The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1883-11-10
THE DUR URHAM TOB ACCO.
Two Versions of the Manner bv which
it has Attained its Wonderful Celeb

Special Correspondence Of The Chronicle.
II DURHAM, Nov, 6.-Many have been the
suppositlOns regarding the manner in which
the Durham Smoking Tobacco frs, at
tanned its celebrity. The following are two
versions of the story which have recently
come to my ears.
The story goes that shortly after the late
war, Mr.. Blackwell, or one of tie early
fathe Of the business, went to New YORK
with twenty thousand pounds of granula-
ted tobacco, to place 1t on the market
After repeated unsuccessful attempts to
dispose of 1t in small lots, he was about to
give up IN despair, when he fortunately
met an old friend Mr.. G.. from Whining
ton, who had teen in New York for some
time. 70 this friend he related his pre-
vious failures, and asked his advice on the
subject. Rejecting awhile Mr.. G, said:
. have 1t Leave it all to me, and in less
than month I'll have all the tobacco off
your hands and the money in your pock-
ets''
The plan was simply TO create an artifi
cial demand for the tobacco under the name
of the "Durham Bul,'' the name quickly
suggesting itself to Mr. G. An advertise
ment was inserted IN the columns of the
Herald to the effect that a good number of
boys sud young men of pleasant address"
were wanted. Those who filled the require
ments were instructed to scatter themselves
throughout the city and to enquire at every
tobacco store for Durham Bull Tobacco"
OF course no one had ever heard of the
brand, and paid no attention to it, but as
day after day the number of applicants ip-
creased, the tobaccOnlsts began t. show a
desire 10 know something about this new
brand Of smoking tobacco that had so sud-
denly become in demand Towards the end
Of the month, therefore, when Mr.. G. him.
self traversed the city he found tina almost
every tobacco dealer was anxious to lay in
| h,,r i
orders, delivered the tobacco and turned the
receipts over to his friend, the manufac-
turer. The tobacco thus introduced im-
medlately became popular on the strength
Of its own merits. This story sounds a
trt1e 8 tishy T" but there may be possibly
some particles of truth in it. The follow
ing, .:pwever think is entitled to the read
er's credence.
In 1861 when Durham was but small
railroad station. Mr.. job r. Green was
one Of its two hundred Inhabitants Owing
to some bodily atflction he was unfit for
military duty, and he remained at home all
through the war. The manufacture of
granulated tobacco, on a small scale, was
his occupation. 1t is said that his tobacco
had )cal celebrity on account of the pecu-
| liar fragrance 1t possessed, which was Sc
cured by the introduction of some aromatic
| plant that grew thereabOuts. The soldiers
when they came home on furough always
! carried OaCk 10 camp quantities or Mr.
| Green's tobacco, and some how or Oth.sr
| probably through some poor fellow who
| had fallen prisoner in Federal hands, the
! tobacco attained certain reputation among
| the men from the North, and, when the
armies Of General Sherman and Johnston
were encamped 10 Orange county, Durham
! being neutral ground, the reputation and
| the demand for this tobacco increased so
rapidly that Mr.. Green's entire supply was
exhausted in few days. This, however,
occurred in the prOprletOr's absence which
dated from the first appearance Of the
" anks into the place. When the armies
had Withdrawn, he returned to find his
| stock gone and himself penniless man.
! After the war had ended and most Of the
soldiers had returned home, a letter came
| from Chicago that laid the foundation for
! future wealth. 1t was from one of Sher-
mans soldiers who had been IN the camp
near Durham, and was sent to the station
agent, enclosing a dollar, with the request
to get the chap who made tobacco in
| Durham to send him dollars worth y
Letter after letter was received by Mr..
| Green from Northern soldiers all wanting
his tobacco, until the neuclus of an i'm
mense trade was created. Two Confederate
soldiers afterwards purchased an interest
| in the business One of these was Mr.. w.
| Il. Blackwell.