The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-08-12
From the Raleigh Crescent
Autobiography OF a Cotton Bale.
IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER /.

I was raised in Wake County
North Carolina, by farmer of mod
crate means. At an early age
learned from q conversation between
the farmer and neighbor, that and
the land on which was raised were
mortgaged to Baltimore firm, who
had furnished fertilizers for the soil,
and also to Raleigh merchant who
bad sold supplies of Western bacot,
and corn for the support of the field
hands, and Northern hay and oats for
the mules. The farmer complained
that necessity had forced him to pay
n very high rate Of interest for the
use of the capital invested in the
above mentioned fertilizers and farm
, supplies, and that he had ip addition
to pay a heavy fee for drawing and
recording the mortgage securing the
commission merchants.
noticed tina tho mules on the
farm were poorly fed, and that as
they passed the lot gate they eagerly
nipped few bunohes Of luxuriapt
clover which had sprung up from
seeds dropped out of the NORTH ern
oats. The farmer said, as the nj ules
passed on 4 would SOW an acre in
clover, but I need all my best land
for cotton
have nothing very remarkable
to tell you concerning my youthful
days. I observed that the hands
employed in tho field were poorly
clad. Most Of them wore coarse,
cheap Northern nade clothes, shoes
and hats, and from their rude talk, |
found that they had very little edu~
cation. The wives and children of
these farm laborers frequently came
to the field, and / saw that the
women wore Northern calico dresses
and that the children were growing
up 10 ignorance.
After being picked and packed I
was taken to Raleigh. The oom-
mission merchant said to the farmer
'Cotton is fiat to-day, but we expect
it will 60 up soon.' The farmer
sighed and remarked sWell 1 guess
l went into large new brick store
and accidentally hoard the merchant
say to the clerk. Ensure this bale of
cotton and charge Mr.. A. with in.
surance and storage I remained
ehut up for some time, when tho far
mer came in ono day and the mer-
chant said to him : Cotton is no
better, but ON compelled to have
some money. l will ship your bale
to Baltimore and do the best I san
with it,
A dray soon came up, and, as I
was hoisted into it, the merchant
snid : Have this bale insured and
directed to W. Il H., Balti,nore.-
They will pay the freight and in
surance.
was hurried over the railroads 10
Norfolk and thence by steamer to
Baltimore. I was then stored for
some time, when was sold to an
agent of a Rhode Island manufactur-
or. As [ passed out I heard the
merchant calculating how much was
due him as storage and commission
on my sale. My purchaser was also
busy in getting out his insurance on
me and arranging to pay freight on
me to Rhode Island. .''
Nothing occurred on the route to
my destination worthy Of remark
When l arrived Mt tho factory,
found several thousand friends raised
in North Carolina. l noticed the
women and children seemed cheerful,
but none Of them wore Southern
made shoes or Southern made clothes,
or ate Southern bacon. Tho dray
horses were we'll kept, but did not
eat Southern hay or oats. The own
er of the factory, they said, was very
rich, and had made his fortune
man ufacturing cotton cloth for the
New York market.
l vas hurried through the factory
and came out bolt Of nice smooth
cloth. was hurried into a bale
of cloth for New York wholesale 10
house, and rs I went out overhead
a conversation Of the owner Of the
mill. He said he was realizing
handsome pro6's from his factory,
and besides he was giving employ.
meDt to hundred families, and was
one of tho largest taxpayers in the
State.
Ithon went to New York to the
establishment of Of ono Of the mer
chant princes, and was delighted to
hear him say to clerk, Send this
bale TO Messrs. Tucker, Raleigh AS
1 had passed over the route before it
was not new to mo and / arrived
safely in less than than week. by
charo oe was put on the bottom of q
large pile of cloth, and having moth
ing else to do, entered into little
calculation. I was as follows:
l havo changed hands often. Firs,
the Raleigh merchant realized his
profit and storage. Then tho Insu'
rance agent. Then the steam crs got
their freights. Then the Northern
Insurance agent got his per cent
Thon tho manufacturer got his profits