Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-01-27
a Suggestion to Tobacco Plant
ers and Buyers.
Hopkinsville Sow Bra

~ -, N,tS SltSuidf iettef OF MeSSrS, M III
clark &Bro., of Clarksville, Tennes-
see, addressed to the tOba eco plant
ersand prizers of the Hopkinsvilfe and
GAINESVILLE districts. AS a nlanter
ana, TO some extent, dealer i'm the
weed, looking to the general interest
OF DotH pursuits, as a strong adyo-
cate for progress, and as one inter
ested In the growth and stability of
our home markets, / fully appreciate
ana understand the good advice given.
ana nope 1t may be received in the
spirit intended, both by our planting
friends and by those prizers who sell
on the two markets.
L cannot help feeling shame and
modification at the invidious COM
parsons and illusions made by vari-
Gus correspondents and would ike to
call your attention TO them as pub
llshed. They were quoted by Messrs.
M. HI. Clark d Bro, the unfairness
and unreliability of Hopkinsville and
GAINESVILLE sampling, compared with
that of other markets. 1t behooves
us to seek some change, and that
quickly, il such are the facts, and
they are not TO be questioned, for the
names of the firms are familiar, being
those who patronize our markets
with their orders and who handle
and reinspect our tobacco. With al.
due:deference to Messrs. Clark & Bros'l
strong admonition to all, to pack fair
ly, squarely and uniformly, beg
leave to suggest what in my opinion
would be an effective and proper
remedy for some of the evils now eX-
listing.
Ny experience is, that the honest
packer hardly needs, and that the
unfair packer will hardly heed any
good advice, which the trade proposes
to give. When there is a crooked
way, there will always be some fell
low to follow it. The only effective
way TO reach him, is to make him see
the difference in the price of tobacco,
when the buyers have full confidence
in the sample, and when they are
skeptical. How to come at this Is the
question. want to say right here,
that have no complaints to make
against the inspectors ofthe Hopkins
vile, or any other market, as i per-
sonally have few reclamatiOns to adj
Just. / know the HOpkinsville in
spectOrs and as / helped to create
them, feel a proprietary interest in
L
else them when it becomes my duty.
/ am, for the present, going to stand
by them during their good behavior.
The Hopkinsville inspectors are cleo
ted by an equal representation of
buyers and sellers. They are, by
their known integrity, capacity and
social standing, qualified to fill any
position of trust and responsibility.
/ believe that they honestly try to do
their duty, and represent fully as pos
sible 1000 pound hogshead by two
or three pound sample. A prudent,
cautious man would hardly buy a
brick house without seeing it, nor
would he Judge of it from few of the
bricks with which it was built. a
hogshead of tobacco costs from one to
two hundred dollars, according to
grade, and while the buyer sits at
board and never sees the cOOperage,
how the hOgshead is packed, whether
it got into the creek on its way to
market, whether it has been broken
once or a dozen times, of course he
takes chances against which the in
speCtOrs cannot guard them.
/ note that the various quoted cor
respondents in the circular of Messrs.
Clark & Bro, all complain particular
" of the unfair sampling at Hopkins
vile and at GAINESVILLE, as compared
with that of other markets. As they
speak particularly of our two mar
kets as it seems that ours are the
only markets complained of, and as
ours are the only two markets adj
herring to the old fOgy custom of sell
ing on the board, we very naturally
infer that this is the complaint. All
the leading markets of the interior
strip off the cask, lay the sample on
the head and sell in full view of the
bidder. have long been in favor of
a change and now propose 1t, as per
circular, viz; ITO selling tobacco on
the head of the hogshead, as they do
in other markets, which gives so
much more satisfaction to both buyer
and seller" All the different mar
kets years ago sold tobacco as we do
now. They made the change to SELL
ing from the head of the hOgshead,
and they have seen no cause to go
back to the old method, as they all
have grown and prOspered since
then.
From the above mentioned circular,
we see that trade has left us, and that
even the rehandlers of Louisville
have more reputation for fair ham
ding than we have, and that they are
getting the good, big prices which
our planters formerly received. 1t is
very true that we are not bound to
follow as other markets may lead,
but it is expected that we should
adopt and try the system of the lead
ing markets, and especially 50 when
it becomes so necessary to our inter
ests and success as Il market, and
since il is the unanimous wish of the
trade, who patrOniZe us and keep US
going. 1t is our duty to make the
change at once, so that we can see
whether the causes of dissatisfaction
lie therein.
My experience teaches that there
are very few planters that pack I'M
fairly, and that most of the trouble
lies in the samples of speculative Of
fers. There are exceptions to all
classes. / speak of few unfortu-
mates, who, having very little energy
or reputation TO lose, draw their
supplies from accommodating ware
houses. These parties so arrange it
that they generally have the cut,
shuttle and deal, and you may look
out. They prefer To sell on the
board.
In selling on the hOgshead we pro-
pose to better the interests of the
honest packer, and we will be almost
sure to cause the detection of the
crooked dealer. The honest packer
can then stand by unblushingly and
see his hOgshead stripped, sampled
and sold. He will soon learn that
the personal inspection of a good
hOgshead gives the buyer more con-
fidencc and that he pays according
~, while the party who prizes I'M
fairly will soon be taught by cOmpar-
isOn of prices, to stop his crooked
ways. Some men can be reached
only through self-interest, and one
who will pack hOgshead of tobacco
unfairly can be governed only by fear
of exposition.
There will be some objection to my
proposition on the score of our haV-
ing already built exchanges in which
to sell our tobacco. Well as for the
Hopkinsville Exchange, there would
not be much loss, as it was built
through the magnanimity of the
warehOusemen, at total cost OF
about six hundred dollars, and of
COURSE they control it We would |