Ripley County democrat., 1918-02-15
OLD SEA PORTS /.
come TO LIFE
Revival in Shipping Brings Pros
perity to American Sea-
board Towns.
ONCE BUSY KARTs Of TRADE
ssre Spirit That Made Old sals,n
Rieh Now Seen In Merchant Ma !,
riness DevsIopment--New
Ports sprlnalRp Up. 3

whsIhngton. effect of the pres
ent rapid expansion Of the American
merchant marine Is q sudden and uri-
orseedented revival Of business at Ger.
ialn American ports which q Few years
aga were thought to have passed their
zenith.
Bath. Me-, is cited 40 an example.
In the prosperous nineteenth century
days AZ sailing ships Bath was the
eountrys leading shipbuilding port. It
declined steadily after the introduc-
ton cf steel as building material.
Now Bath. building both steel and
wood vessels, is so prosperous that the
housing of the workmen taking Jobs
there vs. a pressing problem. The same
is true Of several other North Atlantic
ports, while In other sections ports
are springing up where none existed
before.
Close observers Of the present re
vival in shipping say that before the
United States shipping boards present
construction plan is completed--a plan
by which vast new merchant feet Is
to be brought into being-the develop
ment Of American ports will parallel
on larger scale that which took
place In the good old days of the
square rtggers."
In earlier times, as at present. every
body In a port touched by the pros
perity Of seagoiag was keeniy inter
ested In shipping. Present-day secre.
cy nhoat contracts sailings ard dlw-
dends. had Its prototype In the secrecy
chat envo)ored such matters more than
~hundsed years tgo. In a score of
American ports notably ID Salem,
Mass.
In those days, we are told. rival
merchants sometimes drove the work
of preparation for voyages night and
day. Ships which get out for foreign
ports were watched when they slipped
their cables and sailed away by Hight
Peroonal Touch In Voyages.
In those times there was more per
sonal tonch In voyages than now, az
every man making a voyage was al
lowed q certnin space In the hold fol
goods OF his own. People In the home
port Of ship outward bound intrust.
ed their savings to their seafarinl
neighbors for ventures In far coun
tries.
This spirit Of commercial adventure
is finding expression today on largei
: and less personal scale, say the experts
of the shipping board; and these stu
dents Of conditions trace the present
enthusiasm Of the nation for seafarinl
to beginnings in definite periods IA
which our old-time ports were at the
height Of their prosperity. In 90 do
ing. they cite Salem ~ q good exam
pie Of what q venturesome people may
gain upon the sea.
Salem at one time stood at the head
Of the cities Of the United States n
the value Of Its imports.
In 1912 II had 126 ships IN the deep
water trade, and Of these, 6S wer'
East Indiamen. These vessels brough
home eargoes Of fabulous richness
silks, indigo, spices. ivory and othel
products of the far East.
There are old people living In Ealen
who remember when the city's ancien'
warehouses were full Of hemp from
Luzon, pepper from Sumatra. coffe'
from Arabia. palm oil from the ives
coast Of Africa, cotton from Bombay
duck and iron from the Baltic. taliov
from Madagascar, salt from .Cadiz
wine from Portugal and the Madeiras
ngs, raisins and almonds from n,
Mediterranean; teas. and silks fron
China: rum, sugar and molasses from
the West Indies: ivory and gum.copa
from Zanzibar; rubber. hides and WOO
from South America. whale oil from tn
Arctic and Antarctic. and the spsru
from the South Seas"
Pioneers In Commerce.
Salem ships were pioneers In open
ting new routes OF commerce. Salen
merchants were the FIRST to bring pep
per from Sumatra. rubber from Soutl
America and coffee from Mocha. III
Salem ship Recovery. Capt. Johl
Ropes. was the coffee pioneer, and b
tween the landing Of her first cargo D
the fragrant berry Ia lTDS and 1S01