Their descendants to this day include many of Baltimore’s leading citizens in all lines of activity. The first Methodist preacher that we know of who preached in the vicinity of this city was Robert Strawbridge, the Irishman. He preached about the countryside, it being as much a felony for a Methodist preacher to preach as it was for a Catholic priest to say mass in his day in Maryland. We know that there were several well-known Irishmen who were among the first members of the first M. E. church, old Light Street, now Mount Vernon Place Church; among them being Patrick Colvin and Patrick Bennett. This Colvin afterwards was buried from the old Light Street church, which caught fire during his funeral, and was burned to the ground. His daughter founded the old Colvin Institute in his honor, and Colvin Street is named after him. He was an influential merchant as well as a leading Methodist. The first mayor of the city, James Calhoun, was an Irish-American. The first secretary of the navy from Maryland was an Irishman, James McHenry, after whom the fort is named. It is well to remark that Fort Carroll is also named after Charles Carroll, the Irish-American. The first secretary of state and attorney-general from Maryland was Robert Smith, son of John Smith, the Irishman. Gen. Samuel Smith, the Revolutionary hero, who served more years than any other from this state in the United States Senate, also commanded the forces at the battle of North Point and the defense of Fort McHenry. The first and only chief justice of the United States from Maryland was Roger Brooke Taney, the Irish-American, who was also an attorney-general of the United States. One of the two secretaries of the navy from this state was John Pendleton Kennedy, the Irish-American. All of these facts serve to show that the Irish have played some part in public affairs in this city and state. Past and present, the Irish element has been so closely identified with the history of Baltimore that it has played an important part in influencing every detail of the life of the city. Deny it as some will, the influence is still apparent in the city’s spheres, probably not so prominently as in the long ago, but still markedly. Prosperity has somewhat dulled the ambition of the local Gael, but that he is still in evidence, commercially, religiously, professionally, socially and industrially, the shallowest of investigations will prove. The readiness of the Irishman to assimilate with other nationalities in our country may have had something to do with the disappearance from the prominent places which they formerly occupied of the leading families of the city who bear the names of the splendid men who at one time led in the city’s advance. But considerable of the wealth and the influence of the city is still held by the descendants of these old pioneers, and by those who have succeeded them in the life of the City of the Calverts. LOOKING BACK AT OLD CAMBRIDGE, MASS.