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A History of the Maryland Press, 1777-1790
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Fierer was assisted by his partner, Christian Kramer, but their partner-
ship lasted only a few months and ended with bitter feelings on both
sides. Kramer advertised in the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Ad-
vertiser on April 24, 1789, that his relations with Fierer were at an end
and warned the public to beware of his former partner.
"To whom it may concern. Whereas the Subscriber commenced Partnership with a certain Charles
Fierer, in a Pri n ting-Office in George-Town, Patowmack River; and whereas the said Fierer, at
sundry Times, violated the Articles of our Agreement, he thinks it necessary to forewarn the Public
from paying or settling any Matter of Business whatsoever, with the said Fierer, or to trust the Con-
cern with any Article or Sum of Money without a written Order from the Subscriber.
Christian Kramer
George-Town, April 12, 1789."
There is no record of what became of Kramer after his unfortunate
partnership. Fierer continued the newspaper and on November 25, 1789,
he advertised that Poor Robin s Almanack, or the Maryland Ephemeris,
for ..... 1790 was "Just Published, And to be sold at this Office, Wholesale
and Retail/' Since it was customary for printers in neighboring towns
to act as sales agents for each other, it is likely that Fierer was adver-
tising Bartgis's English almanac which had been issued at Frederick as
early as 1787.6 In the fall of 1789 he went into partnership with Thomas
U. Fosdick. The relations between these men seem to have been cordial
for when they left Georgetown in 1791 they started a newspaper together
in Dumfries, Virginia, and published it for several years.
Even before it was known that the national capital would be located
at Georgetown an effort was made to establish an outlet for local literary
talent through a monthly magazine. Subscriptions had been taken some
time before for a "History of America" to be written by John O'Connor
and the proprietors probably thought that by publishing the history in
magazine form they could carry out the terms of their agreement with
the subscribers and at the same time start a magazine. They probably
hoped to receive support from the other Maryland towns for they
advertised in the Frederick and Baltimore newspapers in April, 1790.
"Frederick-Town, April 3. Extract of a letter from a gentleman in George-Town, to the Printer
of this paper, dated the 29th of March 1790. "I congratulate you, and the rest of our friends, who
paid their money for the "History of America," some time ago.—Mr. John O'Connor, the proposed
author of this work, has put himself at the head of a company of respectable gentlemen, distinguished
for their eminence in literature: Through their assistance, the History is on the stocks; and will
be published in a monthly Magazine, as soon as the press, procured for that purpose, shall arrive
in this place."7
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6 See Bibliography of Imprints, No. 512a.
7 Maryland Gasette, or the Baltimore Advertiser, April 16, 1790.
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1 74 ]
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