The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1889-02-23

BALTIMORE, EeDrlIdry I'd, 1852.
-HeSsfS. Editors The incoming of the Harrison
administration ten days from the present again
brings around our public offices and especially
the Custom House, a crowd of anxious office
seekers, with hunger written in their faces and
sort of woltish glare in their eyes at the present
incumbents. Before the adoption of the civil
service rules perfect mob of applicants beset
the Custom House for weeks at a time, but now
that examination is necessary it has the effect
of thinning this crowd of patriots anxious to
serve their country by drawing pay and having
very little idea of the work to be done. This
general ignorance of duties to be really perform
ed calls up an anecdote of poor man who went
to a Senator at the outset of a new administra-
ton as an applicant for office. well, Thomas,
how could you do the duties of an office, a man
crippled like you by railroad accident, and what
office do you want to get?" asked the Senator
We'll, SIR replied the modest applicant, Il
amt after sich an office as yours is, but hear
great deal of talk about how they're gOin' to
clean out the augean stables / don't know as
could do the work of cleaning 'em out but
thought might be able to take care of EN- after
they was cleaned out. That's what I'd like to
get" How he prospered in his quests unknown
Mrs. Cleveland, the lovely woman who has pre-
sided with such charm and dignity over the
White House, soon takes leave, and with her de-
parture drops happily that most insutferable
title which snobDery has invented, 1.-THE first lady
of the land" Does any one for a moment inn
agine that in leaving the Presidential mansion
she loses one jot of la2yshipi On the contrary,
one of her beauty, sweetness and tact will only
more adorn the sphere in which she will hence
for6h mSxe Inc phrase aPoXe 94orea G9gnI TO
of the White House. Another rule too ought to
be made, that permiscuous handshaking at re-
captions should be thing of the past 1t is not
only unnecessary but fatiguing and really dan
gerOuS. AT some of Mrs. Cleyeland'S public re-
captions five or six thousand persons have pass
ed before her and taken her by the hand with
emphasis, thus endangering the muscles of her
arms. Even-in General Jackson's time, that
doughty veteran, according to Major Jack
Downing, became so tired that he could only 4
wink at the people, and in order to relieve him
the veracious Ma jor relates that he reached his
own hand around and kinder shook for the Gin
eral, and the people didn't know the difference.
So it might be with the new hostess of the White
House, and in order to relieve her of the obliga
should be hired to stand by and kinder shake"
for Mrs. Harrison.
1t seems that our time honored old court
house, which has preserved its main features for
three-quarters of a century. is at length to be
altered by having new fronts and additions. 1t
is one of the most solidly built erections in the
city, and its massive walls are as firm as when
first reared. Our older citizens will remember
that it was once fired more than fifty years ago
by William Gwynn Jones, who expated his
crime by Imprisonment for term of years in
the penitentiary. Joness father, most respect
able man, was a Quaker and by trade watch
maker. His modest little shop on Baltimore
street, then styled Market street, between Cal
vert and South streets. On top of the house was
the effigy of a little African, as black the
of spades, who struck the hours on gong great
" to the wonder of the small boy of the period
Mr.. Jones, in those primitive days, regulated
weekly the clocks of number of families. He
would walk sOlemnly in, always keeping his hat
on, wind the time-piece and depart usually with
out word, but at Christmas he.varied the per-
Torrance by formula, which he would repeat
thus:
"A merry Christmas and a happy New Year,
A pocket full of money and cellarfull of beer"
The gay world still goes out as usual and invi-
tations show as yet no sign of abating. Among
the teas Mr. George P. Maris has shown his
good sense and MS PATRIOTISM at the same time
tons birthday. Mrs. Richard Cromwell received
a large number of visitors, including Cardinal
Gibbons, at her handsome suburban villa on
Monday last. Miss Imogene Webb had many
visitors Wednesday, also on Tuesday Miss
Brown and Mrs. Thomas II. Morris have issued
cards for teas next week. Miss Emily McLane
and Mr.. E, Cuttings Merryman were married at
her fathers house on Tuesday evening.
Mr. WalterS's galleries were thronged to-day,
an extra occasion. to the great pleasure of many
three or four new pictures have been added since
last year, but these are of much interest One of
the most charming is large painting by Zelm,
representing sunset scene in Venice. 1t is an
exquisite picture and brings before the visitor
the glores of the Queen of the Adriatfc, the ever
romantic and unique Venice. The thousand OBJ
jects of wonder in the porcelain gallery have
been rearranged with excellent effect and one
could spend a month in this room alone with de-
lection of porcelain, bronzes, jades and lacquer
ware in this country. Many of the jade speci-
mems are of the rarest even in China.
The charity ball at the Fifth Regiment armory
was brilliant success. The Academy of Music
has now been completely spoiled for balls by
lowering the rail of the orchestra circle, and very
likely no more will be held there. 1t is great
pity that that beautiful temple of the muses.
could not have been preserved as it was built.
As it is now its once classic beauty IS utterly
ruined.
The theatres have been doing large business
and Mantell, especially, at the Holiday, in the
Corsican Brothers, has drawn large houses. Next
week the Emma Abbott Opera Company appears
in great strength at Harris's Academy Miss
Abbott has collected very fine company and
has met with extraordinary success in California
and other states. She is certainly very remark
able example of perseverance and indomitabe
will abiect made q
large fortune, and in her success has not forgot
ten the deserving poor. WALPoLE