The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-05-27
LIENS IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
A Farmers Experience With Cotton Fac
tors and their Methods.

tors and their Methods.
Some of our farmers think they are
in the hands of the Philistines some
times, but the following letter from
"Dave Tucker" printed in the Claren-
don Enterprise, will be a revelation to
them:
Last fall after paying my debts and
doctors bills, I had the money Of two
bales of cotton in my factors hands.
I had thought I would let it stay there
for any emergency, sorter like the sur
plus fund Of a bank, or the net assets of
a bankrupt estate; but it seems as if I
was to be disappointed, as a hole was
already dug for it in buying sewing
machine for Becky and clothes and
shoes for the little fuckers seven all
tolled. How strange, passing strange
it's with we mortals always banker
ing and striving for money, and when
we get it never at rest till 'tis spent.
Concluded as 1 had plenty of open land
I would run another ploW this year. I
knew that the money I had left could't
buy it and the necessary things I would
need during the summer, so / deter
mined to resort to the farmers panacea,
"Get my factor to advance it" I there
fore made trip to town and went to
see him. He seemed mighty glad to
see me and was as smiling as "basket
Of chips" but bless you, when [ told
him I wanted him to advance me about
one hundred and fifty dollars in addi-
ton to the balance he already had of
mine his countenance suddenly chang
ed and he looked as if he had just come
from his mothers funeral. felt sorry
but I didn't know whether for him or
myself, anyway was somewhat down.
casted. He quiZzed me right smart
about all the property l owned, and at
last told me that as a great personal
favor he would let me have the money
if I would secure him. l told him that
1 had expected to do that. He then
said that if 1 would meet him again at
his Office that evening he would have
the papers fixed for me to sign. At the
appointed time I went and he had 'em
sure enough. / took and read them
over. If there was ever a binding
paper this was one. lie had in the
mortgage everything had or expected
to have including the crop that I hadn't
thought of planting yet. I believe he
would have put Becky and the child
rem in too, but I reckon they were too
many for him. I was to buy every
thing through him and ship him every
bale of cotton I made, controlled or
bought, not to be less than one five
hundred weight bale of cotton for
every ten dollars he advanced, and if I
did not ship him the required number,
I was to pay him two dollars and a
half as commissions on each lacking
bale. l was also tC. pay him one per
cent. per month interest on the money,
besides two and one-half cents commits
sion on everything he should buy for
me. 1t was interest and commission
up, down, crosswise, and all through
the paper. When 1 got through read
ing it I was as mad as 'marsh tackey."
I asked him if that was the only terms
upon which I could get the money. He
said Eyes" 1 told him l was out. That
1 would't sign that paper if 1 never
saw a dollar again, that l would return
home, go half naked and drink branch
water before / would. He said he was
sorry but 1 didn't believe it. l asked
him for my money and he told me that
he hadn't sold the two bales yet, but
would at once. We went out to the
warehouse to sample it. He carried
with him an old grey headed yellow
nigger man who he said was his
sampler" We soon found the cotton
and the nigger cut long cash in one
side of each bale clear across, and with
pair of pot-hooks gouged out great
armfuls filling up three bushei cot
ton basket. l asked him if it was ne
cessary to have such large quantity
taken to sample it, that the samples I
had seen in his office were only little
handfuls. He said it was the custom.
II such is the case l told him it was
nothing more or less than pure steal
ing. | then asked him what was done
with the balance of this big basket full
after the legitimate sampla was taken
from it ? He said it went to where the
"woodbine twineth" and I believed
him. After this huge sampling the
cotton was rolled out and the public
weigher" set his big camp stool over. it
and grabbed up each bale and when
it swung clear clapped the pea on the
DGdlI, duu Cdllcu OuU IllC WClSu NlJll-
out any reference to the true weights
of the cotton. This fellow was the
coolest swindler of the whole crowd,
and when I told him that my cotton
was not correctly weighed, he looked
at me and said, "Old chap are you a
natural born fool or one by inheri-
tance?" I told him / didn't know but
that l had seen enough to know ras
cal when he looked like him. l was
sorter riled ut this and if l hadn't been
Il stranger in town | would have given
him good licking, and | know | could
have done it. He went off singing
"yum, YUM" this dude robber under
the projection of iniQuitous "customs."
My cotton was soon sold and account
sales handed me, and after paying COM
missions, fire and marine insurance,
sampling, weighing, patching, freight
age, wharfage, storage, drayage, and
some other little ages" what little
money left was paid me, and out of
lot Of five bales sold it took within a
fraction of one to pay it. "Such is life"