Offended at every opportunity

A personal note from Ken Dulaney that probably has nothing to to with the subject of this blog.

During my drive home every day, or to anywhere else for that matter, my blood pressure is in a constant state of gradual elevation. The traffic lights don’t change according to my schedule, I seem to always get behind the person who wants to read every historical marker and advertisement sign from the middle of the lane I am in, I get cut off a couple of dozen times and tailgated even more. To top it off people just don’t understand that the left lane on the interstate is for passing and not their own private tour lane, which again, is inconsiderate of “my” schedule. On occasion, I have a slight heart attack when I crest a hill to see the all too familiar grey sedan with the little bitty blue lights on top. I am driving the speed limit but the “freak out” factor seems to be the same nonetheless. I just know that he has some crime he could be fighting instead of helping my cardiology bill go up.

I could apply this few minutes stress to about any other part of my day and lay out a number of other excuses for why I get stressed/offended, but at the end of the day it is all the same. “Offended” is the key word here.

My cousin Lori recently read a book by John Bevere called “Bait of Satan”. You may have read the book yourself. She told me of how it opened her eyes to a lot of things and recommended that I give it a read. I bought the book and am in the middle of it now. It is, so far, a very good book.

What I want to communicate here is that we are, as a nation, so wrapped up in being offended that we simply lose the ability to truly enjoy life. I think I can make that statement without much fear of being wrong. The book is a Christian book and I believe in God, his mercy, strength, guidance, love, and everything else the bible teaches. I understand that some don’t believe in God or Jesus but most of the people I know do and they worship Him according to their faith. That being said let’s look at two scenarios.

One, if you are a believer how many times have you sat down in your house of worship, whatever denomination it may be, and let a crying baby, a snoring old man, the temperature in the room, the level of amplification in the sound system, or maybe what the minister is actually saying, cause you to tune-out or get upset, even a little bit? When that happens, you lose. You just let your enemy take from you a moment in time in which God may have had a specific message or word for you that would have changed your life or at least your attitude. You walk away with less than He wanted to give to you, all over an “offense”.

Two, if you are not a believer, then consider this… How often do you relate to my initial paragraph? How much stress is in your day simply because you allowed yourself to be offended? I for one am very guilty of this. Even if I wasn’t a believer in Christ, I can see the benefit of not allowing every little thing become a major assault on my “rights”. We all have inalienable rights according to our history but have we taken it a little too far? If I could look at life through a different pair of glasses or have a slight paradigm shift, how much less stressful would my life be? I mean really? Is it really necessary to live in a constant state of defense, looking for every single opportunity to be offended just so we can say “I am a victim, it is someone else’s fault?” When does it end?

I do understand that what I am proposing is a difficult task, especially for me; however, if we can take that one minute of a day and say, “I don’t have the right to be offended here and I am not going to be offended,” even for selfish reasons like lowering our own stress levels, then that is one minute we don’t lose and a minute we can use for something beneficial to ourselves or to someone else. And if we teach our children this simple thing, how much stress will we prevent in their lives? Talk about a gift!

So the next time you feel your stress level going up ask yourself, “where am I being offended here?” Once you identify the source of the offense, it is a little easier to see the reality of the situation and “choose” not to be offended. I am not saying that it will eliminate the feelings that go along with a given situation but I hope it will help you do live a more peaceful and joyous life, even if for only a moment in time.

Ken Dulaney

Dulany & Baltimore - A Turning Point 1732

Daniel Dulany’s life changed in the 1730s. Up to this point, his primary focus was on his law practice with particular attention paid to the politics of maintaining a strong representation for the tobacco farmers or “Country Gentry”. Because of his large holdings and great gain from his own farms, it made sense that Daniel would be very active in directing the path of lawmakers in favor of this political class. Up to this point, Daniel was relatively well liked in Maryland.

In 1731, Samuel Ogle landed in Annapolis. He had been sent by Lord Baltimore to survey the landscape and to determine what would have to be done to “set things right”. According to Aubrey Land, Ogle sent confidential reports back to Lord Baltimore one of which named Dulany and Bodeley as men who were capable of doing Lord Baltimore either a great deal of good or a great deal of harm.

Charles Calvert, Daniel’s friend, notified Daniel of plans by Lord Baltimore to return to Annapolis in the fall of 1732. At some time during the festivities of Baltimore’ visit, possibly during meetings in the counsel chamber or in the corner during a party, Dulany and Baltimore came to an agreement. “They exchanged views, and proposals were made and accepted,” according to Land. The understanding between them committed the families of both to a course interrupted only by the great Revolution, still forty years in the future.”

