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Text Box: Left: The Derby Library Elias Haskett Derby had an extensive library of classical literature, popular literature, and books on commerce. Note that the Derby library also exhibited such symbols of international commerce as a globe, sextant, and maps. The Derby House is the oldest brick house in Salem. Text Box: Elias Haskett Derby  (1739-1799) Elias Haskett Derby was a Salem, Massachusetts, maritime merchant who became wealthy importing pepper and other spices from the Far East. To understand why pepper was so lucrative, it’s important to know a little about the history of pepper.  Pepper, the spice most of us don’t give a second thought to, was once esteemed as more valuable than gold. It was considered more reliable than gold because the content of the precious metal varied in quality, but pepper never did. Families endowed their daughters’ dowries with pepper. For centuries pepper commanded so much respect that explorers risked everything to find it. Pepper and other spices are what sent Columbus westward to the New World. Venice at one time was the city though which all spices flowed into Europe. Vasco Da Gama sailed to the western coast of India for pepper. The Dutch, French and English all formed East India companies to seek out and resell pepper and other spices.    When North America entered the competition for spice, Salem, Massachusetts, led the country in imports. Pepper was the most important of these imports. Captain John Carnes had returned to Salem from Sumatra in 1797 with the first large cargo of pepper. Carnes made a profit of 700 percent on his cargo. Soon, Salem became the preeminent pepper shipper in the world. In the early 19th century Salem re-exported more than 7.5 million pounds a year.* Much of Salem’s success was due to American ingenuity and our design of the fastest clipper ships in the world. Derby’s ships dominated this trade, and he became known as King Derby. He soon became America’s first millionaire.  But Derby didn’t limit himself to the Far East. He sent his ships to St. Petersburg with cargos of sugar from the West Indies. His ships returned from Russia with fur, iron, sailcloth and hemp. In the East Indies his business continued to grow. He dealt in coffee, sandalwood, beeswax, and, of course, pepper.  To this day evidence of Derby’s influence abounds in Salem. Derby Wharf, built between 1764 and 1808, still juts out into the harbor. Two of his houses still overlook the harbor on the street that bears his name.     Elias Haskett Derby had an extensive library of classical literature, popular literature, and books on commerce. The Derby library also exhibits such symbols of international commerce as a globe, sextant, and maps. For more on Elias Haskett Derby go to America's First Millionaire.   *The Epicentre-The Encyclopedia of Spices