The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-24
HAVRE.D GRACE.
It's Prosperity, History, and Surroundings.

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the recollection of many whose heads have
whitcned with the hoar frosts of age the intense
feeling OF greed occasioned by the near approach
to the finishing stroke of the engineer on that
important link of internal navigation the "Sus-
quehanna and Tide Water Canal, connecting
Philadelphia and Baltimore with the vast boards
of wealth then lying inert and unproductve in
the forests, mines, and prolific fields of Pennsyl-
vana and Southern New York. In regard to
the values of building lots in this ancient town,
anterior to the projection of the canal, the
chief and absorbing pursuits occupying the pc
riodical attention of its sparse population, were
fishing in sprng-time and gaming in autumn,
the interval filed up by knitting of the seine,
tho repair of their duck guns and the remaining
time spent or wasted in aquatic sports the spin
ming of yarns, and interchange of friendly visits
Reversing the order of things. in the natural
habits of the black bear, incubating during the
season of the year when all other occupations
are aroused to activity and vigorous effort, dur
ing the summer the unique characteristics of its
inhabitants were exhibited in one peculiar to
seaboard life, the genuine philosophy of rest or
repose
No cankcring cares ploughed their corrugated
lines upon their smooth and placid brows. Jolly
hosptable, and kind, they were indifferent,
whether "school was kept" or otherwise. Al
though not nscribing upon the tablets of time
and the hearts of their nation, an illustrous
reputation and name, their homely domicis
were those of no small degree of comfort, plea
sure, and content.
Every place, however remote and obscure,
has its "reminiscences of incident has a history
This town has its legends of the past, its ro-
nance. England furnished its Jack Shep-
pard and Clifford. The vicinity of this town
was the theatre of the exploits of the daring
yet generous highwaymen, Hare and Hutton.
During the struggle of this country in 1912
with Great Britain, Havre- de-Grace challenged
the chivalry of the world in the acts of its
adopted citizen O'Neil, during the disas-
trous, and to us disgraceful, ncursions of the
execrable incendiary Cockburn on the shores
of the Chesapeake Bay, and the attack by gun
boats on this town, then hamlet of a few
houses. This gallant son of Erin alone, con-
fronted and maintained his position in the un-
equal combat, loading and firing his musket
until knocked down and disarmed by the dis
embarked red coats after which they plundered
and burned the few time-stained shanties COM
prising the village; then electrified the old
continents and cities of Europe with the asto-
nishing intelligence of the capitulaton and cap
ture of ''Havre-de-G Grace" and few days later
the downfall of the fortified town of French
town." consisting of a tavern and one or two
habitations of poverty which had not even an
ONeil to elicit their pugnacity.
These glorious feats of the wooden walls of
the Mistress of the Seas gave occasion to illumi-
nations and rejoicings, on the part of our old
uuerulous mamma, that she was not yet inca
pacitated by age to fog us for being so naughty
as to question her prerogative in the enforce
ment of laws regulating free trade and sailors
rights" 1t is manifest, therefore, that this now
quiet and unostentatious city occupies upon the
page of thrilling incident no mean place. 1t
will be borne in mind, also, that it was pertina-
ciously insisted upon as the most eligible site for
our National Capitol. 1t has had also its histo-
rical panics and pecuniary ebullitions 1t came
to pass, as the wheels of time and fortune re-
volved, the placidity of its quaint denizens was
destined to be excited and disturbed.
Cupidity, that great agitating element of our
fallen nature which has caused in our day a
disregard and severance of the most ancient anC
sacred ties, domestic and fraternal, in quest o
the golden placers of California and Australia
burst with resistless power upon the proprietor
ship of Havre-de- Grace, causing them to ignore
all propriety and sense of justice in the estima
ton of values upon their building lots, charging
fabulously eXtravagant prices-resultng in the
encouragement of capital investments for bus
ness or residence. Speculation was rife, many
suffered by the explosion OF Lnc eVancscenJ QUO
BILE or became hopelessly bankrupt in attempting
to carry the weight of its fictitious reputation a.
he prospective centre of trade; it being, instead
the distributing point for the commodities of the
valley of the Susquehanna and its dependencies
The great mistake of such was in not compre
hending that the relation and nature of all bust
ness is to seek the great absorbing metropolitan
cities attracting centripetally the elementary
resources upon which their very existence de-
pends.
Those days of abnormal disturbance passeC
away with its victims. Then the original inhabi
tants, with those from other States casting thei
lots with them, engaged in legitimate avoca
tions and have pursued the even tenor of thei
way, despite discouragements, and have slowl
but surely advanced, until thrift and modes
prosperity are evinced in all the surroundings O
persons and place. 1t is becoming almost i'm
perceptbly city of note and Importance espe
cially as regards the interests OF manufacture
A nucleus is formed around which is clusterin
manufactures, assuming proportions that Civ
promise in the future OF operation
of such magnitude as not to be cor
iectured by the most sanguine and ardent.
The shipments have been and continue heavy
It's Merchant Touring mill demands the cereal
of the surrounding fertile fields. The saw mill
in and near it, on Swan creek, turn out million
of feet of lumber that reach our city via Chesa
neake and Delaware Canal in barges, and b
,essels distributed throughout the district
bordering on the noble Chesapeake Bay an
contiguous sounds of the Carolinas, and OF th'
4 f,nv hn tUh