The visit from Lord Baltimore and the plans he put into place changed the course of Daniel Dulany’s life and the lives of his descendents forever. It is understandable that some might call the later confiscation of the Dulany holdings an “appropriate action” considering Dulany loyalty to the Crown; however, it is interesting to note that Dulany never raised a hand to a revolutionary soldier or did anything to harm the revolution. It appears that his belief that the colonies should hold fast to England’s support could have come from his understanding that without a major power at her side, the USA would be in grave danger of invasion or could not support itself at this early stage in its existence. His experience in Ireland would have greatly influenced this belief since Ireland had, for years, attempted to obtain independence with little success. It is very possible that in addition to Daniel’s concern for his own assets, he felt that the colonies were not sufficiently strengthened to maintain a lasting government.

Obviously he was wrong if he did believe this to be true; nonetheless, his great wealth vaporized as the colonies won their independence. His family, after this point, is very difficult to track. As Don Dulaney points out, “It is easy to understand why our family line is so confusing, those were very confusing times for everyone.” I could not say it better myself.

Daniel's Daughters, a Father's Delight

Daniel Dulany’s children are an interesting study. Of course, I found the stories of the three boys very interesting at first. Daniel the younger was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as an attorney as most of us know. Walter, the second son, was seemingly expected to take up his fathers business in merchandising and industrial interests due to his “practical” mindset. Dennis, however, is described in Aubrey C. Land’s book “The Dulaney’s of Maryland” as somewhat of a problem. He was high-spirited and sensitive. During this time period it was English tradition that he should have had a military career, been a farmer, or become a sailor. In all three of these young men, I can see the same traits as in many of the Dulaney men of today, especially in Dennis. High-spirited and emotional would be words I would use to describe most of the Dulaney men I know to include myself.

The three daughters of Daniel Dulany the elder, Rebecca, Rachel, and Margaret, were faced with few choices when looking to their future. Marriage and spinsterhood, (spinning thread or becoming an old maid) were the two most prominent choices. The girls spent time at home learning domestic virtues and the Dulany library was stocked with books well adapted to the correct upbringing of young ladies. Besides the weighty volumes of law and political philosophy, the family had acquired a representative collection of belles letters, the popular devotional literature, and courtesy books. Books like “Immortality of the Soul,” “Future Judgment,” “The Lady’s Calling,” and “The Government of the Tongue” were just a few of the books available to them.

This information and more was taken from Mr. Land’s book; however, in the few pages dedicated to the girls, one can detect a character in them that would seem to be contrary to what we would consider a “domestic” lady. It is stated that none of the girls were “bookish” and all three found delight in people and further possessed an infectious gaiety that charmed men and women of all ages. Simply put, it sounds as if the girls were as fiery and witty as the boys. And, as with the boys, I can see these traits in many of the Dulaney women I know today. I venture to say that if Rebecca, Rachel, and Margaret were alive in our society today, in addition to being well educated and a social force, we might well hear tales of their riding a whitewater rapid, conquering a skycoaster, touring Europe, or playing a challenging sport.

The Dulany girls are said to have taken part in the “exciting sport of surveying the eligible bachelors among the squires” in and around Annapolis Maryland. I can say firsthand that this is indeed a sport. As I have watched my own three daughters in recent months, I have come to believe that this must be a genetic trait passed down through the many generations of Dulaney women. My word, what would Daniel’s daughters have been able to do with a tool like Facebook or Myspace?

What's in a "Trillion"

Jesse Hamby, Don Dulaney and I have been doing a little math. Now we are all Southerners and proud of it but some might question our math skills. I challenge you to correct me here. If you do, I might feel better and sleep tonight.

It is estimated that the USA is going borrow and spend 2.5 trillion dollars in 2009. If that is true, let’s do some math.

$2,500,000,000,000 (2.5 trillion)
divided by $1,000,000.00 (1 million)
divided by 365 (1 year)

This comes to 6,845.31

What is in a trillion? If Adam and Eve was given 2.5 trillion dollars by God in the garden of Eden on DAY ONE, and God told them to give away one million dollars per day and they did so until March of 2009, Adam and Eve would have around 845 MILLION dollars left over!

