Читать книгу Baltimore Hats, Past and Present - Brigham William Tufts - Страница 6

No. 5

SO wonderful were the recuperative powers of the American people, after undergoing the trials and sacrifices consequent upon a protracted struggle for liberty, as to surprise the most sanguine advocates of self-government.

Following the train of war came ruin and desolation, but freedom was the birthright of the people, who, though sorely tried by a tremendous outlay in blood and money, were by no means disheartened or discouraged, and without delay they cheerfully took in hand the task of renovation with the same resolute determination that characterized the conflict with their enemies.

The contributions of Maryland to the country's wants during the war were always generous in both men and money. Baltimore, after recovering from the exhaustion consequent upon her constant participation in the seven long years' contest for freedom, commenced the foundation of her future commercial greatness, and early in the present century she had attained a commerce greater in extent than that of many older seaport towns. Baltimore "clippers" were celebrated for their marvelous speed, and their white sails were to be seen in the ports of every foreign nation.

Baltimore kept steadily advancing in population and wealth; compared with her rivals, she was precocious. The town was settled in the year 1730, and its increase shows evidence of growth that must have created a surprise in its early days similar to that now experienced by the development in a few weeks of a full-fledged Western city, with its thousands of inhabitants, from its humble foundation of a few straggling hamlets. New York was settled in 1614, Boston in 1630, Philadelphia in 1682, each being well on in existence before Baltimore was born.

At the close of the Revolutionary War the population of Baltimore was 5000; in 1800 it was 26,614. The first United States census, taken in 1810, places the number at 35,580, and in 1820 it had grown to be a prosperous commercial city of 62,738 inhabitants.

The persistent patriotism of Baltimore throughout the Revolutionary War was proverbial; the strong intelligence of a majority of its citizens, though of foreign birth, gave them an intuitive knowledge of the distinction between right and wrong, and a fine sense of honor and justice prompted them to act as well as theorize, consequently their personal convictions as to the allegiance they owed their adopted country enabled the city of their choice to assume a strong and patriotic attitude in behalf of America's struggle, and incited them to act with the native element in expelling from their midst all who indulged in hostile acts or expressions. But one sentiment prevailed in Baltimore during the period of the war – that of loyalty to country. The courteous attention and honor paid by citizens to many of those who attained distinction in the war lent great assistance to Baltimore in quickly recovering from the damage she had sustained, and gave to the city a renown for hospitality which has remained by her to the present day.

Washington, Lafayette, Count Rochambeau, and many others united in unrestricted praises of Baltimore's patriotism and liberality, and General Vallette, who commanded a French division of troops, declared: "I will never forget the happy days I have passed among you, citizens of Baltimore, and I beg you will believe that your remembrance will be forever dear to my memory."

The famous General Greene, of Rhode Island, on his way homeward from the war in the South, stopped in Baltimore and gave his impression of the city in 1783 as follows:

"Baltimore is a most thriving place. Trade nourishes, and the spirit of building exceeds belief. Not less than three hundred houses are put up in a year. Ground rents are little short of what they are in London. The inhabitants are all men of business."

The period from 1800-30, although interrupted by the war of 1812, when the city was made the immediate battle-ground, was marked by a wonderful growth in both commercial and industrial occupations, and, in common with the general prosperity of the place, hat-making also flourished. In 1810 Maryland is found, from the United States census reports, to have taken the lead in the production of fur hats. Aside from the custom with some retailers of making and finishing the hats they sold, we find in the year 1818 several firms engaged in the manufacture of hats. The products of these factories were distributed throughout the entire South, a section the natural resources of which enabled its people to easily recuperate from the war and quickly become large purchasers and consumers of goods which they did not themselves manufacture. In addition to this desirable field of business was the region of the "Far West," then comprising Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, the rapid increase of which in population by emigration greatly enlarged the demand for the products of Baltimore's hat industry. This being the most accessible seaport city, regular traffic by wagon trains was established, connecting Baltimore with the West, and giving to the former such superior advantages as to enable its enterprising merchants to secure a large trade, which they long and tenaciously held.

The city directories of that period were not, as now-a-days, issued annually, but at intervals of three or four years, and while furnishing much valuable information, cannot be relied upon for complete correctness, the main object of the compiler being to get the names of house-holders and business men, while many who were temporarily employed, and all who were unmarried though permanently employed, were omitted from registration. Thus the Directory of 1818 does not give a full list of hatters in this city at that time, for while it appears that there were in operation in Baltimore twenty-five hat establishments in the year 1818 (five or six of which were extensive manufactories), the Directory does not show any fair proportion of the number that then must have been engaged in the occupation of hat-making. It may be safely estimated from the extent and the activity of this branch of business at that time, that it gave employment to at least three hundred hands.