Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/276

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256 BALTIMORE For the use of several of these railroads an im- mense tunnel traverses the city, with open cuts at intervals, from the western limits to tide water at Canton. There is also a railroad from Annapolis, the state capital, which joins the Washington branch road. The " Tide-wa- ter canal " has never proved productive ; but the Chesapeake and Ohio canal has of late years been prosperous. Baltimore suffered severely during the civil war, but since that time has rapidly increased both in population and commercial activity. Two lines of Euro- pean steamers now start from her harbor; and through her two great arteries of traffic, the Baltimore and Ohio and the Northern Cen- tral railroads, this city is successfully compet- ing for the trade of the west and northwest. The coasting trade is also extending. In 1871 there were inspected at Baltimore 137 steam- ers, with a tonnage of 40,752. Of the vessels trading to her port 398 were American, 358 British, and 53 North German. The total ex- ports for 1871 were $18,000,000, an increase of nearly 50 per cent, over 1870. The principal articles exported were flour and meal, grain, tobacco, cotton, rosin, oil cake, petroleum, ba- con, butter, cheese, and lard. The principal articles imported were coffee, sugar, guano, hides, iron, tin plates, cotton, flour, grain, and naval stores. The receipts of Cumberland coal for 1871 were 1,458,920 tons; of grain, 11,- 774,303 bushels; of cotton, 112,989 bales; of naval stores spirits turpentine 22,852 bbls., ros- in 79,352 bbls., tar 11,302 bbls., pitch 1,941 bbls. The inspections of flour were 1,123,028 bbls. ; of tobacco, 49,571 hhds. ; of leather, 352,646 sides. Importations of sugar, 126,619 hhds., 49,129 bags, 55,044 boxes; of coffee, 556,995 bags. The canning of oysters, fruits, and veg- etables is estimated to reach the annual value of $5,000,000. The boot and shoe trade is also becoming one of importance. New cotton fac- tories are building and old ones adding to their capacity; number of spindles in 1872, 137,000; number of bales of cotton used, from 40,000 to 50,000. The productive industry of Baltimore comprises 2,261 establishments, employing 28,- 178 hands, with a value in products of $51,- 106,278. The assessed value of property with- in the city limits, which is much below its real value, is $207,181,550. The debt of the city is $27,809,025 47. From this are to be deducted $12,023,006 25, on which the interest is pro- vided for by various works of public improve- ment, and $10,786,888 16 invested in other productive investments; actual debt, $4,999,- 071 06; unproductive investments, $4,477,364 79. It was not till 1729 that the assembly of Maryland passed an act entitled " An act for erecting a town on the north side of the Pa- tapsco in Baltimore county," although settle- ments had been made at an earlier date, the first of which was by Charles Gorsuch, a Qua- ker, who in 1662 patented 50 acres of land on Whetstone Point, opposite the eastern section of the present city. In 1682 David Jones, the | first settler on the N. side of the harbor, gave his name to the small stream which now di- vides Baltimore into "old town" and "new town." On Jan. 12, 1730, a town of 60 acres was laid out W. of Jones's falls, and called Baltimore in honor of Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore. In the same year William Fell, a ship carpenter, having purchased a tract E. of the falls, called it Fell's Point. In 1732 a new town of 10 acres, in 20 lots, was laid out on the east of the falls, and called Jonestown, in honor of David Jones, the first settler. This name has long been forgotten, and as a settle- ment existed there before that of Baltimore, it was called " old town." Jonestown was united to Baltimore in 1745, dropping its own name, and two years afterward Baltimore, which properly lay up about the head of the " basin," near the foot of the present South Charles street, was extended as far eastwardly as Jones's falls, under an express provision that there was nothing in the act recognizing a right to " elect delegates to the assembly as representatives from the town." This was the earliest mani- festation of that singular jealousy which has ever since been shown in the legislature by the Maryland county members against the city of Baltimore. In 1752 Baltimore contained but 25 houses and 200 inhabitants. In 1750 sev- eral of the unfortunate Acadians took refuge in Baltimore, and were hospitably received. The county town was removed from Joppa to Baltimore in 1767, and the courts and records were established there ; during the next year provision was made for the erection of a court house and prison. The court house stood upon the site of the present Battle monument in Calvert street, but much higher, and the whippingpost was to be seen adjoining till 1808, when the old court house was pulled down. In 1773 William Goddard began the first news- Saper in Baltimore, entitled the "Maryland ournal and Baltimore Advertiser." In the same year communication was opened with Philadelphia by means of stage coaches and sailing packets, and a theatre was also erected onAlbemarlo street. In 1775 Baltimore con- tained 564 houses and 5,934 inhabitants. In 1776, Philadelphia having been menaced by the British, congress established itself in Baltimore, in Jacob File's building, on the S. E. corner of Baltimore and Liberty streets. John Adams says of this building in his journal : " The con- gress sits in the last house at the west end of Market street (as Baltimore street was former- ly called), on the south side of the street; a long chamber with two fireplaces, two large closets, and two doors. The house belongs to a Quaker, who built it for a tavern." The place where this " last house at the west end " once stood is now in the very heart of the city. In 1780 the first custom house in Balti- more was established ; before that time all registers and clearances were obtained at An- napolis. In 1784 the first market house, which stood near the intersection of Market with Gay