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SIDELIGHTS
241
the Dutys may be saved by Shipping it unknown to the Capt. so as not to clear it out there or Enter it here in Such case the Mate might give a Rect for it & the Capt with safety Swear to the truth of his manifest that it is all the Cargo he has on Board to his Knowledge, it is lying at the mercy of the mate, but a clever fellow might be got who would be honest.57
Despite all his efforts, however, by September much still remained in the store:
What thinks you Broke the main beam—180 boxes wg. upwards 50 Tons of Havanna suggr in the middle loft these are removed and B[romfield]'s largest Tierces supply the place, the 40 to 50 Gall. Casks above that & 24 Hhds N. E. Rum & pickled fish below. . . .58
In addition to selling and shipping goods on hand and dealing with current cargoes, George was also busy with plans for the bakehouse. In August he reported that he had procured Spear's bakehouse, located on a small island connected to land near what is now Gay Street by 1000 feet of wharf,59 and a baker, interviewed initially by Henry in Boston and presumably a New Englander.
Early in the summer George, reflecting Henry's ideas, expressed dissatisfaction with the general state of the business, and urged concentration on flour. By August, he was more optimistic, writing that the business ". . . has increased beyond my most Sanguine Expectation . . ." 60 and stating proudly that M Our reputation is now so well established that we can obtain here almost any Credit." 61 Even so, he was not greatly pleased with Henry's next plan for the firm to import goods from Europe for sale in Boston and Baltimore. George was dubious of profits from this scheme and urged concentration instead on the erection of the distillery which would have to be abandoned for lack of capital if importation were begun. His change of mind regarding this proposal began in mid August when he reported, "It is imagined the imports here will not be so great next Spring as they have been— " 62 By the end of August he went so far as to state, "I am more satisfied that success will attend importation than I first apprehended as few here are disposed to import. . . ." 63 His remaining reservations were a comment upon the flourishing state of the firm in Baltimore. The press of business, his recurring illness, and the poor quality of his help had put him behind in his books and made him feel unable to handle the Baltimore branch alone. He urged Henry to return. Francis* illness, however, had left him too ill to undertake the
57 George Johonnot to Henry Johnson and Francis Johonnot, September 17, 1784, JJLB.
58 George Johonnot to Henry Johnson and Francis Johonnot, September 3, 1784, JJLB.
59 J. Thomas Scharf, History of Baltimore City and County, 2 vol. (Philadelphia, 1881), I, 59.
60 George Johonnot to John Bromfield, August 18, 1784, JJLB.
61 George Johonnot to Henry Johnson and Francis Johonnot, August 12, 1784, JJLB.
62 George Johonnot to Henry Johnson, August 16, 1784, JJLB.
63 George Johonnot to Henry Johnson, August 27, 1784, JJLB.
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