Chapter V

In a former chapter, George Douglas was alluded to as having done a very large East India commission business; but the firm of George Douglas & Co., did a heavy business independent of India. This house was one of the very few that, in the contest between General Jackson and the United States Bank, sided with the President against the Bank. Almost all the merchants opposed Jackson. Not so George Douglas, who in 1832 held bank credits to the extent of $300,000. He was advised to sink politics, or not let his political opinions be ventilated until he no longer needed the credits; but Mr. Douglas was not that kind of a man. He avowed his opinions openly and above board. It is needless to add, that the Bank of the United States very speedily closed its accounts with the independent New York Jackson merchant. The stoppage of his credits injured him seriously, but he stood up under it, and although staggered did not fall.

Mr. Douglas was equally independent in other mattars. He was the first merchant who ever refused to receive the consignment of a cargo of brandy or wine, because he was a temperance man and meant to be consistent. But this did Mr. Donglas:—He actually sacrificed $20,000 or $30,000 worth of commission because he would not sell wines or liquors even by the cargo. He never said, "others will do it if I refuse, and I may as well earn the commission as any other merchant!"

Mr. D. has always allowed his name to be used, whenever and wherever it could do good to the cause of democracy. In 1844 he was one of the democratic electors at large, and voted for James K. Polk. In 1845, James Hagarty, the United States consul at Liverpool died, and Mr. Douglas became an applicant for his post. John Tyler was at that time rewarding Tyler men as fast as it was possible for him to do. He had only one month more to do it in; and so he rejected Mr. Douglas, appointing a Connecticut Yankee named Joel White. White's claims were irresistible, for he was post master of a small town, and "an original Tyler man." His appointment was upheld by two special post-office agents, and also by Mr. Holbrook, now special agent of New York and New England, but who was then a Tyler editor in the Connecticut village of Norwich.

But to return to the East India merchants. The large capital required in this business kept the mass of merchants from operating in that quarter of the world. A large tea firm, Smith & Nicoll, were very heavy importers until they failed. The sons however carried on the business for some years, as the old concern had the good fortune to owe the United States a few hundred thousand dollars—never since paid. One of these sons, Henry T. Nicoll, represented State street and Bowling Green in Congress for two years.

About twenty-five years ago the China trade underwent a complete change. A new class of men entered into it, and enlarged it very much. Up to 1834, the cargo of an East Indiaman, from China, was principally tea. A small quantity of China' ware, ditto preserved ginger in cases of six jars each, costing in Canton $4,25, but sold here to-day for $9; a few hundred boxes of fire crackers, forty packages in each box, costing sixty cents in Canton, and sold here then for $1 to $1,12, but now worth from $2,50 to $3; a few thousand mats of cassia or Chinese cinnamon, weighing a pound or more, and used in stowing cargoes. This trash cinnamon is the only kind used in the United States, the real cinnamon from Ceylon, such as is used in London by the great families, coming too high for American use. It can only be had here of druggists. The nasty stuff from China called cinnamon, impregnated with bilge water, is ground up and sold as cinnamon by all the grocers in the United States. It costs about one cent per pound in Canton. The cargo was commonly completed with silks.

A house called F. & N. G. Carnes, two brothers, had a firm in Paris and one in this city. Frank Carnes resided in Paris, and. N. G. in New York. They had made a fortune by importing drugs, fancy goods &c, from Paris. These gentlemen took it into their heads that as the Chinese were a very imitative people, they could send out samples of every fancy article made in Paris, and have it made in China at one-tenth part of the cost. An experienced clerk in their employ was sent out in a ship which they purchased called the "Howard." The speculation succeeded, and such a cargo was never brought to this country before. The profit was immense. Very small quantities of Chinese matting had been brought in any one ship up to that time. But the "Howard" had on board 4-4 6-4 5-4 7-4 of all sizes, patterns and colors—black, white, checker goods, fine, coarse, and so forth. Over 6,000 rolls came in, and the owners doubled their money.

