Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1884-06-05
WINSTON Is GROW til.
The Tobacco Market There Has Made a
City in the Woods.
REAL ESTATE HAS INCRE ASED IN
TEN YEARS AN AN ERAGE OF
l2 ITO IN VALUE.
A Narrative of the Growth of the IoDac-
co Market and of the Rise and EA-
tent of the Manufacture of
Plug Tobacco.
Correspondence of the Raleigh Chronicle.

90 Market and of the Rise and Ex-
tent of the Manufacture OF
Plug Tobacco.
Correspondence of the Raleigh Chronicle
WINSTON, May, 1SS4.-In the year
1872 somebody counted the noses that
were then in the village of Winston
and was very proud to find that there
were, infants and aged included, 4oZ
/ asked Mr. George Hinshaw how
many noses there are now in town and
he replied "More than 5000 and not
more than 5000" Mr.. P. II. Hanes
and Mr.. Eugene E. Gray say 5000.
Suppose / say there 5,452 (and there
are more than that number) that is a
gain of 5000 in II years. The gain
during the last five years has been
much more rapid than it was during
the preceding five years. The follow
ing table will indicate the rapidity of
recent increase, thanks very greatly
of course to the coming of the Rail
road.
1870 800. 1872 452
1880 lby eensus) $500. 1891 $500 or more
In Salem l,50O
There are Western towns which
show more rapid increase, but there
are very few towns anywhere whose
normal growth, unaided by outside
capital has been more rapid or a
safer growth. For unlike the rapidly
made cities in the Western States our
towns are all homemade towns, and
have yet to receive outside capital
Col. Alspaugh, whose venerableness
is yet juvenile, not great many years
ago shot squirrels within gunshot of
the site of his office. Anybody could
stand on the steps of the court house
a dozen years ago and thrown stone
into the woods. Winston itself was
then only village in the woods and
no living human being foresaw that it
would be anything else for thrice a
dozen years to come. In those days
the people of Forsyth were as poor as
the poor country people of any other
part of the State. They paid their
taxes and bought their "sweetening"
for their coffee with the money that
the women and children got for black
berries.
That was only dozen years ago.
But now these same men come to
Winston with loads of the gold leaf,
and got home with S40O or 81 900 in
their pockets. The children and dar-
kies yet find the blackberries profta-
BILE, but the farmer no longer depends
on them for his tax-moneY. He buys
a mower, an improved harrow, a fine
horse-all such things as mean thrift
and prosperity. The old grain "cra-
die" will before many years be curl
osity except to use on stumpy land.
In word as fine tobacco land as
there is anywhere and as good wheat
land (and these crops alternate to the
profit of each) is makiog an industri-
Gus generation of farmers richer and
richer every year.
The real meaning, therefore, ot
Winston's increase of population is not
merely the growth of the town itself
but the continual improvement of the
farmers in seven or ten counties, anC
the town has not known any greater
improvement than the country wher
the whole extent of it is considered.
Winston owes no little of It's pros
perity to its situation. From any of it.
hills the Pilot mountain appears to Ii,
lust beyond the limits of the town ane
the long range beyond is plainly yisi
BILE. Out past the limits of Salem yol
can any morning see valley tha
would charm a landscape painter. A
hot night never came down to oppres
the town. To these beautiful anc
healthful things add cheap wheat snt
plenty of it, fine beef to be had fo
what the hide-and tallow would brin.
in any large market, and fruit enough
to make a rich people if the groun,
grew nothing else. These are the foun
dations of what was bound to be a ricl
town and cf what is bound to be
great city. And, with all proper prais
to the men of energy to whom Wins
ton owes its prosperity, the town ha
made itself. 1t has grown withou
forcing. 1t has grown because moth
ing could hinder it. It has grown al
most without communication with TIL
outside world. It has grown withou
the stimulating effect of outside cap
tai. 1t has grown because God mad
such country about it that a tow,
was necessity.
The culture and the manufacture Z
tobacco, of course, has been the immt
diate and the main cause of Winston
growth. The tobacco market date
from 1872. In that year Mai. T. ,
Brown came to Winston to make a
effort to establish tobacco market
The village then consisted of the coul
house and five country stores. Ma
Brown made efof 20 arouse the pei
pie and to induce them to assist hin
Mr.. George Hinshaw, then the young
est merchant in the town, became il
terested and lent Maj. Brown a hell
ing hand. He. secured the use of a
old barn. which with some inlproy.
nent served the purpose of a war,
house. There ON March 9th, 1872. til
tobacco market of the town had il
beginning. The farmers were encou
aged to plant it and great effort VIZ
made to set the machinery in motto
all along the line. In the same yes
the barn was abandoned, not bein
big enough, and Mr. 2. A. Wilso
and Others formed joint stock con