Читать книгу Baltimore Hats, Past and Present - Brigham William Tufts - Страница 5

No. 4

NOT until after the Revolution is it apparent that any attempt was made in Baltimore to concentrate the hatting industry into a legitimate business upon any extensive scale, or to separate the manufacturing from the retail branch of business; in fact, far into the new century was it the practice of those who manufactured extensively for the trade, to continue to keep in operation also a retail establishment.

The general system of conducting the hat business at the time of which we are now writing was for the hatter to have his "back shop" in the rear and accessible to the "front shop," where the proprietor and his "prentice hand" made the needed supply for the existing or future small demand likely to come; for hats in those days were "built" for service, not for show, and in a manner quite different from those suited to the modern requirement of almost a monthly change in style. Then the principle demand came from maturing youth, desiring to assume suitable dignity for entrance into manhood, by procuring a "beaver" which, unless he lived to a patriarchal age, might serve him during his natural life, and that, too, without fear of banishment from society for being out of the fashion.

In the first "Baltimore City Directory," printed in the year 1796, appear the names of nineteen hatters; the business locations of some of the number, it is curious to observe, being at places hardly recognizable by those living at the present day.

Gay street, prior to the year 1808, extended from the water to Griffith's bridge (now called Gay-street bridge), beyond which it was called Bridge street; German lane is now German street; East street is Fayette street, and the euphonious name of Cowpen alley is now dignified by that of Garrett street. Baltimore street was then called Market street, and for a long time after was often designated by either name.

The following names and localities of hatters are found in the Baltimore City Directory published in 1796:

Richard Averson, German lane, between Howard and Liberty streets.

Joseph Burnet, Welcome alley, Federal Hill.

Peter Bond, 13 Bridge street, Old Town.

William Branson, 131 Market street.

Peter Beze, 31 Charles street.

Frederick Deems, Cowpen alley.

Joseph Burneston, 17 George street, Fell's Point.

" Shop, 19 George street, Fell's Point.

George Littig, 141 Market street, Shop on "The Causeway."

Arnold Livers, Shop, 24 South Calvert street.

Aaron Mattison, Shop, East street, between Calvert and Gay.

William Mockbee, East street, between St. Paul's lane and Charles street.

Gasper Morelli, 36 Charles street.

John Parks, Shop, 14 Light street.

Jacob Rogers, 29 South street.

George Smith, 101 Bond street.

David Shields, 14 North Gay street.

John Steiger, 250 Market street.

John Underwood, Alley between St. Paul's lane and Calvert street.

Daniel Weaver, 19 Front street.

Judging from localities here given, ten of this number were engaged in business as principals, the others were probably journeymen, working at their trade in the various shops in the town.

John Parks, who did business at 14 Light street, had his residence at 137 Market street, about the location now occupied by Clogg & Son as a Shoe store. In the year 1802, No. 137 Market street was occupied by John Walraven, Hardware and Silversmith, and John and Andrew Parks are in the Dry-goods business, at No. 2 Market space.

William Branson, at 131 Market street, appears to have continued business in the same place up to the year 1810. During the years 1800-2 the firm was Branson & Son; their store was the second house west of Grant street, then called Public alley; the place is now occupied by Geo. Steinbach & Son as a Toy establishment.

Aaron Mattison, whose shop, in 1796, was on East street, in 1799 associated his son with himself in business, locating at 16 North Gay street, next door to David Shields. In 1802 Wm. Mattison, probably the son, opened a store at 180 Market street; the firm continuing at 16 N. Gay street as Aaron Mattison & Son. The next year W. Mattison appears at 72 Market street, following which no further record is found of this firm.

No. 180 Market street was two doors east of Charles, on the north side, now occupied by Towner & Landstreet's Rubber store. No. 72 Market street was also on the north side, second house east from Lemon, now Holliday street.

