The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-02-07
baltimore Letter in " Y. Sun.


Archbishop of Baltimore. His name is known
throughout the Catholic world, but there are
thousands of the faithful who have never seen
him and many more thousands who know little
of his life and personality.
To Baltimoreans, the slender figure and the
palid and ascetic but kindly features, the black
ecclesiastical costume, and especially the little
skull-cap peeping from under the American
high hat, have become a familiar feature of
everyday life. Every morning between II and
IL O'Clock, that wiry figure, with firm and
rapid Stride is seen to pass down Charles street.
street, and then homeward on the other side.
Protestants and Catholics alike bow to the Car
dlnal. and ne always returns THESE salutatlo9ns
with smile. although he does not recognize
One-tenth of the faces.
The Cardinal is now approaching 70 years, but
| to those who see much OF him there seems little
| change in his appearance from what 1t was a
| decade ago. And there have been few changes
| in his habits. He still walks every day in the
| open air, but not so far In work he does not
| spare himself and he has all the endurance OF
former years. He is as abstemious as ever, ana
! as thin. When he returned from Europe two
years ago he seemed to have gained flesh. but
| his active, energetic temperament forbids that
| live as long as he may The almost perfect
| health is due chiefly, no doubt, to the constant
exercise of mind and body, the love , OF fresh
The Cardinal, like all Catholic ecclesiastics,
rises very early. His daily mass is said usually
| at I O'Clock. After his thanksgiving he has
| breakfast, chances at the newspapers and, with
| his secretary, attends to his correspondence,
| which is very large. He rarely sees anyone, ex-
then there are many callers-people upon bust
ness of every imaginable sort
Many strangers passing through the city come
| to pay their respects. These include Protes-
tants as well as CatholicS-memberS of the
Protestant clergy. authors, politicians, educa-
! tors, doctors and even actors and actresses.
short time ago little boy, who was playing
| with popular star in one of the theatres, went
| to see the Cardinal and recited his whole part
| before him much to the amusement OF his Emil
nence
| dtr1ol ct1ff q 0rf /
| o'clock sometimes with a guest, visiting Arch
bishop or other dignitary; then rest until
| O'Clock; then more visitors, another walk, tea
| and quiet evening over books. Ten O'Clock is
| the regular hour for retirement-a rule almost
never broken.
The household in the archepiscopal residence
is not large one. Besides his Eminence, there
are Bishop Curtis and three priests. There is
an aged colored butler, one or two servants be-
low stairs and page at the door: Almost per-
feet stiffness prevails, although throughout the
day persons are going and coming. There are
few formalities. A card sent up to his Emil
s %t6 the caller the Cardinal
will invite him to come up.
Ascending the stairs, in the morning partic
ularly, the visitor often finds his Eminence
walking in the corridor, with book in hand-go-
in meditation. He listens attentively and an
swers directly and to the point, there is no need
less expenditure of words.
The Cardinal has had large experience with
newspaper men, and understands what is news
and the value of it perfectly-also when to keep
writers who treat him well and respect his con-
tdence he is cordial and often frank, but woe to
the correspondents or reporter who violates
Necessarily from his position. he must be care
| full in his speech. Great interests confided
| in his discretion, and his public utterances
| closely scanned analysed and commented upon
| A single sermon of his has set the whole coun-
try talking. When no harm can be done, he
will converse freely and pleasantly enough.
He is a great impromptu speakers but usually
writes out his sermons in advance, and his mem
DRY is so retentive even at his present age, that
| after reading over his manuscript once or twice
he has it perfectly in mind. His delivery is
| easy and deliberate and his voice penetrating,
although not as strong as it was in former years.
| He writes rapidly and in small, graceful, flow
ing hand. A sermon delivered by him is written
upon sheet or two of note paper. often with
out break or correction, just as it came from
his mind; and it is delivered almost word for
word as written.
