The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-04-27
Lynchburg and it's Staple.

more than half his strength, pressing him bac
upon Manassas from the Rapidan.
| $3.50
Lynchburg and it's Staple.
| ToBACCo-ITS MARKETING AND MANuFAcT
Especial Correspondence Of the vIRaINIAN,1
On my first coming here in 1870, was great
ly impressed with the all pervading presence q
tobacco, and the deep absorbing interest every
body seemed to take in it !; and in my lon
residence here, "still my wonder grows" as
see how it goes into eyerybody's life, and is a
| widespread in its influence as the Egyptian
| plague which extended from the king in hi
palace to the maidseryant behind the mill.
| Being also of opinion that the whole produc
ton, traffic and use is only AN evil continual
ly," and looking forward with hope to tina
better day when the An:i-tobacco society will
succeed in its efforts and Danish the "flth,
weed" altogether, sometimes have an awe
stricken feeling as think of such possibilitie
and realize that when they shall come to pas
the bottom will drop out of Lynchburg ant
its surrounding country. Doubtless the los
will be only temporary, and some better indus
try will soon replace the dethroned idol.
Every visitor to the city must be struck with
the great brick factories and ware houses
many of them admirable structures, rising In
every direction the long gangs of hands 90.
ing to and from their labor. the various inter.
ests involved, the tone given to the place by
its chief industry, the very odors of the town
which, in many portions Of it, are heavily
laden with the fragrance 80 pleasant to those
addicted to the seductive vices of the chewer
and smoker. All the world has heard of the
Lynchburg tobacco manufacturers, whose
praises are literally in "every mans mouth" to
say nothing of the women, who are openly or
secretly devoted to their wares, and the numer-
GUS handsome houses built by them as resi-
dences or for rent, show the solid returns pro-
duced by the business. Every now and then
little breeze of investments made by sue
cessful tobacconlst stirs to envy the souls of
those who have no investments to make.
Now it is a report that when government
loan is offered, $75, 900 worth of per cts are
sold in one day; now it is the announcement
that valuable piece of real estate has been
"gobbled" by one of the tobacco associations
within few hours after it was known to be
on the market. One of the fraternity rendered
the city substantial benefit some years ago
by building a handsome and commodious
Opera House, when at loss for place to put
a cool hundred thousand made during a period
of successful speculation.
1t is highly interesting. even to the uniniti
ated, to glance into the ware houses the even
ing before "break )" when the great tobacco
trade is in its first stage
Outside people may not know that "break"
means the breaking of the hegsheads, bales
and packages in which the crop is brought
from the country, which IS done before an
auction begins, in order that the tobacco may
be displayed for the inspection Of customers
upon what all Lynchburgers, to the "manoI
bor,' know as the war house, floor.
never weary of looking at the queer look
ing wagons and teams which bring the weed
to market.
Having been accustomed in early life to the
fine draught horses of the Valley farmers,
can never see without compassion the wretch
ed beasts used in this country; mules, oxen
and horses apparently vieing with each other
in the attempt to represent the clean, ill-favor-
ed kine," and often looking as if they had put
the best foot foremost in order to answer the
call of the fertilizer company, "bring on your
bones"
AS tobacco is most sensitive plant, and is
affected IN any stage by atmospheric changes,
the wagons which convey it to market are
carefully covered, and in the absence of the
regular cribs and sheets" the crop is often
stored away under fodder, if the farmer has
taken time from the staple of the country to
raise any corn. In the absence of straw or
fodder, he uses anything he can muster on his
place. The good housewife is sometimes dis
furnished of her patchwork quilts for this
purpose, and have seen faded Brussels
carpet carefully folded over bundles of tobacco
Perhaps the well-worn fabric was the only
reminder of ante-bellum days, when the
planter felt himself rich in slaves, and is the
only thing he can find to protect "the crop"
which is now his sole dependence for house
hold supplies.
The appearance of many of the poorer class
of white people who accompany these wagons
is depressing in the extreme. They have sal
low, stolid faces and gaunt, bony frames, as if
they felt called upon to keep their forlorn
stock in countenance, and ignoring such prov
ender as grain, lived literally on the tobacco.
which is their IDOL not failing to wash 1t down
with whisky, for which much of the proceeds
of their crop is spent
The negroes who bring in tobacco for sale,
though often oddly costumed, haye usually
jolly, comfortable air,partly because the African
can flourish on the hard fare which barely keeps
the white man alive, partly because he rents
his farm or works it on the shares, and does
not feel the responsibility for taxes and fertili-
zers which are SO often the grevlous portion
of the landowners of the district The negro
women and children often accompany the
head Of the family on his annual trip to town,
each having share in the proceeds of the
crop they have helped to cultivate, and each
wishing to invest his portion ofthe fund "store
clothes" of his own choosing. These wa
gon people are altogether obliyious of the mer
its of city hotels. They bring with them
bedding, cooking utensils and provisions, to
which some dainty from the meat or fish mar
ket may possibly be added, and once in the
town they drive straight to the warehouse
and lind accommodations suited to their sim
pie wants within its ample yard. 1t is curious
to stand at the entrance of one of these yards,
half stable, half hostelry, at dusk and watch
these country folks fitting about the camp
hres IN their quaint costumes, tending their
cattle and cooking their rations and utterly
Indifferent the while to the wealth and fash
ion in the streets about them, those who are
weary with the journey over rough roads, rest
ing their tired limbs on beds improyised in the
wagons, with the starry heavens for their can
opy. Looking in upon such picture, a vivid
realization comes to me of that scene, the
most famous in human story, when he
"Whose birthplace was manger,
And his softest bed was hay
made his advent among the poor and lowly OF
the Chosen Race sst
The commission merchants of the town are
eyer on the alert to secure these country Gus
toners, and representatives of each firm can