Peter Bond, whose location was No. 13 Bridge street, continued as a hatter in the same place until the year 1806; afterwards he appears to have changed the character of his business, for in 1807 he is found to be a "storekeeper" at No. 9 Bridge street. No. 13 was on the north side of what is now Gay street, the seventh or eighth house beyond the bridge over the Falls. Peter Bond was a member of the committee of "Vigilance and Safety" organized by the citizens of Baltimore in the dark days of anxiety and trouble preceding the invasion of the city by the British in September, 1814.

Richard Averson had his residence on German lane, between Howard and Eutaw streets. At that time there was but one dwelling-house on German lane between Hanover and Liberty streets. German lane, now German street, then extended only from Charles to Greene street. Mr. Averson kept his hat store at No. 4 County wharf, which was the lower terminus of South Calvert street; he had for his neighbors Gerard T. Hopkins, Peter Cox and George Mason, Grocers.

David Shields continued in business at his old locality, 14 North Gay street, certainly until the year 1808, and probably up to the time of his death in 1811. In 1819 his place is found to be occupied by Francis Foster as a hat store.

Arnold Livers would seem to have been the most peripatetic of hatters, and must have caused no little stir and comment among his fellow-tradesmen. Until 1801 he appears as solitary Arnold Livers, carrying on the hat business at 24 South Calvert street, where probably he had a retail "shop." In 1802 the Directory records: "Arnold Livers, 24 South Calvert street," and on Fayette street (probably his residence), also 7 °Cumberland Row; Livers & Atkinson, 35 Fell street, and Livers & Atkinson, 10 George street, Fell's Point. In 1804 Arnold Livers is still at 24 South Calvert street, also at 70 Market space, and George Atkinson has succeeded to the firm of Livers & Atkinson. In 1810 it is Livers & Grover, 39 South, corner of Water street. From this time Mr. Livers disappears entirely; one may imagine what a commotion this evidently unsettled man of business must have raised during ten years of these varied and numerous changes, and possibly others of which the Directories give no account.

So rapidly and effectively does time erase the evidence of former labors, and so quickly is the past forgotten, that one is surprised and disappointed at not finding more proof on record of what these worthy apostles of work may have done.

Of the nineteen whose names are in the Directory of 1796, traces of the personal history of but two of the number can be found: these are David Shields, before alluded to, and John Parks. In Griffith's "Annals of Baltimore," John Parks is mentioned in the year 1784 as subscribing ten pounds to the funds raised by citizens for the purpose of elevating the courthouse to admit the extension of Calvert street. Then the courthouse stood in the bed of Calvert street, which it spanned, where since has been erected and now stands Battle Monument, commemorating the loss of Baltimore's brave citizens, who gave their lives in defence of their homes against British invasion in 1814.

Among the patriots whose names are inscribed upon this monument by a grateful people, desiring in such way to honor and perpetuate the memory of those who sacrificed themselves in the defence of their homes and firesides, appears that of Joseph Burneston, a hatter, who is found in 1796 doing business at 19 George street, Fell's Point. Thus, while little else is known of Mr. Burneston's career, he is immortalized by a noble deed, and his name is handed down to coming generations to show what sacrifices were made in securing to us that freedom and comfort we now possess, sacrifices which should inspire us with the determination that when similar calls come we will be ready to answer as unhesitatingly as did this patriotic hatter.

From the location of Mr. Burneston's place of business it may be inferred that he was only a hat-maker, having no "front shop" or retail establishment, but was merely a maker of hat bodies to be sold to retailers, who themselves finished and trimmed them ready for sale.

Of the hatters of 1796 there is but one through whom can be connectedly traced Baltimore's hat industry from before the Revolution down to the present time; that one is Jacob Rogers, whose long-continued business career brings personal knowledge of him down to a time quite within the recollection of some now living. Singularly enough, by this solitary instance are we able to connect hatting in 1769 with that of 1890, for it is known that Mr. Rogers learned his trade with Mr. David Shields, who was in business in 1769, and engaged in their occupation to-day are several who were apprenticed to Mr. Rogers.