Don points this out: There are roughly 303,000,000 people in the USA. That is breathing human beings, not just income earners. Dividing 2.5 trillion by that number means that the stimulus package will cost each American roughly $8000 in 2009. For my family, that means for me, my wife, and four kids, we will be putting $48,000 into this deal.

I think I could use that money much more wisely than the government. But hey, that’s just me.

Daniel Dulany's two wives

For those who are interested, here is a quick fact I recently found in "The Dulanys of Maryland" by Aubrey Land.

Daniel Dulany the elder had two wives. When he was 26 years of age, he married the daughter of a wealthy Charles County Maryland planter, Charity Courts. Charity Courts had previously been married for only a few months to Bayne Smallwood before he died. Probably in early 1711, Charity became Charity Courts Dulany. Unfortunately, she too passed away in late 1711.

Two years after Charity's death, Daniel Dulany married Rebecca Smith of Calvert County Maryland; however, the exact date of the marriage is unknown. Rebecca was the youngest daughter of Colonel Walter Smith, a justice of the Calvert County Court. Rebecca was Daniel the younger's mother.

On June 28th, 1722, Daniel Dulany the younger was born. Coincidentally, this was the same day Bladen Tasker was born, son of Benjamin and Anne Tasker. Both Daniel and Bladen were christened at St. Anne's Parish within three weeks of each other.

Tuscarora Glass

While doing research on Daniel Dulany the younger, I happened across this bit of information which sheds a little light on the Dulany/Tasker family investments and holdings in Maryland. This, of course, is in addition to the many other holdings and interests to include tobacco farming. Ken Dulaney

From the book "In and out of Frederick Town: colonial occupations", authored by Amy Reed on microfiche [6088329] LDS church, 975.288 H2, I have excerpted sections from the chapter on Glass Manufactories-Ken Engle.

The earliest glassworker whose records have been found in the Frederick Town area were Jacob Frederick Dannwolf, a glassblower, and Peter Engel, a glass cutter. The presence of just two glass artisans suggests that theirs may have been a small, village-type window glass industry requiring only one glassblower, a cutter to maker window lights from the large disk of glass and one or two helpers. Frederick Town's steady growth certainly would have provided a market for window glass. The fact that John Shellman had glass window lights in his house in 1759 could be indicative that glass was available locally, perhaps Just across the street.

Jacob Frederick Dannwolf acquired an East Patrick Street lot across from Shellman's house, in 1762, but he could have been a tenant before receiving a deed. It is interesting that Dannwolf's lot was one of the few owned by Walter Dulany in Frederick Town. Could Walter, an Annapolis merchant, have recruited the two glassworkers on a profit sharing arrangement similar to Wistar's? (In 1764, Peter Engels Sr. acquired lot #100 for one penny from Daniel Delaney. The low amount suggests Peter did have a business relationship with Delaney.) This may be the explanation for Dannwolf and Engel coming into the Maryland back country. There is, however, another possibility to be considered.

The Varle Map of 1808 shows an "Old glass-works" along Tuscacora Creek about three miles north of Frederick Town. Recent archaeological testing at the Tuscacora site reveals a dry-laid limestone foundation that suggests a long, narrow building, possibly part of an early glass works. In addition to the foundation, archaeologists discovered a high density of glass fragments, slag, glazed brick, and limestone slabs. The excavation site was part of "Tasker's Chance" that Benjamin Tasker transferred to Daniel Dulany, the immigrant, in 1744. The tenant on the land at the time of transfer was John Conrad Keller. Little is known of Conrad Keller who was consistently recorded as a farmer in Frederick County land records. Though he bought several other tracts of land during his lifetime, Keller never owned the glasshouse land on which he lived. The Dulany family held that tract from 1744 until it was seized in the confiscation proceedings during the American Revolution.

Why did three generations of Dulanys retain ownership of a relatively small piece of Tuscarora land while they were actively promoting the sale of their western Maryland land holdings? The only reasonable explanation seems to be an industry on the Tuscarora land that had proven to be a good investment. Given the Dulany involvement in the Baltimore Iron Works and the local partnership between Daniel Dulany, the immigrant, and Major John Bradford for locating and surveying unclaimed western land, the possibility of a glasshouse partnership cannot be overlooked as an inducement for Dannwolf and Engel to come into the Frederick Town area.