Not few letters that he receives in his daily
correspondence are answered by himself, not
| by his secretary-letters from utter strangers,
and those from persons ilquiring upon some
point of Catholic faith; seekers of knowledge
outside the fold especially interest him. Nom
Catholics are always sure of extreme courtesy
in all their relations with him.
His Eminence still hears confession, which is
| as arduous as any work that falls to the sacer-
dotal calling; nor is he absolved from the rule
| which binds all, from the Pope himself to the
humblest layman of undergoing the discipline
| of the sacrament of penance.
| On the first Sunday of every month he takes
his turn at preaching at the high mass, and
at the Cathedral attend to hear him. On many
of the great feasts he certificates. The funo-
zion is stately ana imposing one, with crowd
ed sanctuary and fine music in the choir. His
Eminence enjoys the Gregorian music, but APP
parently he likes equally well the more pictur-
esque and brilliant music of the modern COM
| posers. The Cathedral choir is distinctly one of
the best in the city and on high days and holt
days it is often augmented with special singers
and full orchestra.
The Cardinal takes as rule, two vacations in
| the year. AT carnival times he goes to New
| Orleans to see his brother and he spends there
| a fortnight or so but the holiday is little
broken with visits to neighboring places, where
| he usually breaches or takes some other part in
! public services. Going from the wintry
the balmy atmosphere of the old Southern city.
In the summer of recent years he has been in
the habit of going. to Long Island, where he
went to Cape May. Other resorts with their
crowds and gaiety. do not tempt him.
Seven talents are not so good an endowment
| as tact. The Cardinal possesses this quality in
a supreme degree, and it has often been remark
ed of him that in his speeches on public Occa-
sions he may always be counted upon to say pre-
| cisely the right thing. He figures frequently
| at delicate functions, when an indiscreet word
would do irreparable mischief, and always with
skill, wisdom and adroitness acquits himself of
the responsibility involved without offence to
others or compromise to himself
With this discretion goes much simplicity OF
character, a dislike of parade or show, gentle
| manners, kindness of heart and warmth of feel
ing. He is amiabe, yet also strong and firm.
He makes up his mind with care. and is very de-
cided when conclusion has been reached. He
| is supremacy practical and sensible, and, while
| he has given proof of his ability in many direc-
lions, there is perhaps no better one than is ex-
hibited in his administration of the prosperous
| and peaceful archdiocese
SOME OF Uncle Sans sailormen do not have
cold chills when they think of the German
navy. 1T looks on paper like the very mis-
| chief" said one of them recently, "but we at
| the navy yard in Brooklyn have worked out
the whole problem and find that it is not
nearly as formidable as is generally supposed.
Leaving aside any question as to the torpedo
boat feet [ have found on examination that
nearly 68 per cent of the cruisers battleships
and other large vessels of the imperial navy
are unable to go more than 600 miles from
home because of the inability 10 carry sufi.
Gent steaming COAL This is not imagination.
1t is an epitome of official figures" There is
not much exaggeration in this, and it is as
true of one navy as of another. Without coal
ing stations the modern man-of-war is soon
useless. We are short of coaling stations
ourselves, but have enough to protect home
shores. Germany has no place in the Atlantic
of the Western Hemisphere of her own to get
coal, and so if it comes to fight along our
seaboard she will soon be knocked out of wind.
A bill was introduced in the Utah Legislature
last week making the first Monday in October
of each year legal holiday to be known as
Health Day." On this day general cleaning
and disinfection will be made compulsory.
The measure has the Endorsement of the State
board of health and leading physicians. The
act provides that "the owner, or, in case of
leased premises, the lessee in possession, of
every occupied dwelling house or living apart
ment and every hotel, boarding house, church,
school house, theater, rooming house or dance
hall in active use shall thoroughly disinfect
the same on said Health Day with the disin-
fectant, and in the manner provided by the
State board of health" Failure to do this is
punishable by a fine of $50.
REPRESENTATIVE GRosvENoR, of Ohio, has
presented in Congress a very curious claim
preferred by Jacob Rittersbach, who wants