History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc, Part 8

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344

USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Baltimore City > History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc > Part 8

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HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Swann, was also present and spoke in honor of the occasion.

The work of the institute was now in full operation, the library was open to the pub- lic from nine until four o'clock daily ex- cept Sunday ; courses of lectures were de- livered in the autumn and winter; public concerts of orchestral music were given in the large hall, and premiums of money and gold medals were annually conferred upon the most distinguished graduates of the city high schools.

In the month of June, 1867, the Rev. Dr. Morris withdrew from his position in the institute, and the assistant librarian, Mr. P. R. Uhler, remained in charge of the library until the autumn, when Mr. Nathaniel H. Morison, the newly elected provost, entered upon his duties as chief executive officer of the institute. At this time the library had secured more than 22,000 bound volumes, and the written catalogue included about 100,000 cards. Two years later a more complete organization of nearly all depart- ments of the institute had been developed and plans of management adopted which have mostly continued to the present time.

Mr. Peabody placed the library first in his scheme of organization, and recognizing this fact the new provost directed his most earnest attention to the steady increase of the already valuable collection of books, un- til at the time of his death in November, 1890, the library contained 100,000 volumes. He also superintended the construction of the catalogue, directed the series of lectures, attended to the general interests of the con- servatory of music, and regulated the busi- ness of the institute in connection with the committee controlling the several depart- ments.

In the month of April, 1875, a new wing of the building was begun, and every stage of its construction studied and watched by the provost until its completion in July, 1878. This new division extended the front to a width of nearly one hundred and sev- enty-five feet, and gave place for a library hall and work rooms capable of accommo- dating nearly 500,000 volumes, a reading room with space for seating one hundred persons, two large rooms on the second floor to hold statuary, and a basement di- vided into two fine lecture halls, with the accompanying smaller rooms and janitor's apartments.

After the completion of the building the library, numbering 40,000 volumes, was re- moved to the new wing, and the old hall was fitted for and occupied by the gallery of paintings. Upon the death of Dr. Mori- son, the librarian, Dr. P. R. Uhler, was made provost of the institute.

The institute building is now occupied by a library of costly scholarly books, number- ing about 130,000 volumes; a gallery of art, embracing the Garrett, Rinehart and McCoy statuary, and the collections of oil paintings, also left to the institute by Mr. McCoy. A large part of the west wing, above the lecture hall, is occupied by the conservatory of music, where the director, Mr. Asger Hamerick, assisted by six profes- sors, conducts the studies of advanced pu- pils, who after critical examination have been admitted to the privileges of the de- partment of music. In the large hall lec- tures and symphony concerts of the highest grade are given during the winter season, and in the smaller halls musical recitals and students' concerts are conducted through the scholastic term. By a recent decision

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

of the trustees the library is kept open dur- ing all the fall and winter months from nine o'clock in the morning until 10.30 at night.

This "university for the people" is now carrying the blessings of the higher educa- tion down to the every-day life of this com- munity, and touching all the outlying sec- tions of the neighborhood with the benedic- tions pronounced by Mr. Peabody. By its valuable library, including every depart- ment of human thought, and by the splen- did culture afforded by its musical and ar- tistic opportunities, this institute is doing the benevolent work designed by its founder.

At the present time the library numbers many volumes, distributed throughout al- most every branch of knowledge. Free to all, and as accessible as it can be readily made, it is meant to be the study of the student and the resort of the investigator.

The gallery of art contains an extensive collection of antique casts, presented by the late John W. Garrett; a choice collection of paintings, largely the gift of the late John W. McCoy; some of the best works of Rine- hart, including Clytie, the masterpiece of the distinguished American sculptor. The gems of the gallery are a series of marbles and bronzes, the legacy of John W. McCoy, contained in the Clytie room. The gallery has recently received important accessions from the estate of the late Mr. Charles J. M. Eaton, of Baltimore.

THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE.

