Evening star., 1955-07-17
or PErrIcoATs. CHOLERA. ETC.
Nostalgia Letters From
Olde George ToWne

precipitate step OF his has oc-
casiOned the was about to be
married., ! don't wonder at
It,"
Evidently. the pastor was
having q diffcult time because
he was marrying q girl from
Frederick, Md. Comments
Miss Schaaff:
Imagine one of the ladies
from Frederick telling
Ellen Taney that the ladies In
Geo. Town were outraged at
his marrying out Of his con-
greeation and that it was to
be kept secret from them lest
they should mob him."
While not malicious in her
letters, Miss Schaaf had some
rather pointed remarks about
q bazaar at a nunnery.
there was original
poetry read by the handsome
Catholic priest. which made up
for the deficiencies Of the
poetry, I suppose.
There are several stories
about him. Some young lady
offered him her hand, heart
and fortune and he told her to
give her heart to God. her for
tune to the poor and her hand
to someone who asked for it
q very proper answer for q
priest"
Proper Miss Schaff occa-
sionally came out with some
unorthodox expressions for the
time. About woman who had
just produced twins, she says
"She is a fruitful vine I think"
And again, she says, MRS.
]. M. is very large. She does
not go to Mexico with her
guide man. I suppose for that
reason, as I understand they
have to perform a great part
of the journey on mules"
On the Political Events
On the political events OF
the times. she wrote In March,
1925 during John Quincy
Adams Inauguration:
"Our town has been deserted.
All sorts, sizes, ages and con-
ditions gone to the inaueura-
ton. I should have liked to
have seen the procession. ] love.
of all things, to see soldiers.
but as to the administering OF
the oath to Mr.. Adams, I was
quite Indifferent"
And during the Jackson ad-
ministration. Is a letter dated
May "a, 1884.
Il suppose you all talk poll
ties as much as ever. These
are exciting times. Cousin Bet
sy is no doubt more against
jackson than ever. Does Cousin
Walter stick to him yet or have
(recent events made him
waver? They are trying times
for his friends think. Not
many will stand by him. {.
I hear that Mr.. MCLEAN is go
ing to resign and that Mr..
Taney will be made Secretary
of State and Mr.. Forsyth OF the
treasury"
A month later, when Jack
son was trying to get Roger
Brooke Taney confirmed as his
Secretary of the Treasury.
Jackson later made him Chief
Justice) she wrote. "The Tan
eys expect to be rejected very
soon now and are going away
directly. I expect the girls will
be very sorry to give up the
life they have been leading in
Washington"
The Danger Of War
A letter written March Z.
1885, refers to possible war
which Mr.. Castle thinks might
refer to menancing manuevers
of the French feet as a result
Of a dispute over q French debt
to the United States.
II hope most sincerely there
will be no war, but I fear it
very much. A pretty situation
we should be In without q forti-
cation and no means as yet
to make any. I declare 1t was
shameful behavior in Congress,
was it not. I think they ali
ought to be turned out"
In one letter Miss Schaafi
talks about q bonnet cost
ing 81 Ia cents (oh, happy
day.. but some Of the medical
notions Of the era were a bit
Of a shock.
Strange Health Notions
After a period of continual
rains, Miss Schaff writes that