The next trip of the "Howard" was to "be a great one. N. G. Cames had a tongue, great energy, and plans sufficient in his head to load and employ ten Chinese ships; but he lacked the needful money; so he inveigled two other houses, both blessed with plenty of money, into the Chinese trade. One of these firms Gracie, Prime & Co., composed of A. Gracie, Rufus Prime, and John C. Jay; the other firm was Henry & William Delafield, two twin brothers, red-headed and perfect images of each other. The arrangement for a fair share of profits was duly made, and N. G. Carnes was told he might "sail in." He did. The ships "Washington," "Romulus," and "Thomas Dickinson," were respectively chartered, and added to the China fleet, of which the "Howard" was No. 1. B. T. Obear, who commanded the "Howard" was changed to the "Washington," and a Captain Wainwright to the "Howard," a Mr. Butler being sent out as supercargo of the "Romulus." That ship made an awful business of it. She was gone eighteen months. The captain, one Haring, was one of the boys, i. e. mad as a March hare. Once when he thought the ship was sinking, he locked up Supercargo Butler in his cabin while he and the crew fled to the boats. Seeing however that the ship did not sink, they shortly after returned and brought her home. But Butler got the best of the old fellow in a trial which occurred in New York, after the arrival of the ship. He made the old captain pay swinging damages. The "Romulus" however brought home a very valuable cargo, and did well.

The "Thomas Dickinson" carried out a supercargo, younger than the rest; but what he lacked in experience he made up in luck. The ship made the passage out in 97 days, and returned home in 90. But such cargoes were never heard of before, and in most cases the quantity of articles ordered was so extensive that the market was overstocked, and prices actually soon ranged lower in New York than in Canton! P. L. Mills—who died up in Connecticut last May—was the auctioneer for the concern. Philo Mills had two partners—a brother, who became insane about the Westchester prophet, Mathias, and Thomas M. Hooker, who married a daughter of John H. Rowland.

In these cargoes every fan ever made in France was re-copied by the Chinese, and hundreds of cases of feather, palm, silk, ivory, mother-of-pearl and peacock fans included. Palm leaf fans were abundant; and one of these ships brought $20,000 worth of those articles alone. Some of the finer fans cost $5 each. In addition to this every drug known in Europe, Carnes had imitated in China. There is a wood in China, which when cut up into proper sizes resembles the real Turkey rhubarb. It is yellowish and has a taste like our American sumach. Carnes ordered a hundred tin cans (just as the genuine Turkey rhubarb is packed) to be packed with this yellow wood, and sold it for the original article, thus clearing several hundred times its cost. Since then this mock China-wood, called rhubarb, has become a regular article of trade, and has superseded the genuine Turkey rhubarb. The latter has not probably been seen in this country for ten years, unless brought over by some family from London or Paris for domestic use. Of course the yellow dog-wood, or China rhubarb, is harmless, and so is sawdust; but if as large a quantity of sawdust were to be poked down children as there is of this mock rhubarb, deaths would be (as they are) fearfully large from this cause alone.

Carnes also sent out a sample of pure attar of roses, worth $25 an ounce. The Chinese Samski made a capital imitation, costing ahout sixpence an ounce, for imitation attar of roses. About 10,000 ounces came out in one ship, and druggists and perfumers bought it up rapidly at from ten to fifteen dollars an ounce. Cassia buds, Chinese cammomile flowers, and in fact every known drug, were imported.

From Paris and London the most famous sauces, condiments, preserves, sweetmeats, syrups, etc., were procured. The Chinese imitated them all, even to the fac similes of the printed London or Paris labels, and $20,000 worth at least of these imitations were imported at prices underselling the London and Paris manufacturers. An immense profit was realized. But the fireworks that Carnes ordered were tremendous. Every pattern, shade and name appeared. Fire-crackers, rockets, revolving wheels, and all the rest. But these did not take so well, and some of these fireworks are still remaining in the market unsold.

The writer, who happened to be mixed up in these events, bought fifty cases of jos sticks and fifty cases of punk, with flint, steel, pouch, and so forth; and he sold to Madame Newcombe, who kept her tobacco store in Broadway, between Liberty and Cedar streets, a large lot. She probably has some yet.

Every species of lacquer ware, basket, or card case, ever made in London or Paris, was imitated closely by the Chinese; and New York was flooded. Chessmen, back-gammon boards, fifty in a case; they came in cargoes almost.

