THE TRENTON VISIT
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Although originally planned to be of only a week's duration, Theo's
visit to the Croydens stretched on into the second week before any one
seemed to realize it. Ten days passed and still the lad had not been
to the porcelain works--one of his chief aims in coming to
Trenton. Each morning at breakfast Mrs. Croyden presented so many
delightful plans for the day, and was so eager to have Theo accompany
her to the golf club, the tennis club, or for a motor ride, that the
hours sped by and night came only too soon.
For Mrs. Croyden was a marvelous comrade for a boy, a strange mixture
of youthfulness and maturity; of feminine charm and masculine freedom
from conventionality. She loved boys and understood how to be one with
them, and in consequence the friendship that at first had extended
only to Mr. Croyden Theo now stretched to include her. Nor did the
stretching demand effort. Who could have resisted the sweet wholesome
interest of this fascinating woman with her soft brown eyes, her quick
sympathy, and her girlish love of sport?
As the days fled by a tie of real affection strengthened between them,
and Theo found himself talking with an amazing freedom of his dreams
and ambitions; of his chums; and of his life at home. To all these
things Mrs. Croyden listened earnestly, now and then putting in a word
of interest or encouragement. Sometimes in the evening Mr. Croyden
joined in these talks; and sometimes all three of them abandoned life
and its problems and went to the theatre, or to a moving picture show.
"I declare, Theo, I don't know how we are to do without you when you
go back home," exclaimed Mr. Croyden one night at dinner. "It will
leave a big hole in the house, won't it, Madeline?"
Mrs. Croyden nodded and a shadow passed across her face.
"I wish we might borrow Theo for a long, long time," she sighed
wistfully. "But I suppose your family would not listen to that,
laddie."
"I'm afraid not," Theo answered. "Mother seems to be getting a little
impatient as it is. She thinks I've been gone a pretty long time."
"Long? Nonsense! Why, you've only just come," Mr. Croyden said
emphatically. "Up to now you have been visiting Mrs. Croyden. You
haven't been my guest at all. Haven't we got the porcelain works ahead
of us? That will take the best part of another week."
"Then I am afraid I'd better be getting at it," laughed Theo, "for
Mother writes we're to leave for Lake George the middle of July."
"Mercy on us!" blustered Mr. Croyden. "I don't see how you can. The
middle of July? That settles it. There must be no more kidnapping
Theo for golf or tennis, Madeline. From now on he is to be my
guest. Understand that."
Mrs. Croyden bowed her head with amusing meekness.
"It shall be as you say, my lord," she answered. "But are you
expecting to take Theo to the factory every moment of every day?"
"I don't know," was the grim reply. "That will all depend on how
rapidly he learns the business."
There was a general laugh.
"How long has it taken you to learn it, Mr. Croyden?" questioned Theo
mischievously.
"Me? Oh, about thirty years."
"Then at that rate I see I shall not get to Lake George this season,"
returned the boy with a smile.
"Oh, I'll be easy with you this first time," Mr. Croyden answered. "I
cannot afford to kill you or get you frightened, or you never will
come again."
"I guess you needn't worry about my not coming again," Theo
retorted. "I have had far too good a time."
"I am glad of that," the elder man asserted heartily.
"And I, too, Theo," murmured Mrs. Croyden. "Do not forget that you
have given us far more pleasure than you could possibly have received.
Mr. Croyden and I are often very lonely for a son like you. It has
been a boon to have you here. That is why you must not let this
ambitious husband of mine tire you all out by setting you too
strenuously at porcelain-making," she added playfully. "Is it
to-morrow that you plan to drag Theo forth on this crusade to the
factory, my dear?"
Mr. Croyden glanced up at the words.
"Yes, to-morrow morning. I shall take Theo down to the works with me
directly after breakfast," he answered. "You better get to bed early
to-night, son, so to be prepared for the worst."
"I shan't waste any worry about the trip," grinned Theo as they rose
from the dinner table.
It was a warm night, and the three strolled out on the veranda, which
overlooked the green of the country club.
"I suppose," Theo remarked, "nobody has any idea when pottery and
porcelain were first made in America."
"Barring out the pottery of the Mound Builders, the American Indians,
and the early clay work done in West Virginia I imagine our modern
china was first introduced into America at Philadelphia," Mr. Croyden
said. "At least records would indicate that to be the case. Between
1760 and 1770 potteries sprung up there and thrived so lustily that
Wedgwood noted their success and urged the English government to check
them lest they injure English trade. At these Philadelphia factories
hard porcelain with a good quality of glaze was turned out; also much
blue and white stone-china in the form of jars, butter-pots, bowls,
and plates. Some mortars and pestles such as Wedgwood himself made
were also manufactured, so what wonder that he was disturbed at the
thought of losing the monopoly? In a letter to a friend he speaks of
pottery being made in the Carolinas as well, and declares it would be
a great calamity were the colonies to begin making their own dishes."
"The idea!" burst out Theo.
