Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-09-10
s&ellameuns &eading,
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A COTTON BALE.
IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER T.

AlJIOBlUJhAIHI A OE n OV11ON
IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER 1.
was raised in Wake county, N. G., by q
farmer of moderate means. At en- early age
learned from a conversation between the
farmer and neighbor that and the land on
which I was raised were mortgaged to Bal
timore firm, who had furnished fertilizers fol-
the soil, and also to Raleigh merchant who
sold supplies of Western bacon and corn fol
the SUPPORT of the field hands, and Northern
hay and oats for the mules. The farmer COM
planned that necessity had compelled him tc
pay very high rate of interest for use of the
! capital invested in the above mentioned fer
tilzers and farm supplies, and that he had to
pay in addition heavy fee for drawing and
recording the mortgage securing the commits
sion mer lants.
! | noticed that the mules on the farm were
poorly fed, and that as they passed the lot
gate they eagerly nipped a few bunches Of
luxuriant clover which had sprung up from
seed dropped out of the Northern oats. The
farmer said, as the mules passed on, II would
SOW an acre in clover, but need all my best
land for cotton"
I have nothing very remarkable to tell
you concerning my youthful days. l observ,
ed that the hands in the field were poorly
clad. Most of them wore poor, cheap North
ern Clothes shoes and hats and from their
rude talk found that they had very little
education. The wives and children Of these
farm laborers frequently came to the field, and
I saw that the children were growing up in
ignorance.
After being picked and packed was taken
to Raleigh. The commission merchant said
to the farmer, "cotton is fiat, to-day, but we
expect it will 20 up soon." The farmer sigh
ed and replied: "Well." I guess? went
into large new brick store, and accidentally
heard the merchant say to his clerk, ENSURE
this bale of cotton and charge Mr.. A. with
insurance and storage" remained shut up
for some time, when the farmer came one day
and the merchant said to him: "Cotton is no
better, but am compelled to have some mon.
ey. I will send your bale Of cotton to Balti'
more and do the best can with it"
A dray soon came up, and as l was holsted
into it the merchant said: "Have this bale
insured and marked to w. & H., Baltimore.
They will pay the freight and insurance"
l was hurried over the railroad to Norfolk,
and thence by steamer to Baltimore. / was
then stored for some time, when l was sold to
an agent Of a Khode Island manufacturer. As
passed out I heard the merchant calculating
how much was due him in commission and
storage on my sale. My purchaser was also
busy in getting out insurance and arranging
to pay the freight on me to Rhode Island.
Nothing occurred on the route to my desti-
nation worthy of remark: When l arrived
at the factory found several thousand of my
friends raised in North Carolina. I noticed
that the women and children seemed cheerful,
but none of them wore Southern made CLOTH
ing, nor Southern made boots, nor Southern
made shoes, nor ate Southern bacon. The
dray horses were we'll kept, but they did not
eat Southern hay nor oats. The owner of the
factory, they said, was very rich, and that he
had made his fortune By manufacturing cotton
cloth for the New York market
was hurried through the factory and came
out nice smooth bolt Of cloth. | was hur-
ried into bale to be sent to New York
wholesale house, and as | went out, overheard
conversation of the owner of the mill. He
said he was realizing handsome profits from
his factory, besides giving employment to over
hundred families, and was one Of the larg.
est taxpayers in the State
| then went to New York, to the establish
meDt of one of the merchant princes, and
was delighted to hear him say to one of his
clerks, "send this bale to Messrs. Tucker,
Raleigh" As had passed over the route be-
fore, it was not new to me, and arrived safe
ly in Raleigh in less than week. BY chance
| was put on the bottom of large pile OF
cloth, and having nothing else to do, entered
into little calculation. 1t was as follows:
1 have changed hands often. First the
Raleigh merchant realized his storage and
profit. Then the insurance. Then the rail
roads got their freights. Then the steamers
got their freights. Then the Baltimore mer-
chant got his storage and commissions Then
the Northern insurance agent got his per cent.
Then the manufacturer had his profit. The
New York wholesale merchant got his per
cent. Then the steamers and railroads had
their return freights, and the insurance man
got another per cent. Messrs. Tucker must
have their per cent, and
Here clerk reached down and pulled me
out with jerk, and 10, and behold my old
master, the man who had raised me said he
would take me, that he wanted some mar
rowed homespun," and was bundled, and
am now at my home in Wake, expecting
shortly to be cut up.