The prospect of an institution in Balti- more for popular technical and scientific education seems to have been suggested by the Franklin Institute, organized in Phila- delphia in 1824. On January 10, 1826, the

first Maryland Institute was incorporated by the State Legislature. Its purpose was the dissemination of scientific information by series of popular lectures, by periodic industrial exhibits and by similar agencies. Several exhibitions of American manufac- tures were held, and a permanent home for the institute was secured in the Athenaeum Building, on the corner of Lexington and St. Paul streets. Here were provided lec- ture and instruction rooms, laboratories and a library, and regular courses of instruction in science. The prosperity of the institute was brought to an abrupt termination by the destruction of the Athenaeum by fire on February 7, 1835. The entire equipment of the institution was there destroyed, and, although the membership then included more than seven hundred persons, the catastrophe virtually destroyed the organi- zation.

Twelve years later the plan of the orig- inal institute was revived, and on Febru- ary 15, 1850, an act of incorporation was passed by the Maryland Legislature. Au- thority was secured a little later for the erec- tion of the present building on Marsh Mar- ket Space, and in 1851 the first industrial exhibition in the new building, the fourth in all, was held. For a term of years such exhibitions were held annually, the last tak- ing place in 1878. Lecture courses were also given in the institute by many of the men most distinguished in American public life. The associations connected with the hall of the institute are noteworthy. "There, in 1851, a reception was given to Kossuth, and a year later both the Demo- cratic and the Whig national conventions met within its walls. In 1856 the old-line Whig convention indorsed Fillmore there,

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

and there in 1857 the reception to George Peabody was held, and the body of Dr. Kane, the Arctic explorer, lay there in state. In 1860 the first embassy from Japan to our country was received there, and there, too, met the bolting Democratic con- vention which nominated Breckenridge for the presidency."

The present activity of the institute cen- tres in its "Schools of Art and Design," wherein systematic instruction, arranged in courses of from three to four years, is af- forded in drawing, painting, sketching and modeling. There are two departments of the schools, holding their sessions respec- tively in the day and at night, and it is esti- mated that since the inauguration of the work some seventeen thousand students have embraced these opportunities and re- ceived more or less continuous instruction in art. The night school is especially de- signed for affording technical instruction to young men engaged or about to engage in activities wherein skill in drawing is of ad- vantage, and who by reason of other pur- suits are not able to attend the day school.

A useful but less prominent feature of the institute's activity is a commercial school, designed for the instruction of young men and women in bookkeeping, penmanship and commercial arithmetic. The school term extends for six months from October Ist, and both day and evening courses are offered.

A circulating library containing twenty thousand volumes supplements the educa- tional work of the institute.

ENOCH PRATT FREE LIBRARY.

Like so many other of the important edu- cational and philanthropic agencies of Bal-

more, the Enoch Pratt Free Library owes its existence to individual generosity. Enoch Pratt, a native of North Middlebor- ough, Mass., became a resident of Baltimore in 1831. By industry and integrity he amassed a large fortune, a considerable part of which he determined to devote during his lifetime to founding an important educa- tional agency. In 1882 he presented a plan to the Mayor and City Council of Balti- more for the establishment of a circulating library for the benefit of all residents of Bal- timore. He proposed to erect a large, prop- erly equipped central building to contain the main collection of books and in addi- tion a number of branch libraries, with smaller collections, in various parts of the city. As an endowment for the library Mr. Pratt proposed to give to the city the sum of eight hundred and thirty-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-three and one- third dollars, provided the city would create in return a perpetual annuity of fifty thou- sand dollars for the support and main- tenance of the library, payable to a board of trustees, selected in the first instance by Mr. Pratt, and vested with powers of self- perpetuation. The proposition was ac- cepted by the city and the institution was promptly established.

The central building is located on Mul- berry near Cathedral streets, and has a frontage of eighty-two feet, with a depth of one hundred and forty-two feet. It is a fine white marble structure of the old Roman- esque style, with characteristic semi-circu- lar forms, relief mouldings, enriched by carvings and embellishments. The book stacks, with a capacity of about two hun- dred thousand volumes, are on the lower floor, where are also the rooms for the de-

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

livery and return of books. The second floor is devoted to a large, well-lighted read- ing room, and to the librarian's and admin- istration offices. The branch libraries are attractive brick structures one story in height and forty by seventy feet in dimen- sions, with reading rooms, and a capacity for about twenty thousand volumes each; there are now five of these branch libraries in operation, located as follows: No. I, cor- ner of Fremont and Pitcher streets; No. 2, corner of Hollins and Calhoun streets; No. 3, corner of Light and Gittings streets; No. 4, corner of Canton and O'Donnell streets; No. 5, corner of Broadway and Miller streets.

