carpet, of
Herring, Sons Co., Baltimore. This is the
largest Protestant church in Barton and has o
seating capacity of 425 to $50. In connection
with it is good Sunday school, with j. W. Young,
superintendent, and good choir of fifteen voices,
Anthony Rees, leader. Rev. W. E. Bird was ap-
pointed to the church last March by Bishop An
drews, and has met with most cordial reception.
Children's Day exercises were held in the Meth
odist church on Sunday, 18th, and were largely
attended. Addresses were delivered by the super
intendent and DR.. Brotemarke, of the Presbyte-
rian church, and by the pastor. At night plat
form meeting was held in the interest of religious
education and addressed by DR.. ]. H. Jones, Prof
W. A. Deremer and the pastor. The church was
festooned with evergreen and decorated with
flowers, great taste being displayed in the floral
arrangement about the pulpit, while in the pulpit
recess, in semi and straight lines, was the
motto, "He shall gather the lambs in his arms,
kindly furnished by Mr.. Charles R. R. Beck, lab
oratory chemist with Messrs. Candy, Gilpin Co.,
Of Baltimore. X. Y. u.