The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-12-20
BA1r1MoRE. December 18th, 1890.

BALTIMORE, December 18th, 1890.
lNesSrs. Editors In conversation with one OIL
the most prominent members OF the Peabody In
fed to find that with the death of Mr.. Nathaniel
III. Morrison, the late provost there is likely TO De
a more liberal policy established than mas pre-,
vailed for so many years under his rigid ana
tyrannical rule. Instead of being now the grand
institution which Mr.. Peabody designed that it
should be, it had become one of the most unpop-
ular and indeed hateful public corporations in
the land. Students and scholars were driven
away in scores or made to feel uncOmfortaole
under Mr.. Morison's iron sway. He did precise
ly as he pleased, asked and received no advice,
and governed the establishment as arbitrarily as
if it had been his own property. He was utterly
opposed to any suggestion to make the 1nstltu-
ton more popular and fought out to the bitter
end the greatly desired change OF keeping the
reading room open until ten O'Clock at nlght IN
stead of closing it at nine as is now the case
Quite too long has old fOgyism ruled the lnstl-
tlte, from the president down, and as Mr.. Charles
survive. with his death added to Morison's there
will be some hope that the younger truSIees
shall have voice in the administration OF analrs
which they have hitherto never been allowed 10
have.
The librarian proper should be more lndepen-
dent of the provost and have additional dlScre-
tionary power. Mr.. Uhler has been an excellent
officer and for twenty-five years most faithful
as well as intelligent librarian, Dut ne mas De ;s
deed everybody else was in the building. AS an
executive officer to manage the general AFFAIRS OF
separate from the main charge OF the library,
and the two could much better work together IN
harmony. No wonder that the number OF readers
annually diminished. as stated in the yearly re-
ports, and visitors in the evening sometimes
found only five or six persons in the reading room
instead Of the sixty that eenG nave eeen
librarians were confronted with single reader
The fine weather contributes to crowd the
streets with Christmas shoppers aud all the
business avenues are so thronged that to pass
through the multitude is like swimming in mo-
tive ASPECT and in some of them the manner of
arranging the goods for show displays much
originality and artistic taste. One on Lexington
street exhibits symphony in yellow that would
do credit to Whistler. Another shows pretty
live pony and cart, while pumpkin is set up in
number of seeds in the pumpkin will receive
free excursion ticket to Europe and return. A
very safe offer by the way, as there is about one
chance in one hundred millions OF correct
The fashionable germans at Lehmans Hall
have been SO far this season more popular tnan
pie of the highest social position who cannot now
be admitted owing to the very full ranks OF
have appeared this winter and ladies' teas are all
the rage. The gentlemen revenge themselves at
their clubs, but one OF them, the university.
is more magnanimous and at stated PERIODS nolds
very elegant soirees, at which ladies are well
come. AS consequence it is much more In
favor with the women tnah the nrri9 r
combines an artistic and literary tone with other
social advantages, as number OF noted artists
and Johns Hopkins professors belong to it. The
bal p0udre of fashionable circles is now exercising
the minds of the young ladies and nearly all the
tickets have been sold. Even Ward McAI1ster
. TSg tong. By the way, Ward has been CON
graduated on the success of his book as well as
sneered at, and the noted Kate Field has come
forward and pronounced him no snob.
At this festive season when so many church
gatherings are enlivened by tableaux, &C., in
which young ladies take part, the greatest pre-,
oa.1 iO1c no AGAINST S9X6rAI
dreadful and fatal accidents have lately taken
place in this city and elsewhere when the light
fire At all such exhibitions chemicals should
be at hand for instantaneous use. the gases
from them at once extinguishing the flames.
few years ago | witnessed myself at Sunday
school festival the benefit of such salvage
corps. A young gentleman arrayed as a DlSnop
of the olden time, with PROPULSION OF Ignt faces
fore the least damage was done to his person or
any panic was excited among the children the
fire was put out by the ready chemicals and the
play went on as if nothing had happened.
Our new navy is growing apace and in year
or two will present formidable proportions How
utterly the naval service has been reyolutlonized
since the memorable battle of the Monitor and
the Merrimac in Hampton Roads can be appre-
ciated by glance at modern 1ron-clad, at pest
a grim, ugly monster compared with the magnlfi-
cent aspect of line of battle-ship, tier above
tier of bristling guns in long lines and overhead
the mighty masts ana yards spreaoing tn .3ld
hulkS of these old cruisers will be as much out OF
existence as England's Great Harry" THERE'S
very little comfort in the modern ships, the huge
guns and machinery for working them, as well as
the powerful engines for driving the vessels
taking up so much space that officers and men
alike are cramped for room. The next war be-
tween maritime powers will be regarded with in
tense interest as far sea fighting is concerned
and decisive battles will be lost and won even in
a shorter time than that of the Wasp and Frolic
in the war of 1912. ..t
The various Insurance companies are
issuing their new calendars for 1891 and many
are so eager to get them that they can hardly
tolerate the old ones of '90 This has been year
memorable for its disasters by sea and land and
its commercial embarrassments, but if we cannot
wish it back who can prophecy that the next
year will be happier one! WALPoLE