Though the workplace of Dannwolf and Engel is not certain, both men spent the remaining years of their lives in Frederick County. Jacob Frederick Dannwolf died of convulsions in 1771, at the age of forty-three. Many glassblowers died at an earlier age than the general population due to the rigors of blowing glass. Convulsions and strokes were common causes of death.

Dannwolf was survived by his wife, Ann, and a daughter, Anna Maria. Christian Kreiss, a glassworker, married Anna Maria, but both of then died within a few years of their marriage. Ann Dannwolf cared for their infant son, and in her will she appointed Christian Steiner as guardian for young Frederick Kreiss. The Frederick Town blacksmith taught his trade to Frederick, and they worked together until Steiner's death. Soon afterward, in 1806, Frederick divided and sold the Dannwolf lot on East Patrick Street, one half to Valentine Motter and the other part to Elizabeth Birely. Frederick Kreiss then left the county, and there is evidence that he settled in Ohio.

The Tuscarora glass-works

It is impossible at this time to assign a founding date to the Tuscarora glass-works because no records from the manufactory have been found. The bottles of Monocacy ale in the 1753 inventory of Daniel Dulany, the immigrant would be significant if their origin could, be traced to this glasshouse. According to local history, colored bottles and bottle fragments were found on the site in the late years of the nineteenth century. There is no certainty, however, that these were blown as early as 1753.

Entries in Joseph Doll's ledger, beginning December, 1771, (Joseph Doll was a famous furniture maker in Frederick and a Captain in the War.) indicate that the glasshouse was part of a small industrial complex that included a sawmill, a charcoal pit and coal house, a malt hill, and possibly a brewery. Though Doll had no bookkeeping or management responsibilities for the glasshouse, his records of the other industries and the farm have provided information relating to the Tuscarora glasshouse in the 1770's.

Among the earliest accounts in the ledger are those for Philip and Jacob Hain who purchased lumber from the sawmill. Philip paid his bill with a "sou from the vandue", a sow from the public sale, a vendue. Misspelled words in some ledger entries occurred because Doll kept his records in English, but his first language was German. Jacob Hain settled his account at the sawmill with cash, an indication that he worked for wages. Independent farmers and artisans usually paid their bill, with commodities. The name Jacob Hane is listed with other New Brennan glassworkers in the 1790 census. Although Amelung brought a number of glassworkers with him, he also employed some from glasshouses in Frederick County. It is possible that Jacob Hain was a Tuscarora glass artisan who went to New Bremen.

Entries in Joseph Doll's ledger indicate that glass window lights sold for nine Pence each in 1774. Twelve individual lights for just one window would have cost nine Shillings, a price equivalent to Esther Planck's wages for six days work hoeing corn. But even at that price, local glass was less expensive than glass imported from England. There are no records for the sale of glass bottles during the 1770's. If bottles were blown at Tuscarora, either the sales were handled by the glassworkers, or the entire production was required for bottling malt liquors made at the glasshouse complex.

The Tuscarora glasshouse land was confiscated with the Frederick County land holdings of Daniel Dulany, the third. The tract was sold to Henry Sinn in 1784 and transferred to Governor Thomas Johnson in 1787. The glass works may have remained in operation under the ownership of Sinn or the Johnsons, but there is no evidence that they built a glasshouse on the site. Governor Johnson offered 800 acres of Tuscarora land for sale in 1793, just six years after he had acquired the property. The glasshouse, a sawmill, a tanning yard, and a grist mill were included in the advertisement. The 1798 tax record shows that the glasshouse was "out of repair" when William Goldsborough bought the land in 1801.

The Johnson glasshouse on Bush Creek was not a colonial manufactory and therefore, a complete investigation of this glass works was not undertaken. However, in the interest of historical accuracy, the following information is given.

The Dennis Griffith Map (1794) shows the Tuscarora glass-works as "Aetna," but at that time, the name Aetna belonged to the Johnson glasshouse farm on Bush Creek, southeast of Frederick Town. This glass-works is not shown on the Griffith map. The Aetna glass-works was first operated by Thomas Johnson, Jr. and his cousin Benjamin, the son of the governor's brother who resided in Calvert County. The children of Benjamin Johnson had come to Frederick County to live with their uncles after their mother's death. Young Benjamin made his home with Governor Thomas Johnson's family.

When Thomas Johnson Jr. went to Baltimore about 1795, his younger brother Joshua became Benjamin's partner in the glass-works on Bush Creek. The cousins operated the glasshouse from late the nineteenth century. At Benjamin's death, the property went to Joshua Johnson.