The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-04-02
BALTIMORE, OUR HIS
T0RlC METROPOLIS.
Was The Subject of an Address
Delivered on rlaryIands Day by
Mr. z. z. SiiSer.

AT the maryland Day exercises
conducted jointly by the Grammer and
High Schools of Oakland Mr.. R. E.
Sliger, Cashier of the First National
Bank, made the principal address which
is published in full as follows:
When we refer to Baltimore as 'our
historic metropolis, we are stating a
fact of which every citizen of this grand
old state of Maryland is justly proud
Baltimore is a historic city, and the
history of the United States cannot be
written without taking in the history
of Maryland and its metropolis.
We find that the city of Baltimore had
its beginning in the year 1923. Owing
to the many natural advantages of
Baltimore county, its fertile soil and
the abundance of natural food near the
Chesapeake Bay, it was found necess-
airy to provide an outlet for these natu-
raj resources, and we find the following
act passed by the Assembly IN 1929:
IAN act for the erecting of a town on
the north side of the Patapsco in Balti-
more county, and for laying out into
lots, sixty acres of land IN and about
the place where one John Fleming now
lives"
To those of you who are familiar with
Baltimore, might say that John Flem-
ing lived at what is now the intersection
of Charles and Lombard streets. do
not know the price of land in this sec
ton at this time, but 1t will certainly
sell for many hundreds of dollars per
front foot, !and yet the price paid for
this original sixty acres was forty shill-
ings per acre, or about ten dollars.
A survey was then made and the plot
divided into sixty lots of about one acre
each, and on January 14th, 1880, an Of
flee was opened for purchasers.
The sale of lots in no way resembled
some of the land booms of our present
time. Purchasers were few and some
of these lots reverted to the original
land owners after remaining untaken
for seven years. Separated from the
proposed town by Jones Falls and
marsh was Jones Town which was an
nexed in 1743, and the name Baltimore
given to the whole town. The growth
was slow at first, and in 1852, twenty
two years after the town was started,
there were only twenty-five houses, in
GLIDING the school house and a church,
and the total population was about two
hundred.
The first large increase in the popu-
lation of Maryland occurred in a rather
unusual manner. Like in all new coun-
ties there was serious Inconvenience
from lack of labar and a contract was
made with England, much to the cha
grin of the good people of Baltimore,
for from fifteen to twenty thousand
convicts which were brought to Mary
land and sold into servitude tor the
price of their passage. These became
identified with the people and after their
term of servitude had expired became
good and useful citizens, some of them
rising to positions of prominence.
In order to give you some idea of the
growth OF Baltimore, | may say that
the population in 1890 was Is, SOB; in
1890 it was 434, 439, and in 1910, when
the last census was taken, it was $685.
485. There are at least 100000 per-
sons living just outside the limits of the
city proper and form a part Of its
population.
Baltimore has every natural advan-
tage for commercial and industrial de-
velopment. 1t has large commodious
harbor on tide water and is the natural
center of trade and commerce for the
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. 1t
is nearer to the great soft coal regions,
and the grain fields of the West than
any of the Atlantic seaooard cities.
Baltimore leads all American cities in
the export of coal and corn, and is sec
ond only to the city of New York in the
export of wheat. The exports from the
port of Baltimore amount to over $780,
O00,00O annually, and the imports will
reach half this amount. In addition to
the many thousand vessels used in the
bav trade, there are thirty-four steam
ship lines engaged IN foreign and do
mestic trade. All the large railroads
OF the Eastern United States reach
Baltimore.
The broad flat plains around the city
make excellent factory sites; and we find
that there are twenty seven hundred
factories with an annual output of $780,
100000. These factories give employ
ment to ninety-fve thousand persons.
In the production of canned goods, cot
ton duck, fertilizers and straw hats,
Baltimore is the first city in the world;
and in the manufacture Of clothing, IS
only surpassed by Chicago.
Baltimore is the gateway between
the North and the South and is the en-
trance to the West. Midway between
North and South in the dark days of
81, she was torn between her allegi-
ance to both. Today she unites the
L., ! 4,sl r