The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-25
A aFIne-Cut" Document.

II ~ M ENNAtf8r
6alsigh Colored Fair. The managers OF
STATE Tobacco Fair naturally looked
,.si-tancc from the same source /;
,fn that Tobacco is one ofthe Chief
r.cuItural products of the State. The
Araviug tells its own story.
For the Farmer and Mechanic.
DURHAM. y. c.. April %, 1888.
IA He Board Of the Department Of Agr,-
I'll ,aIture. Immigration and Statistics,
and for tie encouragement Of Sheep
t5ssbutdry:
II GENTLEMEN The North Carolina
n acco Far Association having been
II fed Tat your Board had resolved
d appropriate to the purpose OF SAID
A-~1clation the sum OF five hundred
dosIars. Drorided the Association would
deliver to your BOARD specimens of to-
bacco o. such quality and in such quanti-
lie a, your Board should direct. for eX-
hibjtion at Boston this fall, Alta meet
I'M Of the stockholders of said Tobacco
Association in Durham on the lith Of
AIriI. 1888. it was unanimously re-
solved that, in Justice to the fir ends and
stockholders OF the Association, a COM
mittee be appointed t. present t. your
Board the reasons which prompted
Unanimous action. The undersigned
were appointed such committee.
We proceed, therefore. to set forth
briefly as we can why the Tobacco AS
sociation promptly, uuhesitatmgly, and
without a dissenting voice. declines to
Receive the sum You lave offered.
First: The specimens OF tobacco
which will be exhibited at our Fair will
b. of the finest quality grown in the
State. These specimens will be the
property OF the exhibitors and not Of the
Association. Should we accept your
proposition with the condition that we
Shall furnish you tobacco of such quality
and in such quantities as you direct,
W. would be bound 10y such acceptance
to furnish the tobacco. though we had
t. buy ii from the exhibitors. You
proposition is so indefinite that we cam
know how much tobacco YOU would
require. \ prominent member of your
Board stated to a member OF this com
nittee that probably one hundred and
Twenty five samples would be required.
AT any rate. Nour Board would need not
les than one hundred samples of at
least ten pounds each, of the finest to-
bacco on exhibition. rs less than that
could not properly and satisfactorily
represent the tobacco interest of the
State. The tohacco exhibited by a
Durham dealer at the exposition in Gin
cinnati last September was sold there
for 1925 per hundred pounds. These
samples which you would select would
be worth at least 400 per hundred
pounds. That would then make the
value of the one hundred samples OF ten
pounds each $1,000. To obtain hat to-
bacco would cost this Association $1,000,
or to put it in the mildest terms might
cost this Association $1,000. Even if
the value and cost of this tobacco was
only $50 per hundred pounds we would
then give full value received, $500 for
$500.
Second: The friends and stockholders
OF tie Association, and the citizens of
Durham, cannot afford to receive the
sum YOU propose to invest with us.
The Association cannot afford for such
Il sum ecen WitbOut consideration, to al
low it to be said that State aid was ex-
tended to it..
Third 1t is trifling with us. with our
people and with our industries, which
already done more to call favor
able attention to North Carolina and
more to advance the material and per-
manent prosperity of the State than
any other industry in it, to offer $500 to
assist in the institution OF this Fair,
which is to be of lasting benefit to the
State. while thousands of dollars
are spent yearly in theoretical expert
And then to couple the offer
such unreasonable cOndit ons!
Just such penny wise and pound foolish
policy has kept North Carolina in the
back grounds Tor the last hundred years.
Fourth: The citizens of Durham. of
are the bulk of the stockholders
of the Association, are among the fore
most in the State i'll patriotism. and III
their willingness TO spend their W
money to advance old North Carolina;
they have built Il great and t1ourishing
manufacturing city, where fifteen years
ago was an old broom sedge field, aud
they have. by the fame of their city, in
duced hundreds of immigrants to turn
their steps TO u good old State, and
now when they ask YOU to donate d sun
sufficient to materially aid them in their
great enterprise, which Is to give North
richest product a distinct
in the markets of the world.
Iour Board proposes to buy of them
$1,000 worth OF tobacco for $500.
Fifth: The finest tobacco in the
world is grown and raised in North
Carolina. vet upon the markets OF the
-, " IL. T-.=+.J N+,+aL - -
known and classed as :" Tryinia TobGc-
and our State gets no credit FOR its
production. because it is SO classed.
Dealers and manufactures III the North
ern States and foreign markets. desiring
our class OF tobacco send their orders TO
Virginia markets, regarding it as the
product of Virginia, tiom its name.
while in fact it is all raised in North
Carolina. These orders should be
placed in Asheville. Hickory. Winston,
Greensboro. Reidsville, Milton, Oxford,
Henderson, Durham, and the other to-
bacco markets in this State. and thus
build up and strengthen those cities aud
towns and their markets and result In a
greater demand for the farmers product
by reason of the concentration at those
points of many orders, at the same
time enabling the manufacturers to buy
these goods at first hands. The incl
dental benefit To the State Treasury re-
sulting from this, through increased
value of taxable property. would short
" return the $4,000 originally asked for
by the Association. and reduce the rate
Of taxation throughout the State.
For these reasons, and others, TINS
Association. deeply sensible of the
great benefits which the State of North
Carolina would reap from the accom-
pli>hment of its aims, was encouraged
10 expect that your Board would gladly
render substantial aid.
III. A. REAMS.
W. w. FULLER.