Evening star., 1938-05-15

4 that was only for short
while following the removal here from
Philadelphia, in 1900, of the Con-
gresS and the public offices, for by
1910 Washington had a population OF
6,208, while Georgetown had only
4,948. But even then and for a
number of years later the people OF
the new Capital had to depend upon
the merchants of Georgetown for
many of the necessaries of life and
comfort. Indeed, for upward of half
a century before the coming of the
Government here Georgetown was
one of the principal shipping ports
of this country and included many
successful merchants, including Rob-
ert Peter, John Laird & Son, George
Peabody, Forrest. Stoddert g. Muir
dock; James Dunlop, Charles Beatty,
Thomas Corcoran, James M. Lingan,
Elisha Riggs Edward Lnthicum,
Thomas Richardson, William Deakins,
jr., and others.
Today We can get only faint idea
of the great amount of commerce once
carried on in this part of the District
of Columbia, but fortunately some
of the people and newspapers of the
early days did believe in keeping and
printing matters worthy of saving,
and so We find in the columns Of the
National Messenger a daily account
of arrival and departure of merchant
vessels to and from this port, and on
October 25, 1877 We read: Entered
Henry Dennison, Capt. Thorp, New
York; Gold Hunter, Farrow, st. An
drews, sloop Pike, Kennon, Balti-
more. Cleared-schooner Fair Amer
lean. Speare, Nanjemoy; Ranger,
Freeman, o. P. Comfort; Milly David,
Nottingham; Resident, Adams. Alex
andria, and teamboat, Union Shreves,
do"
Two days later the list includes
schooner Boulitta, Capt. Sylvester,
"54 days from Madeira; wine to Fran
els Adams, jun" (and here the name
Adams is divided on the first IA
Adams" which no printer on The
Star would do today The schooner
Henrietta is also given. Capt. Nevet,
''64 hours from Baltimore; dry goods,
groceries, etc. to merchants of the
District. At 8 o'clock this morning
passed barque Mary and brig Com
merce, below Cedar Point Narrows,
bound up.
Schooner Union. Cole, l6 days
from St. Andrews; plaster, to LaWra-
son and Fowle.
"Entered-Sloop Montezuma, Palm
er, Norfolk
Team Boat Union, Shreve, George
town"
EARTHER on we find this item:
Sailed yesterday, ship Hazard.
Crabtree, for Norfolk. Just as the
ship got under way a sailor fell from
the main yard and was drowned-the
wind blew strong from northwest. AS
no communication took place between
the ship and the shore, after this acci-
dent, his name has not yet been OBJ
tained. Several persons on shore saw
him fall, and suppose him to be for
eigner. Steps were taken on board
to save him, but he did not rise after
he touched the water"
Robert Peter, one of the principal
merchants of Georgetown referred to,
was Scotsman and came from Garn-
kirke, near Glasgow. He first stopped
In Blandensburg, Md. but, about 1852,
established himself in the tobacco ex-
port business in Georgetown, where
he represented the firm of John Glass
ford g. Co., of North Britain, Glasgow.
His business house in Georgetown was
known as Rock Creek Store, but his
enterprises grew to such proportions
that at one time he employed Nicholas
King, the surveyor, to look after his
real estate interests.
r OBERT PETER was one of those
men who did not believe in get
ting married early in life, or maybe
1t was that he was willing, but pre-
ferred to wait until he was able prop
erly to support wife. At any rate,
prior to the American Revolution, it
being the practice to penalize bach
elors, we find the Maryland Assembly
taxing unmarried men over the age
of 25 years, and a list of those so
taxed by the Assembly in 1855, to
aid in conducting the French-Indian
War, was recorded in the minutes of
St Pauls Crock Creek Church, and
includes, in addition to the names, the
amount in pounds that they had to
pay, as follows:
Hugh Riley on the drafts of
Rock Greek $500
Willm. Wales on Capt. john 200
Willm. Offut the Sd near the
Upper Falls Potomacke- $50
Nathll. Magrouder Inspector
Rock Greek $50
Robt. Peter in Georgetown- 300
Anthony Holmead near the
mouth of r. 900
Walter Eavins on the Eastern
brahcn n------------------- 800
Barton Lucas near the Eastern
Branch 100
James Colemore on the Paint
brancn----- - - 500
William Needham at Widow
Needham's 700
Lodwick Davis near the head
OF Slnecon- 300
Robert Beall son Of James on the
North 140
Alexr Beall son of James on the
North $50
James Brook Junr. near James
Brooks Mill 300
Joseph Percy near the North
West 80 200
John Riggs near Halling River 100
Zachariah Offutt near the Great
Falls----- --- - 100
Robert Mundell in George Town 300
Archibald Orms mouth Of Rock
oFssk----------------------- 800