The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-06
ONLY ONE OF IT'S KIND.
The Manufacture of Plug Tobacco I'm
Durham. s

e The Manufacture of Plug Tobacco :
Durham.
Z JAMES Y. Whitfield Is THE oNL
"PLUG" MANUFACTURER HERE.
i Because of some inscrutable reasn
the manufacture Of plug chewing to
bacco never has taken root ant
fiourished here until within the pas
year. Notwithstanding that Durham
is conceded to be the supply point f.
the best tobacco grown in the United
States its prominence abroad has beer
gained in view of its extensive smok.
ing tobacco and cigarette trade; Reds
vile and Danville, on the contrary
have made their reputation and at.
tanned their Importance On the score
of "plug," "navy" and "twist." There
have been futile efforts pnt firth in
times past to establish plug factories
here, but there must have been i'm.
competency in management, for GER
tainly a better field nowhere exists, as
Capt. Whitfield has demonstrated.
However, this much has been in his
favor. Though yet in the '"40's" he
is a veteran manufacturer. He first
engaged in the business at Hillsboro
in 1860 lin 1861 he ceased operations,
but during the years 1862 and 1868
he carried on manufacturing notwith-
standing the fact that he was i'm the
army. This fact leads us to make
some personal comment.
Capt. Whitfield is native of Hills
boro. Orange county. Prior to en-
gaging in manufacturing he had been
a salesman in a general merchandise
store. but in April, 1861, he entered
the 9th N. G.. infantry as Lieuten-
ant of Co. ga company that had
been organized for some years and of
which he was one of the oldest mem>
bers. His promotion to "a Captaincy
was earned, and this rank he held
until the surrender. Returning home.
Capt. Whitfield was variously en-
ployed until 1867, when he re-en-
gagged in the manufacture of plug to-
bacco at Hillsboro, and he continued
the business there until coming to
Durham one year ago. He is a
thorough master of the business, and
he gives his personal attention to
every department he has established
a high grade of excellence as the
standard product, and whether in
cheap, medium or high priced goods
he sees TO it that the same pains.
taking care is exercised--in other
words, he expects his goods to sell
upon their merits, and as regards
quality he fears no competition from
any source.
The leading brands made by Capt.
Whitfield are "Ambrosia,'' "Harry
Lee" Durham Sun.cured," "Nat
Macon" "Hattie Walker" and
"Okaneke,''-of course other brands
are made, but it would be quite im-
possible for US to catalogue all of
them. Smoking tobacco--granulated
is also manufactured, the leading
brand being "Harry Lee" and it is
widely known and appreciated.
We were curious 80 known in what
sections of the country the factory
finds a market for its goods, and Capt. |
Whitfield kindly gave us the desired
Itseems that he sells
to both the wholselsale and retail
trade, and his field of operations COM
prises North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee,
Pennsylvania and perhaps one or two
other States. The northern demand
is mostly for the Harry Lee smoking
tobacco, and the southern for the
plug tobacco.
We were very much pleasedt, hear
Capt. Whitfield say that his business
since coming to Durham had steadily
and that he considered the
prospects most encouraging. Said he:
"There is no reason why my business
should not continue to grow, ner is
there any reason why other plug
factories should not be established
and made successful here. We have
the best tobacco i'm the world-Dur-
ham has the whole country for its
market, and the simple fact that any
brand of chewing or smoking tobacco
is made i'm Durham is a voucher as to
its reliability"
We like to hear our business men
give expression to such sentiments,
and we also hope to be able to chroni-
Gle the fact before another year goes
by that other practical and competent
plug tobacco manufacturers have To-
Gated here. In advance we can as
sure them that they will find a gener-
Gus rival in Capt. Whitfield. We
want to see his factory grow-we
want to see couple of hundred peo-
pie employed instead of the eighty or
more now at work, and we believe we
will see such state of affairs before
long. -
s. f. ARRENDELL.