The central building was completed and turned over to the trustees in 1884. Dr. Lewis H. Steiner was selected librarian and the prospective work of the institution was organized under his administration. The library was opened to the public in January, 1886, and has since that time continued its work without interruption and with increas- ing usefulness. Dr. Steiner died in 1892 and was succeeded by his son, Bernard C. Steiner, Ph. D., the present librarian.

The founder of the library in his letters to the board of trustees expressed the wish that its facilities should be "for all, rich and poor, without distinction of race or color, who, when properly accredited, can take out the books, if they will handle them care- fully and return them." This has been the policy pursued in the organization of the library. Any resident of Baltimore above the age of fourteen years, upon registering and furnishing a guarantee, can secure books, while temporary sojourners can en- joy the same privilege upon making a smail cautionary deposit.

OTHER LIBRARIES.

In addition to the great collections al- ready described, a number of special and important libraries are located in Baltimore easily accessible to the special classes of readers for whom they are designed. The Whittingham Memorial Library contains about twenty thousand volumes, be- queathed by the late Bishop Whittinghanı to the Maryland Diocese of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and is especially rich in theological works; the Bar Library, col- lected and maintained by members of the Baltimore Bar; the New Mercantile Library has a delightful home on Charles near Sara- toga streets, with over twenty thousand volumes and a subscription membership. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows has a collection of more than twenty thousand volumes accessible to members of the order. It has been estimated that within a radius of a half mile from Washington Monument there are a half million of books accessible to the reader and student.

MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

In 1844 the Maryland Historical Society was organized for the purpose of collecting and preserving materials relating to the his- tory of Maryland, and of encouraging re- search into the history of the State, as well as diffusing the results of such investigation. The society now possesses a valuable library of some thirty thousand volumes, particu- larly rich in materials relating to Ameri- can and to local history; an interesting gal- lery of paintings and portraits, and a unique collection of historical relics.

By act of the State Legislature the society has been made the custodian of the Mary- land Archives, from the colonial period

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

down to the peace with Great Britain in 1783. Moderate appropriations have been made for a term of years by the General Assembly for the publication of these rec- ords, and a series of quarto volumes have already been issued under scholarly editor- ship. A fund of money left by George Pea- body provides an income, out of which the society has published a number of valuable historical contributions.

The society owns and occupies the Athenaeum Building, at the corner of St. Paul and Saratoga streets. The first floor contains the library and reading room and a vault where are stored the archives and records in the custody of the society. Three connecting galleries on the floor above con- tain the art collections of the society.

WALTERS ART GALLERY.

A competent critic has expressed the opinion that there is no collection in Amer- ica that equals in importance and interest the art collections made by the late William T. Walters, and now the property of his son, Mr. Henry Walters. The same critic has indeed added that few collections, public or private, in Europe surpass it in its high standard of excellence or in the variety of the schools represented. The collection is housed in Mr. Walters' residence on Mt. Vernon Place, and has for a term of years been open to the public on certain days in February, March and April. A nominal admission fee is charged, of which the pro- ceeds are devoted to a local charity. An excellent account of the gallery and its treasures appeared in the "New York Tribune" of February 7, 1884, from which the following paragraphs are derived.

The large parlors of the mansion contain

bronzes, cases of rare old silver, and groups of Royal Worcester, Dresden and Sevres which elsewhere would be counted note- worthy. There is a dainty chamber fitted up in blue, with furniture and wall hangings of the time of Marie Antoinette. There is another furnished in the old Dutch style, with a richly-carved cabinet, a delightful writing desk, with brass mountings. An- other upper room contains bronzes and water colors by Barye, who was among French artists in bronze what Rosa Bon- heur is among painters. Rare French vases and bronzes catch the eye in the panelled dining-room.