Every article of horn was imitated—one invoice being 100,000 horn scoops, to be used in the drawers of grocers and druggists to ladle out sugar, salt, or any powdered stuff. There is hardly a druggist in this city to-day who does not possess some samples of the Chinese horn scoops.

For the first time, rice paintings were brought out to this country as an article of commerce. Who does not remember old Aaron Levy, who held night auctions on the second floor, between Cedar and Liberty, opposite Mrs. Newcombe's and the City Hotel? Levy was as great a humbug, with his "old master paintings," as Leeds is by some regarded at the present day; but he was a pretty honest old fellow, as auctioneers go. The supercargo of the "Thomas Dickinson" gave Mr. Levy a thousand of them, assorted, large and small sized silk books, each containing twelve plates of Chinese paintings, chiefly of birds, beasts, fish, prisoners, games, whipping-scenes, Chinese punishments, laborers, flowers, fruits, &c. Well, they took amazingly. They cost the supercargo twelve dollars per hundred in China; but old Levy ran off every book at over a dollar each on the average, making a snug profit of about eight hundred dollars nett on this small matter.

There had been, up to 1833, but a few varieties of China silks imported. Carnes sent samples of Italian, English and French silks, and the Chinese imitated them not only to perfection, but actually improved on the patterns sent. But the tendency of these importations from China was to reduce the price of all silks. The shawls imported by the Carnes concern were never equalled, and the South American markets were supplied from New York for ten years after with the most costly crimson, scarlet, white, cream-colored and pink shawls, at prices varying from fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars each. The result of the combination was not such as was expected; the business was overdone. Some few articles paid enormous profits, others did not bring here the first cost in Canton. Duty was high, and of course; the freight on such cases of goods as fans, woodenware, and baskets, was enormous. It was decided by these firms to close up, and to abandon the China trade. Their losses were heavy; and so the old ship "Howard" was sold, and bought in by Gracie, Prime & Co., to place in the Liverpool line of packets.

It is hardly necessary for me to say that the great Canton merchants looked with scorn on these irregular interlopers—such men as the Griswolds, Olyphants, Russels, Hoyts, &c, these old India traders of New York. In Rhode Island, was the house of Edward Carrington & Co., immensely in the India trade. The Wetmores were connected with this house, and formed a New York concern called Wetmore, Cryder & Co. Cryder was from London. The China trade to America was not confined to New York and Eastern ports. The city of Philadelphia had merchants extensively engaged in the trade. They had great advantages in capital while the United States Bank was in existence, but labored under a corresponding, disadvantage in regard to market. The China cargoes, although owned in Philadelphia, had to be sold in New York, and a heavy commission paid to New York commission merchants. There were immense operators in Philadelphia twenty-five years ago. Bevan & Humphreys, Samuel Comly, John McCrea, Henry Toland, and such men are the names that occur to me. John McCrea owned nineteen ships at one time, or rather he had them mortgaged at one time. His agents in New York were Rogers & Co., one of the most remarkable houses that ever existed in New York. Lewis Rogers was a Virginian by birth, and he had a house in Havre (France) called Lewis Rogers & Co. In Paris, he was connected with the great bankers Fould & Fould Opponheim. The Monsieur Fould of that concern is now the great finance minister of the Emperor Napoleon. Through this combination, Lewis Rogers got certain immense contracts to supply the French government with tobacco—what is called "The Regie contract," and the profits were immense. Rogers was a very handsome man, and it is said his influence at the Court of Louis Philippe to get tobacco contracts, was more owing to his good looks than to his mercantile sagacity. In New York, the house of Rogers & Co. was managed by one of the shrewdest merchants that ever lived in New York—Charles Sagory, to wit. This gentleman came from France in the time of the elder Napoleon, to escape the conscription. He became connected with the then greatest firm ever known in New York. I allude to Le Roy, Bayard & Co. In that house Mr. Sagory acquired a vast mercantile experience, and when he became a partner of the branch house of Rogers & Co., he brought to it a capital superior to money.

In Richmond, the firm was Rogers, Harrison & Gray. In New Orleans, James Gray & Co. In London, (England) the connection was Warwick & Claggett. W. S. Warwick was from Richmond also, and the largest tobacco dealer in London.