The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-01-02
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
The New Year and What 1t Teaches-Re-
calling an Old Xmas Gift-The Gas
Question, &C., &c.
BALTIMORE, December goth,

| lku05GlOu, c1Cs, CDC'
BALTIMORE, December goth, 1885.
Messrs. ditors:-We are verging closely upon
the new year of 1886. Its natal day will be upon
us before your paper goes to press again. or rather
is circulated to its many readers and subscribers
| throughout Baltimore county and elsewhere. Per-
NIT me, however, to wish them all the compliments
of the season. May they live long and be happy.
This embraces a competence of money, good
health, smiling fortune, long life, peace of mind,
tranquility and whatever else may be needed to
make up the sum total of unalloyed pleasure. 1t
is quite rare that the Christmas holidays come
upon us without bringing some snow. This year,
only three days from the turning point OF time,
obedient to our almanac, we have had none OF any
account and no real cold. There has been very
little freezing and scarcely any ice We need not,
however, complain, as there is yet time enough to
give all we want and possibly little more
There will be any quantity of moral homilies on
the feetness of time, our uncertainty in reference
thereto, &C., but the great problem is to do right
far as we know in all things and take chances for
the future. Doing right includes the whole range
of existence from beginning to ending even to that
of temperance and all else Then again, without
naming creeds, say do right whether it be in
the old or any other year. I, myself, can look
back over a few decades. The special lesson these
most emphaticaly taught is that We cannot live
life over again. What is gone is gone forever
The only thing is to improve upon what is in the
future, extracting useful lessons from the past.
Our earth has now passed her shortest point of
days and is again on its way running the twelve
months round again. May it be ours to improve
upon them and find ourselves increasing in pros
perity and happiness, with an abundance of every
thing good So far as L have been able to learn
though legal holiday-the former very pleas
ing custom of making calls will not be so general
as it has been, though many-if 4 fair day-will
be out to greet and welcome their friends and bid
them prosperity and happiness 1t is always
good to forgive and forget old differences and form
new acquaintance. What persons living in the
rural districts farmers especially-most desire is
first good health, good seasons, good crops and
good time generally. All these most earnestly
hope they may have. The next thing-for those
who are in single blessedness-is that they may
find good wives and good husbands and live
henceforward, all their days, in matrimonial
felicity.
Though Christmas came and went with the
issuing and circulation of THE UNION, I am glad
to say it passed off here and elsewhere with APP
prOpriate observance. 1t is gratifying to know
that the holiday business with our shop keepers
and others was prosperous as could be expected.
Many of them are yet busy in supplying notions
suited for New Years.
Years ago-before our internecine difficulties
had Christmas present from generous, opu-
lent friend. Some called it "pocket pistol
charged with Dynamite" or what persons say
explodes nearly as soon and kills if wrongly used,
but otherwise is comparatively harmless. More
than quarter of a century having passed since
then and some of the friends then extant now gone
home to another world, still an esteemed nephew
of the one who gave me the above repeated it,
with his compliments, last Friday. There were
two or three other gentlemen of the same party.
They were all-saving -milionaires. One
editor and publisher, another prominent
auctioneer, with few others in the best associa-
tons. These little things pleasantly remind of
the past.
1t is proper to say that the grating, or Stats, or
peculiar flooring of some of our city passenger
cars-especially the York road line-are so con-
structed to catch and hold fast persons canes,
umbrellas, etc., that the ferrues are very often
pulled off and lost. These depredations occur
every day and would pay twice over for a differ
ent kind of flooring or an improvement of the
present. The interstces vacancies between the
Stats are too narrow. They want to be rounded
that they will not thus cause the ferrules to be
taken from passengers canes and umbrellas. Also
so fixed that they can find their money when get
ting it out to pay their fare and it drops down in
the car
Gen. Edward Shriver has been reelected as our
Water Registrar. He gives general satisfaction.
He some years ago-during the war-made one
of our very best postmasters. So, believe, he
will continue as Water Registrar, though about 70
years of age.
The Pratt Free Circulating Library will be for
mally opened to the public early in the new year.
1t is one among our grandest and most useful in
situations. The opening ceremony will be well
worth attending.
The new depot of the Northern Central, Balti-
more and Potomac, and other railways, on Charles
street, is progressing rapidly. When completed
it will be a convenient and imposing structure.
Sc hat opI Iafar
mined efforts will be made this session of our Leg
islature to have the Belt annexed to Baltimore.
I, ewing to msinformation, did make a mistake
abort the new (Chesapeake) gas company having
laid its pipes out as far as Waverly, but was not
wrong and said exactly what | meant in charging
that very many persons were completely deceived
in s1pposing that only 10 per cent. on the 1000
feet IF gas taken off their bills. It's cunning
trap and hundreds do not understand but miscon
strue it. l hope the new company may soon reach
Wayerly and Towsontown. People of course can
see by looking at their bills, but they seldom do
this 1t is deceptive all round. Let US have cleo
trio light soon possible as it in time must come
to that. People want to get rid of a monopoly
that will impose upon them in every form it can.
The charity ball, which takes place here in
short time, will be one of the finest and brilliant
assemblages of its kind that has ever been given
in Baltimore. 1t will be wholly for benevolent
and enjoyable purposes.
1 mus say, with sensitive regrets for speaking
against of their sports, that the boys now in
duge in a game called "leap frog" which is dan
gerous and annoying One boy stoops with his
hands and feet on the pavement, whilst other boys
in rotation-jump over him. There are some
times dozen or more of these young ones thus
engaged often on the sidewalk, very much to the
annoyance of passers- by-likewise dangerous and
vexatious. 1t would really be not so bad, but
often the boys are impudent. 1t should be stopped
at once. 1t is designed to show the boys strength
and agility, but often to the annoyance and in
jury of ohers-especially those advanced in years.
This being the close of the year and persons
generally engaged fixing up to begin the new one,
not much business has been done and it is rather
dull and quiet with not much change ONO 10Y %
tho osI,or In prices of leading commodities.
NEsToR.