The first gallery at the rear of the house is lined and nearly filled with cases of porce- lains. On the walls hang tapestries with colors as soft as those of the Persian rugs upon the floor. In the centre, upon a stand of teak wood and brass, is a bronze some eight feet high, with dragons writhing upon its sides toward the figure of a daimio on top. The slight ebony framework of these great cases presents no interference with the splendid effect of the porcelains within. Here are vases fashioned under the famous Ming dynasty, 1368-1649; others of the early eighteenth century, showing in their decorations the effect of European influ- ences; here is a stately array of blue and white ware, with the so-called hawthorn, really plum-blossom, decoration, and near by is a little vase, perhaps rarest of all to connoisseurs, with white panels relieved by black, upon which the hawthorn pattern reappears. I have no time now to dwell upon the solid colors, the bullock's blood, Chinese white, turquoise, mustard yellow, sage green and tea color, or upon the hun- . dred and fifty examples of egg-shell porce-

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

lain. There are more than 1,400 specimens of the Chinese ceramic art.

Japanese as well as Chinese art finds a place in this gallery. There is a case of genuine Satsuma, whose creamy yellow and pale chocolate hues and delicate crackle are known to most people only through imita- tions. There are 400 Japanese porcelains and potteries, and the whole ceramic display illustrates the history of the art for over eight hundred years. Nothing now can be said of the drawers filled with Chinese flacons and Japanese sword guards, pipes and 150 swords, "the jewelry of Japan."

In a covered bridge extending over an al- ley from this first room to the picture gal- lery are scores of bronzes, including several by Saymin and Gorosa, among which is a little group of the most exquisite porce- lains in the collection, examples of the bul- lock's blood, peach-blow and coral splashes. In the picture gallery are four large cases containing royal lacquers, and rows of drawers filled with Netsukes, ivory carvings and Inros.

The 150 oil paintings represent a simi- larly intelligent and catholic process of se- lection. The collector, I judge, has had it in mind to illustrate the art history of the century by examples of men whose influ- ence has been most strongly felt. In French art expressions of the religious sen- timent of Ary Scheffer and the fiery spirit of Horace Vernet are followed by examples of Delacroix and Delaroche, and these by examples of Jalabert and Yvon; four works by Gérome, including the "Diogenes" and "Christian Martyrs;" five by Millet, four by Rousseau, three by Corot, three by Fromen- tin, four by Daubigny, three by Dupre and a Troyon.

One group of four landscapes, which in- cludes Rousseau's magnificent "Winter Solitude," is the artistic center of the col- lection. Couture, Decamps, Gleyre, Isabey, aint Jean, Plassan, with Meissonier, Her- bert, Schreyer, De Neuville, Detaille, Jacque, Van Marcke and Ziem-these names may serve to indicate the extent to which French art is represented.

Fortuny, Jiminez and Rico illustrate the Franco-Spanish school; Baron Leys' "Edict of Charles V." speaks for modern Belgian art; the Achenbachs, Preyer, Vau- tier and Hiddeman represent Dusseldorf; Gallait and Clays, Brussels; Prof. Muller, Vienna; Carl Becker and Knaus, Berlin; Millais, Alma Tadema and Boughton, Eng- land; and America is represented by Gilbert Stuart, A. B. Durand, C. L. Elliott, George A. Baker, F. E. Church, Eastman Johnson and H. Bolton Jones. Necessarily in so small a collection the representation is little more than an incomplete expression of the collector's purpose. Among other pictures Millet's original design in black and white for the "Angelus" easily stands first in point of interest.

The water color room opening from the first gallery contains water colors by Alma Tadema, Green, Fortuny, Meissonier, a drawing in India ink by Rousseau, and an- other in ink and pastel, together with stat- tes by Rinehart and Palmer.

