The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-12-13
Corr sspOndence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
Mr.. CARROTS Picture-Much Talk About
"Boom"-An Old Story and It's Au-
thor-Peabody Lectures-Uneasy
Stock Market-An Old FASH
toned Winter, etc. etc. etc.
BALrIMORE. December 18th, 1890.

BALTIMORE, December 18th, 1890.
lKeSSrS. Editors Mr.. Robert Garrett has been
relieved at last of paying over three thousand
last August at cost of over fifteen thousand dol
lars in Europe. On finally carrying the case be-
fore the Board of General Appraisers in New
York, the Collectors decision has been reversed
and the picture admitted free. They took the
ground that no matter whether it was imported
singly it still belonged to Mr. CARROTS "collec-
ton" and also came under the head of antiquities
which date prior to A. d. 100. This settles the
question as to paintings before that date, whether
imported singly or by dozens.
Just now there is a great boom" talked OF in
the city and accordingly the newspapers nave We
doomed" The fact has at last become apparent
that while numerous other cities throughout the
country have been going ahead of us Baltimore
has been doing over her natural advantages.
And now the ridiculous spectacle is presented OF
a parcel of newspapers insisting that the resolve
that the desired boom shall take place is the way
to do it and that all the rich and well lido mer-
chants of the city must go into new enterprises
is very much after the style of Mr.. Wrinkle in
Pickwick, when that philosopher was arrested
and the conservative, Wlnkle aI0resald ~ was vas
coat announced to the crowd that he was ABOUT
to begin. Let these sagacious editors interview
Mr.. Enoch Pratt for instance and suggest to him
the proprety of putting up million OF dollars
to boom new enterprises and see how much they
will get The upshot of this silly cry will be pre-
cisely as it always has been in the past. They
will print columns of their trash as long as the
Mississippi river and when they get tired of do
started from. New enterprises will spring up
whenever it is found that they are going to pay,
and never any faster.
The theatres are running very full and draw
ing great crowds. AT the Lyceum the l.iliput1ans
are greeted with much applause, and at Fore ore
Room" is nightly witnessed by full houses. 1t
lie singular now frequently men of mediocre
talent make hits in popular favor while men OF
the author of the story "Ten Nights" &c., was
born in Baltimore and lived here till manhood
arrived, when he went to Philadelphia. He was
not a man of genius like Poe, one of his contem-
R6rares He was very plain Wrt ter s and yet
and its dramatization, have hold on popular
feeling likely to endure. The pathetic action of
the child endeavoring to coax its drunken father
from the saloon always appeals to the better
feelings of the heart, and her song, Dear father
come home,'' is often listened to with tears.
When the story was first dramatized (the incident
of the child forming no part of the original tale)
two men in New York State went one night into
a saloon, which was filled with the usual crowd
of bummers and SoakerS, called for drinks, left
them standing untouched upon the counter and
began to sing that song. As one stanza after
another succeeded the crowd began to diSperSe
and when the song was finished no one was left
in the place except the two men and the bar
keeper. In this way from night to night they
cleared out one grog-shop after another, and
though the good work came at last to an end
they probably induced some hearers to lead
song especially when it carries pathetic moral
Mr.. Henry G. spaulding, of Boston, has been
tute two very interesting illustrated lectures
one on st. Paul's journey to Rome and the oJher
on st. Peters Church. Other good lecturers will
follow him. The concerts do not begin until
February and will be six in number. There
should be more of them-ten at least every win
ter and for season tickets five dollars. The
charges are always too high, when it was Mr..
Peabody's design that these concerts should be
given as cheaply as possible. The reason has al
ways been given that the Institute could not
afford to do so. Then let some fewer books be
bought in the course of the year, as there are
vast accumulations of volumes annually which
are only put on shelves and never seen again by
mortal eyes save that of the librarians. Now
that Mr.. Morrison is dead it is to be hoped that a
rather more liberal policy than under his rigid
rule may be established, and especially as to
keeping the reading room open until ten O'Clock
at night.
There still continues much trouble in the stock
market and prices slowly give way. What stocks
and bonds will eventually rate at in face of such
a diScouraging market time can only show, but
it is certain that to the cash buyer no such OPP
portunities of future profit have been offered
for nearly generation. Hundreds, thousands
indeed are embracing the opportunity and New
York brokers report the sales in large quantities
trouble seems to be with England, which is pass
ing through remarkable financial crisis which
is reflected in this country.
The weather gives promise at the North as well
as here of regular old fashioned stormy winter,
with plenty of ice and snow, and more sleighS
than have been seen in Baltimore in two decades
at least. Those who have not been in Northern
cities in the winter have no idea of the superb
turnouts on runners that exhibit there, but now
that the buffalo is so almost extinct another sort
of fur will have to be substituted and tiger skins
from Asia may be in demand. Not long since
swell Englishman ordered vehicle at hotel for
a dUige. Hi there yelled the clerk through
the telephone, don't forget to put in buffalo,"
"Cawn't take him, :" shrieked the Englishman in
Now probably he will never see him..
WALPoLE.