The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-07-29
VOLUME XXI D
Autobiography Of a Cotton BaIe:
IN TWO CHAPTERS. 8
CHAPTER I.

mer and o nelghbOr that l and n1R
land on which I was raised were
mortgaged to Baltimore firm, WHO
had furnished fertilizers for the sol
and also to q Raleigh merchant MhH
had sold supplies of Western Duo
and corn for the support Of the iS
hands, and Northern hay and oats
for the mules. The farmer complain
ed that necessity had forced him to
pay very high rate ofdnterest for
the use Of the capital invested ins the
above mentioned fertilizers and farm
supplies, and thathe had id add dition
to pay q heavy fee for drawing and
recording the mortgage securing the
commission merchants. l3i
u l noticed that the mules ION the
farm were poorly fed; and that as
they passed the lot gate they eagerly
nipped few lunches Of luxuriant
clover which had sprung up from
seeds dropped out Of the Northern
oats. The farmer, said, as the mules
passed on. 81 would SOW an acre in
clover, but I need oil my best land for
lcotton." b
| I have nothing very remarkable to
tell you concerning my youthful days.
I observed that the hands employed
in the field were poorly clad. Most
of them wore coarse, cheap Northern
made 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 /
saw that the women wore Northern
calico dresses, and that the children
were growing up in ignorance.
| After being picked and packed [
was taken to Raleigh. The commits
sion merchant said to the farmer:
), "Cotton is fat today, but we expect
lit will go up soon." The farmer
|sighed and replied, "Well." Iguess I
went into a large new brick store,
and accidentally heard the merchant
say to the clerk: "Insure this bale of
cotton and charge Mr.. A. with insu-
rance and storage" I remained shut
mp for some time, when the farmer
came oAe day and the merchant said
TO him: "Cotton is no better, but I
am compelled to have some money.
I will SLIP your bale 10 Baltimore and
do the best I can with it."
A dray soon came up, and as l was
hoisted into it, the merchant said :
"Have this bale insured and directed
to W. & g., Baltimore. They will
pay the freight and insurance"
I was hurried over the railroad to
Norfolk and thence by steamer to
Baltimore. I was then stored for
somo time, when I was sold to the
agent of Rhode Island manufactu-
rer. As passed out l 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 remork.
When I arrived at the factory l found
several thousand friends raised in
North Carolina. I noticed the wo-
uen and children seemed cheerful,
but none of them wore Southern
made shoes or Southern made boots
or Southern made clothes, or ate
Southern bacon. The dray horses
wero we'll kept, but did not eat South
crn hay or oats. The owner of the
factory, they said, was very rich, and
had made his fortune manufacturing
cotton cloth for the New York mar
Iket. ,.
1 was hurried through the factory
and came outa bolt Of nice, smooth
cloth. 1 was hurried into, bale Of
, cloth for New York wholesale house,
! and as went out I overheard con.
Iversation Of the owner Of the mill.
he said he was realizing handsome
profits from his factory, and besides
he was giving employment to q hun.
dred families, and was one Of the
largest taxpayers in the State.
I then went to New York to the
| establishment of one Of the merchant
Q princes, and was delighted to heal
him say to clerk. gasend this bale tx
Messrs. Tucker, Raleigh" As / hae
:. passed over the route before, it wa
Q not new to me, and I arrived safely il
Raleigh in less than week. By
2 chance was put on the bottom of
large pile of cloth, and having nothing
b to do, I entered into a little calcula
Q ton. It was as follows:
0 Ihave changed hands often. Firs
the Raleigh merchant realized hi
8 profit and storage. Then the Insu
y rance agent. Then the Railroads 60
it their freights. Then tho steamer
got their freight. Then the Bait
Q moro merchant got his storage on
commissions. Then the Norther
i Insurance agent got his per cen
g Then tho manufacturer got his profits
y The New York wholesale merchar
got his por cent. Then the railroad
and steamers got their return freigh
and the insurance man got anothe
- per cent, and
y Here a clerk reached down an
pulled me out with a jerk, and 10 an
beholdl my old master, the man VIII
raised mo. said he would take m
"that he anted some norrard hom
spun," and 1 was bundled and am no
"a at my old home in Wake, expectin
shortly to be cut up.
u CHAPTER II.