MARYLAND ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

This organization was formed in 1863 for the study and collection of specimens relat- ing to the fauna and flora and natural his- tory of Maryland. Large and valuable col- lections were made during the early period of the academy's history. In 1883 the build-

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ing occupied by the society, on Mulberry near Cathedral streets, was condemned in order to extend Cathedral street, and the specimens of the academy were removed to the Athenaeum building. Interest in the work of the academy languished and its nat- ural history collections were turned over to the Johns Hopkins University. Soon thereafter Mr. Enoch Pratt purchased and presented to the academy the old building of the Maryland Club, corner of Cathedral and Franklin streets. New life was infused into the organization by this welcome gift, and its subsequent activity has been unin- terrupted.

CHARCOAL CLUB.

An important factor in the artistic de- velopment of Baltimore within recent years has been the activity of the Charcoal Club. This organization was formed for the pur- pose of affording a common meeting ground for local artists and laymen inter- ested in art. Starting from a small begin- ning, it has now comfortable headquarters at the northwest corner of Howard and Franklin streets. Here an admirable art school is conducted under efficient instruc-

tion. The Charcoal Club has done much to educate local art appreciation. Its at- mosphere is rationally Bohemian and serves to unite the art lover and the artist in asso- ciation as profitable as it is enjoyable.

DECORATIVE ART SOCIETY.

The purpose of this organization is to encourage the practice of decorative art (1) by offering instruction in the proper prin- ciples of art to persons desirous of fitting themselves for self-support by such work, and (2) by affording opportunities for the sale of finished work. Classes in various branches of decorative art are maintained. Articles, if up to a required standard of ar- tistic merit, are received and offered for sale, the society retaining ten per cent. of the proceeds. In addition the society receives orders for special work of any kind, and af- fords constant employment to a number of persons. An inviting display of artistic handiwork can always be seen at the rooms of the society, 315 North Charles street.

The Woman's Industrial Exchange, North Charles street, affords similar oppor- tunities for the sale of domestic handiwork.

CHAPTER IV.

THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF BALTIMORE-GATHERED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND EXTRACTED FROM SPEECHES OF THE INTERPRE- TERS OF CAMPAIGN ISSUES.

By WILLIAM M. MARINE.

Introduction.

There is not so much as a skeleton of the political history of Baltimore City in exist- ence. This effort is to fill the vacuum.

The narrative has been arranged into convenient divisions of five chapters, synop- sis of the substance of each chapter preced- ing them.

Chapter one deals with "fragments of early history, including a few editors in poli- tics." Chapter two, "events from 1835 to 1859, or a preface to the debate of arms." Chapter three, "events from 1860 to 1866, or the war and its trail." Chapter four, events from 1864 to 1874, "a period of Democratic supremacy." Chapter five, "events from 1875 to 1895, or reformers and Republicans in alliance defeat the Demo- cratic party." At this point the history terminates.

The happenings of a few years of Balti- more town are added. Those events seemed so clearly related to the main subject as not to warrant their omission.

In the early period of Baltimore there was not printed any accounts of its stump oratory. In the forties and fifties fragmen- tary reports of speeches were occasionally found. After 1860 satisfactory reports were numerous. Whenever speeches existed

suitable for this purpose extracts were taken from them, to present the issues of the sev- eral campaigns to which they referred.

Chapter I.

Fragments of Early History. A Few Ed- itors in Politics.

Baltimore town was a thoroughly inde- pendent place; it was "the home of the brave," whose daring was audacious, and on its feet roaming broad circuits at will. Baltimore City is strikingly like its parent, and in its infancy learned how to fire a can- non and sail a privateer.

The aggressive spirit of certain lawless elements of Baltimore society has some times regarded an election as a day of bat- tle; accordingly the contending parties have usually been so managed by their manipu- lators as to prevent elections at such times from being tame affairs.

1776.

In this memorable year the Constitution of Maryland provided that freemen above twenty-one years of age, who were owners of fifty acres of land, where they resided or offered to vote, and all freemen having property in the State worth thirty pounds current money who have been residents in

1.4-1-

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

the county where offering to vote, one year next preceding the election shall have a right of suffrage in the election of delegates to the Legislature.

A property qualification was necessary to vote until 1802, when it was abolished. Previously to 1802, persons of color who were free had enjoyed the right of fran- chise when possessing the necessary prop- erty qualifications. That privilege under the law of 1802 was denied them and a re- turn to viva voce voting re-established.

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Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1344

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344