The state chronicle., 1889-04-19
LEAF TOBACCO.


LEAF TOBACCO.
1t is fact that no inland town or city
has ever done much towards building itself
up which did not have behind it product
of, or mineral in the soil which surrounds
1t. There are many towns of our own
North Carolina that are steadily growing
and may some day become city of some
note, but there is none to which we can
point with expectation of being a large
market in this commercial world which has
not behind it a backing of agricultural or
mineral products. In many sections of
the State is something which, if it had an
energetic, progressive people to push it
would build up cities of unequalled power
in the South. But here in this (as it was
many years ago termed) ''dead county
town." have arisen thrifty young people,
and since the locomotives whistle was
heard in the woods of old Granville, she
has gone forward with a progress une
Qualled by any town Of like advantages.
Here is energy and good backing to-
gether. Here is the wheel and ready
shoulders to put to it. Leaf tobacco, and
especially bright yellow leaf, is a product
which will eventually prove to the people
to be backing at once substantial and
productive. The raising of this product
has long been one of the farmers chief
occupations, but it was never developed
until of late because Of having no bank
ing facilities, no warehouses or railroads.
The consequence of this was that Granville
tobacco found market in some other
town until several years ago when the
people gained branch railroad to Hen
derson, bank of unlimited means was
established, a prize house was erected,
warehouse built and she sprang forth from
her 1everie to find herself on the march to
a commercial city. At present she can
boast of tobacco stemery," two facto
ries for the manufacture of plug and
smoking tobacco, cigar factory, five tre-
mendouS warehouses, numerous prize
houses aud great Swarms Of tobacco buy
erS.
KIMBALL'S TOBACCO STEMERY.
This great industry of oxford is the pro
duct of Northern capital which was placed
here by the we'll known firm of VIM ).
klmball Il Co., of Rochester, \. \. This
firm has large manufacturing establish
ment in the above named city and are
enormous manufacturers of cigarettes
fine cut and all kinds of fancy tobaccos.
Such was the lmmenslty of thel business
that they were compelled to establish in
the different tobacco districts Of the Tn
ion what is known as tobacco steIneries"
to stem their tobacco and prepare II for
the factory. Granville countys reputa-
ton for fine yellow leaf was not overlook
ed and in December Of So they invested
much capital towards building factory
and storage houses for the stemming of
their large quantities of tobacco bought in
= ba To ypal-a This Fl II
enterprise it was necessary to put il under
he management of that widely known,
clever and deserving gentleman Mr.. j. N.
Currln, who, as we may we'll say, was
Graded in tobacco immediately be put
the ship to float and there arose upon the
Orphan Asylum hill large building five
stories high, each floor being 50Al10 feet,
making its capacity very great. The stor
age warehouse Is a large brick structure
61x15O feet, amply large for 1000 hogs
heads of the weed The CHRONICLE repor
ter called upon the ''stemery while IN the
place and found il full up with work. Mr..
Currin greeted Us cordially and took great
interest in our seeing into the workings of
his enterprise Entering the first floor
we could see a hundred hands busily en-
gagged in separating the stem from the
leaf. Some were steaming it, some We're
with their bodies swinging to keep time
with the ''hubbub, were pulling out the
stems, leaving the leaf in a clean condi-
tion-none were idle, indeed it was a scene
of busy men and women which meant busl
ness, a characteristic of their manager. The
other floors were used for hanging and
drying it. and the storage warehouse is
the resiyoir of it after it is priced in hogs
heads.
Mr.. Currin, the manager,ls Is one Of those
true Granville men who are ever alive to
its best interests and the interests Of his
fellow men. He is cheerful and exceed
ingly popular with all classes, intending to
make the world better by his having lived
in it He was born and Graded here. In
his early life he followed the plow an /
gave great impetus to the raising Of fine
tobacco While following his original vo-
cation it was no unusual thing for his to-
bacco to be dubbed First Premium" at
the Fairs and Expositions, and was fire.
Quently the recipient of the highest prices
ever received by any farmer in his county.
The finest tobacco and he largest quantity
came off of his farm and was the product
of his own labor. at the Richmond Ey-
position be took the first premium on fine
bright, new wrappers, and previous to this
had received premiums from the State
Fairs and the Fair at Danville. Thus we
see that Messrs. kimball Il Co, knew their
business when he was selected as their
manager Of an enterprise like this. Be
sides this he has taken part in the diff
ferent public benefit societies. He is a
member of the Advisory Board of the State
Grand Lodge of Masons, and in his own
home lodge is very live member. Would
that there were more capital in our land
for such men as him to work with, and
that other capitalists would take the eX-
ample of that progressive Northern gen
tIeman, Mr. kimball
is another one of the new enterprises which
keep up the thrift of this place. Mr.. J. NJ
Norwood, the young man who has, on his
own bark sailed out into life, relying Oh
eigh boy. In the capital city be first re-
ceived instructions in the cigar maker s
trade, and under Mr. Samuel Kramer, of
Durham, worked up himself in his voca-
ton. About the first Of this year he left
his employer to open a business for him
SELF and accordingly came to Oxford
where, without aid from any one, he rent
ed an upper room, ordered his goods and
sat at a lonely desk to begin his work.
Hardly had the people had proof Of his
integrity and energy than he began to
have larger trade than he could attend
to- The day he was called upon he was at
hard work as usual and performed the
laborious task of entertaining a repor-