Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1889-08-22

can posfmlstress--a strange combina-
ton anywhere but ia Leonardsown-
while from across the way and in
more antique structure the 81. Mdry.s
Enterprise glares republican defiance
from sign evidently done in chalk
by some master hand Tue impress
sion Of stranger would probably be-
tray him into making . rsmErk about
the honesty Of the residents and .heir
caildish trustfulness as TO stray guests
for on the Enterprise porch and in
front Of q number Of dwellings, were
quite large assortment Of chairs Just
in the same positions az they occupied
the previous evening when the can
Gus adjourned. In Washington, or in
sny other well-regulatsd city, those
chairs would have been stolen, but in
Leonardtown they were safe. I ex.
amined them at short range aud came
to the conclusion that unless Leonard. :.
town can produce more convincing
testimony TO its honesty than the
failure TO appropriate such wrecks of
chairs it will forever be regarded
with suspicion. The post-office was
casually inspected and approved of.
Mothersesd said he heard one Of the
early risers ask the postnistress how
long il would be before the mail was
distributed. and in reply che said it
would be late, because there were so
many postal cards this time. ], pre-
sumo she wanted as to infer that all
postal cards have 10 be read to see
whether there are any expressions on
them which should prevent their pas
sage through the Office and make the
sender liable to the law.
LEoNARDrowN.
The guilsless people of this region
practice . good deal OF unwilling
deception on the pilgrim who only
makes brief sojourn. At 6 o'clock
in the morning the saloons Except
those attached to the two hote,s) are
all closed. but the general stores are
all open. The saloons uubar their
front doors at 8 a. m. That would
convey the impression to the unso.
5histicated stranger that Leonardtown
was in the habit of indulging in hard.
ware and other Don-intoxicants for at
least two hours previous to partaking
Of eye-openers. The impression is
not fair one, for / was informed that
the stores 90 to sleep at about 6 p. m,
after doing and nodding all day,
while the saloons remain open until
after midnight, 90 You see the balance
of time and trade is with the saloons
by q majority of four hours in every
twenty-four. They may be little
late starting in the morning. but the
pIoprietors know that pretty nearly
everybody got enough the night be-
fore to last until 8 o'clock, and then
the bar tenders-hard. working men
down there-must have a little rest.
Do you want to see an old fashioned
Maryland hotel? They've got at
least one Of them at Leonardtown :?
Our little party entered it apparently
unnoticed by the three or. four men
who were hanging around. but there
was boy there who eyed us SUSPECT.
ously and whose most piercing glances
seemed to directed at me. Then he
recognized me, and I knew in q mo-
mens that my usefulness was tempo.
rarily gone. That youngster. who
was az fresh as saltless oatmeal por-
ridge, evidently wanted to prejudice
the community against me, for he
proclaimed my occupation in tone
of voice that was several sizes larger
than himself. So far as the hotel
clerk was concerned his Efforts result
ed in failure, fer that functionary
came forward in hurry and ia
mysterious whisper asked me if /
wouldn't "try somethin." thanked
him, but declined. He vanished al
most instantaneously from our sight
and we saw him no more. Suisse
quent inquiry developed the fact that
he was not seriously injured by my
refusal, bat the shock staggered him
considerably. He recovered in few
hours. Less than a month ago he
had q somewhat similar experience,
which started crop of gray hair and
loosened several front teeth. The
president of one Of the most compre.
hensive of Washington street rail.
road systems walked into the hotel
and called for bottle Of Apolinaris
water.
"Whs.s-a.t queried the combina-
ton clerk and bar tender.
"a glass Of Apollinsris water"
calmly repeated the visitor.
For fully half a minute the animat-
ed corkscrew gszed at the well dress.
ed and good.looking msgnate and
then he gssped out: I'VE don't cell
no water here"
A TYPICAL HOTEL.
The hotel Office was also the billiard
room. Il was study Cor an archaol-
ogist. The Office chairs lacked backs
and would have undoubtedly have
10 ked seats bad not those portions of
the furniture been originally hewn
out of two-inch solid walnut plank.
That the proprietor was or had been
oa good terms with the Oongressmarl
was evident from the array Of litera-
ture which graced q couple Of shelves
behind the counter. Black bound
volumes on commerce and navigation
and numerous consular reports were
squeezed up in company with the
learned publications Of the bureau of
education. They were in splendid
condition, due probably to the fact
that they could not compete In inter.