The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-12-20
THE FARMERS" TRAIN.
Arrival of Green Spring Valley Agricul-
turlsts-Daily Junket of Tillers of the
SOIL to Their Business in Baltimore.
Baltimore Neacs.

0uttHNOTe AeCS.
important event in the daily routine life at
Eaivert station is the arrival of the Farmers ="
1 TIn. IL gets in, when on time, at S.50sA. NJ.
~ Ihose who do not bestir themselves sufficiently
70 70 make this train show up usually on the one
tnat pulls into the depot at 9.55 A. NJ.
fr IL Is nne body of agriculturists that alight
from the $50 or 9.55. They are just in from
ureen Spring Valley, declared by its residents
TO be the garden spot of Maryland" and what
tney don't know about raising wheat and corn,
laI cattle and blooded horses, pigs, potatoes,
knowing
Now, for instance, there is Farmer" ] William
Miiuoendorf: Who will dare say that he is not
wise when it comes to question of the proper
tlme to plant turnips or to begin seeding Tor
Darleyr incidentally, Mr.. Middendorf is a Bal
tlInore banker, and is accredited with inside
hklnoWieuge OF how to buy and sell railroads, and
MS aDlllty to handle great financial problems is
unquestloned. If any one criticised him as a
banker ne would probably not give the matter
Second thought. but to reflect upon him as
tlller OF the soil would be to add insult to in
Jury, ana, like every other good resident of the
ValIey, ne would be justified in feeling hurt.
zen. Felix Agnus also knows thing or two
relatlve to agricultural pursuits The General
mas nad various experiences in his career to
wnlch ne can look back with qualification. He
Is proud OF his war record and the wounds he re-
celved In honorable combat, to which he some
tlmes makes reference in public speeches. A
friendly wag around town has often said that if
you shook the General you could hear the bull
iets RATTLE and no one enjoyed the joke more
than the object of it himself The General is
prOuu OF MS business enterprise and OF his plant
at the southwest corner of Baltimore and South
streets. He is proud of having been born a
frenchman and of having been converted into
loyal American. But he is even proudcr of one
0ther thing-that he is farmer" Nscirema
(tne name of his newspaper spelled backward is
one OF the finest estates in the picturesque Val.
ley, and the General derives a great deal of
pleasure from it. He has broad acres of grain
and large herds of stock; but probably most
pride is taken in his Berkshires. No one will deny
that they are the nicest-looking pigs in the
whole COUNTRYSIDE.
All of the Stewards are imbued with the coun-
try-hfe habit, and being enthusiasts, they usual
ly are eagy risers, and come to town on the $50
train. Nh. Redmond G. Stewart. who is on his
honeymoon trip, will spend the early winter in
the Valley at the residence of his brother, Mr..
John Stewart, Jr and later will take possession
of his new house now in the course of erection.
Mr.. CharlesMorton Stewart. Jr., Mr.. Gustav L.
Stewart, Mr. John Stewart, Jr., and Mr.. w. Plum
kett Stewart, who married daughter of Presi-
dent Cassatt of the Pennsylvania Railroad, are
among the Tally patrons of the Farmers "
train.
Most of thefamilies who merely have summer
homes in the Valley have returned to town for
the winter. ald the passengers landing at Cal
vert Station these sometimes bright, generally
gloomy, December days are the men who stick
it out from the beginning to the end of the year.
There is nothing in which sentiment plays
stronger part tlan in rural life. The man who
was born and reared in the country usually has
a stern realization of what it actually is and in
nine cases out OF ten is more than willing to quit
it for town When severe weather arrives, but it
is the fellow that adopts the country and is not
bred in it that is the genuine enthusiast. Rural
surroundings have fascination for him that is
as the glamour of the stage to the amateur who
dreams not of the thorns to be encountered be-
hind the footlights. 1t should not be difficult to
surmise that the writer is a dyed-in- the-wool
countryman.
AS the commuters slight from the train at Cal
vert Station. single glance is sufficient to con-
vince the observer that they are pictures of
health and excellent advertisements for the sec
ton from which they come. They all look hale
and hearty Their step is elastic, their eyes are
bright and the color in their cheeks denotes
life of regularity. They live up to the tradi-
lions, and when the weather is cold they come
Sometimes with boots. While there is no written
law in regard to what actually makes "coun-
tryman," the man who has the nerve in this age
to wear heavy high boots with his breeches
sticking in them should certainly be permitted
to pass muster.
In addition to the farmers mentioned, among
those who usually come to town daily from
Green Spring Valley, taking the train at various
are: Mr.. Joseph G. Whitney, of the Merchants
and Miners Transportation Company; Mr.. Il.
Dudley Riggs, Mr.. Horace White, Mr.. John Nc
Deposit Company; MIR. J. Vernon Campbell Mr..
W. Stewart Diffenderffer, Mr.. William Voss
Elder, Mr.. Arthur H. Hall, Mr. William Gilmor
Hoffman, Jr., Mr. Ryland @. Moore, Mr.. Alfred
Poor, Jr., Mr.. Harry Mordecai, Mr.. George P.
Mordecai Mr.. G. Lyon Rogers. Jr., Mr.. Column
bus ODonnel Lee, Mr.. Samuel M. Shoemaker,
Mr.. Jacob A. Ulman and Mr.. George Ward.
Some of these gentlemen do not go in for
farming" to the same extent as others, but
they are all interested more or less in country
life, and their knowledge of agriculture in its
various phases seems to make the trip to town
pleasant diversion.
Everyone knows everyone else, and it might
be said that the passengers of the $50 and the
9.55 are drawn together in an atmosphere cloud
ed with the smoke from HavanaS and from
pipes, but nevertheless, very agreeable because
if Is cOnpanial