Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-07
PUSHING DURHAM.
lrs vARrsD INDUSTRIES.

IRIS YARIgD INDUSTRIES.
,ss,.,sty~ Usasecstsr with she Rate was-TAs
Tsssees Interest," Ma saies-tsessrai pa-
ssssss.
Especial correspondence OF the Dispstcn.l
DURHAM, N. c., June 5, 1885.
The bill for the establishment Of
this county passed the General Assem-
bly, in 1881 lits patron was the Hon.
Caleb b. Green, and was ratified by
the people in April Of the same year.
The Legislature took nearly one half
of the county Of Orange and portion
Of Wake county and formed this one.
The products Of this county are grain,
cotton, and tobacco, and all kinds oil
fruit aud vegetables. There are q num-
Der Of valuable species Of timber, used
for the manufacture Of cotton-miils sup
plies, embracing the following yarie-
ties Hickory, maple, ash, dogwood,
oak. pcrsimmon, and quantities OF mag
nifcent poplar, as well as numerous
aotber varieties used for lumber. There
are also different varieties OF pine, wal
nut. chestnut. The tobacco raised
In this county is Of superior
quality, and is said TO be among
the finest in the world. 1t is
chiefly OF bright golden color, and is
used principally for smoking and wrap
pers. and yields handsome profit to
the farmer. Amid all the large num-
bers Of samples that were exhibited at
che Raleigh Exhibition last year the
first prize was awarded to that which
was raised in this county.
THE TOWN.
The town of Durham is one Of the
thriNiest and most prosperous in North
Carolina. II was at Greensboro, after
the surrender Of Lee and his army at
Appomattox, that President jeff. Davis
held . consultation with Generals john
ston and Beauregard and members OF
his Cabinet previous to the surrender OF
Johnston and his army 10 Sherman.
The meeting Of these two officers took
place at the old Bennett House, which
is still to be seen near here Ourham).
An hours drive from Durham brings
YOU to this historic point. The house
is plain frame structure and not paint.
ed. Mrs. Eliza Christopher is the only
living member Of the Bennett family
who witnessed the meeting of Generals
Sherman and Johnston on that occasion.
She is an elderly lady, saw them meet
at the gate, shake hands, take drink
out of bottle, and has in her possess
sion the little table used by the gene
rails in drawing up the paper Of surren-
der.
POPULATION.
The population Of Durham at this
time is about 5000 people. In 1865
il was only 90, and at that time the
place was spoken Of as Durhamville, or
Durham station, and contained about
twenty-eight buildings, two stores, and
g tobacco-factory. 1t has been steadily
improving, and in 1880 its population
had increased to 2,l00. 1t has now
$50 buildings, including private dwell
ings, stores, public buildings, tobacco
factories, and warehouses. 1t is GAO
feet above tidewater, short distance
from Raleigh, $40 miles from Rich
mond, and is on the North Carolina
Central road, part Of the Richmond and
Danville system. Its chief industry is
that of tobacco. and it completes with
any town in the State as business
centre. Ii is located in the heart OF the
bright-tobacco belt of North Carolina.
TOBACCO.
Daily on its streets in the neighbor-
hood Of the tobacco-warehouses are TO
he seen wagons loaded down with to-
bacco brought from the counties of
Durham, Chatham, Orange, Allamance,
Clifford, Tazewell, Pearson, Granville,
Wake, and Franklin, although large
quantities Of the weed is brought from
other counties by rail. II is said that
the warehouses have paid out on an
average yearly for the last five years to
the farmers for their tobacco sold here
the sum of 100000.
The tobacco sold in this market is of
the finest grades known in the world
for wrappers, cigarettes, smoking, and
cutters. The wrappers arc always IN
great demand. The colors of these are
lemon and mahogany mainly, and bring,
extra, Coo. to 81 per pound fine, 4oc.
to 60c. per pound medium, 2Oc. to
SOC. They are bought and shipped in
large quantities to the following mar
kets Richmond, Louisville, st. Louis,
Cincinnati, New York, Danville, Lynch
burg, and Petersburg.
The cutters bring Extra fine, from
Is to 25c. per pound; fine, Is to lSc.
medium, Il 70 '15c. They are used
here for cigarette purposes by w.
Duke, Sons & Co., who do an extensive
business and employ large number Of
hands. The capacity Of their factory
is 1000, 900 cigarettes and 5000 pounds
of smoking-tobacco per day; payroll
monthly, $4,000. In 1880 it was $500
per month. These cutters are also
shipped in large quantities to the fol-
lowing cigarette manufacturers Allen
& Ginter, Richmond Marburgh Bro
theirs. of Baltimore and W. 5. KIM
ball & Co., of New York and quanti-
ties are bought and held by specula-
tors.
The smokers are consumed mainly
here. They range in price from to
lie. per pound.
There is here one of the largest
smoking tobacco manufacturing COM
.panies in America. II is the Blackwell
Durham Tobacco Company, Mr.. Julian
S. Carr president. The buildings are
large and imposing, and cover mum.
Der of acres Of ground. The capacity
OF the factory per day is 100000
pounds, and has paid the Federal Gov
eminent on an average more than $780,
600 per year in taxes for the last six
years. The company employ several
hundred hands, and TO this enterprise
is indebted chiefly the prosperity of
Durham. The company have on It's
premises an Artesian we'll 1000 feet
deep, which yields about 4S, 600 gallons
of water day. Their brand is the fa-
xooys Ri.ckwell Durham smoking-tobac-