49

did not approve of the work after the first three num-
bers were published. ^ There were 218 subscribers
from Baltimore alone; it is noteworthy that three of
them were printers, Christopher Jackson, Samuel Sower,
and Leonard Yundt; 472 subscribers were from other
localities.⁷²

This was Pechin's first - and largest - publica-
tion. His most important publication before 1800 -
at least from the point of view of the people of Balti
more - was the first city directory, compiled by James
Thompson and James L. Walker, and printed by Pechin
and Conpany ,in 1796⁷³. It was the first attempt
after the 1790 census showing heads of families and
the number of dependents, to list the inhabitants -
and the first attempt to list the householders with
their addresses. This small volume was the cause of
considerable controversy in the Baltimore newspapers
of 1796⁷⁴ by citizens and others who were concerned,
in some way or another, by the responsibilities put
upon a town ty the possession of a directory. Houses
in Baltimore had numbers - theoretically at least, if
one is to believe the directory - and were situated

71 Federal intelligencer. December 28, 1795.

72 Appendix A. Imprint bibliography, item 236,
p. [725-727] of Imprint.

73 Appendix A. Imprint bibliography, item 321.

74 e.g. Maryland journal. March 12 and 14, 1796.