The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-29
HERB GATHERERS.
HOW SOME NORTH CAROLINA
PEOPLE MAKE A LIVING.
Collecting Medicinal Plants, Roots,
Barks and Berries-The Lar
Gest Herb Collecting House
in the World, Etc.

In letter describing the industrial
growth of Statesville, N. c., a CORE
spondent in the New York Commercial
Adrertiser says: Besides the many stores
carrying considerable stocks, there are
five tobacco factories in operation and
one under construction, three tobacco
warehouses, two tanneries, spoke and
shuttle block factory, and two large es-
Establishments for the collection of med
icinal herbs, roots, barks, gums and
berries. One of these, the largest house
of the kind in the world, does a business
of 500, 900 annually in these goods, of
which it handles more than 100 varie-
ties, weighing upward of 100000
pounds. This concern began business
in small way in 1859, but was broken
up by the war. Soon after it endei the
firm of Wallace Brothers was formed and
the business resumed. At first they
dealt in few articles except gensing, but
after awhile they added to their variety
such things as druggists called for until
their catalogue contained the names of
nearly 2,10O articles. Professor Gray,
of Cambridge, has said that there are more
medicinal plants in western North Caro-
lima than in any one place in North
America, and the business of this firm
confirms his statement.
Thcsystem employed is simple enough,
but it required executive alb lity of no
mean order to establish it and to keep it
in successful operation. The Wallaces
were country merchants doing business
with people who had little or no money.
The little crossroad traders came to them
for goods, and paid their bills with such
produce as they could get from their
customers. Ginseng was the most
marketable article. China never gets. too
much of it, and has, when it was scarce,
given its weight in gold for it. Seneka
snake root was another equivalent for
ready cash. The Wallaces encouraged
their customers to get all of these they
could. They in tarn sold their stocks to
exporters and druggists ,and through the
acquaintance thus made they learned
what the trade woald buy and at what
prices.
After time they concluded that if
they could secure the services of thor
oughly capable botanist they could in
crease their business and consequent
profits: The m IN they wanted was living
at Marion, in Mcdowell county. Pro-
fessor NJ. E. Hyams was born in Charles.
ton, South Carolina, received q prepare
tory education there, and graduated at
the State University in Columbia. When
seventeen years cd he began his botani
cal studies, which soon became his
ruling passion. At the age of twenty
five he made the collection of botanical
specimens his business. When the Wal
lace Brothers found and hired him he
knew more of the flora of Western
North Carolina than any one had ever
known before. His duties were
those of an instructor. The women and
children in the mountains were taught
where to look for plants they had never
gathered before, when to pluck them,
and in what condition to deliver them at
the stores. The merchants who received
them were then instructed, and finally
the heads of the firm and their chief en-
ployes. 1t was long task; there were
collectors and stores iu some thirty coun-
tics to be visited. During all that time
and for years afterward the Professor ex-
plored the mountains in search of new
botanical specimens, or Of fresh fields in
which the more valuable herbs grew.
While in one of these botanical quests
! in 1878 the Professor found in Mcdowell
County prize. The discovery of mate
to the Kohinoor would not have elated
him so highly. Itwas the shortia galu-
cifolia. rare plant once found and de-
scribed, then lost to botanists for seven
ty-tivc years. lie could scarcely believe
his eyes, but there it was beyond mis-
take. So carefully gathering few speci-
mems from the very small number that
grew there, and noting we'll the surround
ings that he might find it again, the Pro-
fcssor left the wilderness and put himself
into communication with Professor Grey
and other cminent botanists. Tney were
almost as excited as the discoverer, and
Proee sor Grey left his beautiful garden
at Cambridge and made haste to the
mountains that he might see for himself
this long-lost and rare plant. There
is not much of it, certainly, and to the
unframed eye there is nothing attractive
about VHyams sparkling shortia," the
name popularity given it, but it placed
the rofessor's name on the scientific roll
OF honor, and he and his children to the
latest generation will have au affection
for all plants of the natural order of
galacinea to which this shoria belongs.
There is a phase of this botanic bust
ness OF intere t to both philanthropists
and political economists. The collectors
are usually women, children and MANNED
or broken down men. Most of them
have no other means at command for
getting store goods. They live, as a rule,
remote from all villages or from places
where they can earn wages. Were there
no wild fruits to dry and medicinal herbs
to gather they would be destitute indeed.
/ Time is of no account to them, because
there is nothing in their lives to give it
value. They will therefore spend hours
in gathering few pennyworths and
preparing it for the store. Later they
will walk barefooted ten, twelve and
sometimes twenty miles, to trade of
their little stock for such things as they
need. Between four hundred and five
hundred country stores deal with the
Wallaccs. All of 10000 persons collect
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