The old merchants of New York City / by Walter Barrett.

14b

THE OLD.RMER CHIA.'TS

C. P. White had a large family. All the ten brothers were in the concern. The last, Decimus, died
young.
The old Doctor White was a famous man. He was
thel most elegant man that ever appeared in the old-time
ball rooms. He was the very impersonation of what
was known as an Irish gentleman.
Alexander Brown was a fine old fellow, but he was
not a circumstance to Doctor White. The elegance of
the latter made his society courted by all the leading ladies of Baltimore. I think he was an Episcopalian.
White is not an Irish name. It is originally English,
and one of the family went to Ireland in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth, and settled in Leinster, at Dublin,
where they were Episcopalians.
Another son was Joseph White. He married a
daughter of the celebrated William Pinkney of Maryland. He was a great lawyer in his day. He was U,
S. Senator from Maryland. He had been the U. S.
Ambassador in England previous to the war of 1812.
He was recalled just on the eve of the declaration of
the war. He came home in the frigate " Essex," Commodore Porter, and landed in New York city early in
1812. The " Essex " was sent out for him expressly,
so soon as President Madison had determined on war,
in consequence of the repeated British attacks on the
commerce of the country.
Joseph White managed the distillery in Baltimore.
He attended to it in a manner that few men would do
who had a large capital. He was at the distillery early
and late, and when thle mash tub required it, worked all
night He was affable and popular with the large number of men employed, and was always on the best of
terms with them, and with manlkind generaily. Even