The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-11-08
Corr dependence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.
The New Lyceum Theatre-Sad Warning
to Young Men-Mt. Royal Avenue
A Valuable Journal-McAllister's
Book-Collectors of Almanacs,
Autographs, Stamps, etc.

BALTIMORE, November 9th, $780,
MessTS. Editors The new theatre, Albaugh's
Wednesday Club. was opened to inspection last
Saturday evening for members of the press and
quite large number of invited guests. The
whole theatre was brilliantly lighted and Prof.
Adam Itzel, Jr., led fine orchestra, which gave
forth delicious music. There was but one opin-
ion expressed, that the Lyceum Theatre is now
not only the most beautiful one in Baltimore,
but one of the handsomest in the United States.
1t would be only waste of words to attempt to
describe it in full. Suffice it to say that it is one
of the most commodious, elegant and brilliant
of thespian temples. Every seat in the house
commands fine view of the stage. Besides the
theatre proper the former parlOrS of the We'd
nesday Club can be used at any time for parties,
receptions, &C., a separate entrance leading to
them. A very elegant collation. was served after
the guests had sufficiently inspected the theatre.
Booth and Barrett opened the house formally on
Monday night in the Merchant of Venice and to
an overlooking assembly of delighted spectators.
The genus "bummer' is well exemplifed by
fellow who every now and then turns up in the
custom house; a man belonging to arespectabe
family once eminent in the annals of the city;
man of good education and considerable wit even
in his degradation. He has evidently some
friends who take care of him, as he is always
quite decently dressed, except that now and
then he appears minus coat, which, as he hon
estly confesseS, has been showed up" for drinks.
Drink has been the ruin of him. and now without
a sense of shame he will beg for a few pennies to
go after all the others over the counter of a rum
mill. Could the hundreds of thousands of young
men who drink at first in moderation be made to
see in this man the absolute certainty awaiting
Them there would be little need of prohibition
tickets.
For the past few days huge machine, steam
driven, has been rolling along Mount Royal ave-
nue., crunching down the gravel and making a
solid rOad-bed, so that next season when the
warm weather comes there will be lessdust than
has been hitherto complained of. 1t will become
beautiful avenue and the main approach to the
park if lined with handsome houses. it being
feared at one time that ordinary cheap dwellings
would be erected. Mr.. Albert Gorter is prepar-
ing to build row opposite to the cyclorama
building.
The Journal of Sir Walter Scott, kept during
the last seven ears of his life has just been pub
lished. At his death in 1882 his son-in-law and
literary executor, John G. LOckhart, thought
the work too candid in its expressions regarding
the lapse of over half century it is issued in full
just as he wrote it, and it proves to be most
valuable work.
Ward McAllister's great book is out and it has
been deservedly and mercilessly ridiculed. Not
a single critic has written line in favor of it. A
more worthless farrago of trash has never been
published and it would have done Ward good
had some friend possessed the power, Spartan
like, of strangling such babe at birth. The best
hit at him that have seen comes from an Eng
lishman, who likens him to Angelo Cyrus Bantam
of Bath, as set forth in the pages of Pickwick.
obsequious attentions to Lord Muttonhed and
his bosom friend, the Hon. Mr.. CrushtOn, pre-
cisely illustrates Wards case. He has hitherto
figured as gentleman at any rate, but he has
now written himself down as one of the silliest
specimens of all snobdom.
Those who are addicted to collecting auto
graphs had better consult M. Etienne Chavaray,
of Paris who has his bureau in one of the queer
est corners of the antique quarter of the city.
Many of his most valued specimens consist of
mere signatures, that of Christopher Columbus
always being able to command two hundred dol
lars, while the last letter of NapOlean |. to the
Empress Marie Louise sold for eight hundred.
The rarest of all the signatures of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence is that of But
ton Gwinnett, of Georgia.
Far less interesting to me than coins or auto
graphs would be the gathering of postage stamps,
and cancelled ones at that. Yet many persons
take intense interest in the matter. Magazines
wholly devoted to this one subject are published
every month. Some of the early and rare issues
eral hundred dollars for single stamp. Several
gentlemen in Baltimore are greatly devoted to
this pursuit, and one collector imported not long
since upwards of forty thousand stamps in one
day.
Almanacs for 1891 have begun to make their
appearance and among them good old GruberS,
of HagerStOwn. is ever welcome. Its quaint
wood cuts are the same as sixty years ago and
we loved to pore over these pictures by the light
of hickory wood fire. Again some people have
a rage for collecting almanacS and a full set of
Grubers or of "Old DIR. Thomas" would now
bring quite sum- The complete set of the
american Almanac" the mathematical part of
which was edited for many years by Prof: Pierce.
of Harvard University, always commands full
price. The "Almanach de Gotha," published
both in French and German, and the great Euro
pean authority, is now in its 12Sth year. OF the
English almanacs Whittakers, of London, is the
most valuable compendium, and immense num-
bers of them are sold in this country.
The late elections passed Off generally in quiet.
The Australian system was found to work salts
ers, &C.. glad to serve and take it out in coal for
the winter. "Othello's occupationss gone" with
them and challengers are mute. WALPoLE.
RAD ROADS IN THE COIJNTIES