"It was business," replied Mr. Croyden. "Of course England would far
rather ship her wares to America and collect the revenue than to have
the colonists learn to do without her. For a long time, as the early
papers assure us, crates of Queen's ware and the coarser brown
earthenwares, as well as quantities of stone-china continued to be
shipped to America, and advertised for sale. In the meantime,
however, the new settlers were contriving to make earthenware jars,
jugs, flasks, mugs, and teapots of their own, and supplemented by the
pewter dishes they had brought with them from England, they were
managing to get on very well without outside aid. Not only was salt
glaze pottery manufactured in Philadelphia along with a small amount
of real porcelain, but in such Connecticut towns as Norwalk, Hartford,
and Stonington experiments with earthenware were also being made. By
1810 the Secretary of the Treasury reported great progress in the
manufacture of Queen's ware, and it is evident from what he says that
by this time the coarser varieties of earthenware were being very
generally manufactured; he also mentions four factories for the finer
types of porcelain-making."
"I think we did pretty well to get to making so much chinaware in such
a short time," Theo observed.
"We did do well for a new country," agreed Mr. Croyden, "but you must
remember we had the whip-lash of necessity at our backs. The wares
imported from England were very expensive, and dishes we were forced
to have; especially the simpler utensils for household use. People
made their own butter, and needed crocks to keep it in; they needed
jugs for milk or water; bowls for cooking. Of course no growing
country could continue to import such every-day articles from across
the sea. Therefore, although England tried very hard to cater to
American tastes and demands by sending over blue and white stone-china
decorated with American views, and even pitchers adorned with
portraits of Washington, the American Eagle, and the names of the
thirteen original States, we did not allow ourselves to be tempted
away from our undertakings, but went right on increasing our own
manufactures."
"Bully for us!" cried Theo.
"So I say!" rejoined Mrs. Croyden with spirit.
"It was the only thing to do," admitted Mr. Croyden. "We kept at it,
too. In 1829 a factory was opened in Jersey City which although not a
success was the forerunner of New Jersey china-making. The industry
was also taken up in Bennington, Vermont, where the first Parian
marble statues ever made in America were produced. Baltimore was the
next city to adopt the china trade, and afterward Trenton. Most of
this output was thick white graniteware, Rockingham, and stoneware;
some of it was decorated, but most of it was plain white. It was
useful and durable, but very clumsy and heavy. Subsequently the china
industry localized itself until now, while there are many factories
scattered through the country, New Jersey supplies about twenty-four
per cent. of our china, and Ohio forty-two."
"How did those States happen to elect themselves to make so much
china?" inquired Theo.
"Deposits of clay originally governed the matter," replied
Mr. Croyden. "Then there was convenient transportation for goods, a
sufficient fuel supply, and an abundance of labor in the vicinity--all
elements in deciding where factories are to be established. Many of
our potteries, however, are not located with these ends in view.
Instead, chance has dropped them down in the most remote spots. Some
are the outgrowth of tiny plants founded long ago before manufacture
developed into the science it has since become."
"I see."
"It would be interesting to trace, too, the varieties of ware that
come from specific districts, for usually there is a reason behind
each type of product. For example in Ohio and West Virginia they have
an abundance of red clay which is used not only to make red
earthenware, but also to coat the outside of casserole serving dishes,
bowls, and tea and coffee pots. You must be familiar with the kind of
thing I mean."
"Like our hot-water jug at home," cried Theo instantly. "Red and shiny
outside, and white inside."
"Exactly," nodded Mr. Croyden. "On the other hand many factories make
only the heavy, indestructible china used in hotels and restaurants.
This variety is a business in itself. The ware is non-absorbent and is
considered very hygienic. Toilet sets as well as dishes are made from
this especial sort of clay. So you see each plant has its own
particular specialty which has been decided largely by the native
clays at hand. Here at Trenton we turn out some of the finest
porcelain manufactured in America. In quality it equals the English if
not the French wares, and it needs only the foreign trade-mark to give
it its deserved prestige. But our people, alas, have not arrived at
the pitch of patriotism where _Made in America_ has become the popular
slogan. I hope this war may elevate the motto to its rightful place."
"Perhaps by the time Theo gets to making china things will be
different," ventured Mrs. Croyden.
"If I thought so I should be very glad," came earnestly from her
husband. "We have all the necessary clays here in our own soil; the
only one we need to import is black clay. What is now most necessary
in all our industries is intelligent, trained, ambitious, and
appreciative workers. It is a great reproach to us that here in the
United States we have so few schools to educate workmen for their
craft. Before the war Austria had eight schools to teach
pottery-making and Germany twenty-two. Even England had several. And
in the meantime what are we doing here in America? Aside from a few
arts-and-crafts potters who of necessity must work on a very limited
scale we are training no pottery-makers. We should establish schools
for such things if we wish to keep abreast of the time, and compete
with other nations."
"Theo can attend to that, too," laughed Mrs. Croyden.
"We have cut out quite a program for you to work out in the future,
haven't we, lad?" said Mr. Croyden, relapsing into jest. "On the
strength of it I suggest that you trot along to bed to get rested up
so to be ready to undertake it."
Theo rose and with a merry good-night they parted.
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