The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-26

THE MAN -ABOUT-TOWN RE-
CALLS OLD RECOLLECTlONS

Tie Tell. something About Tobacco. and
Goes Back 10 Early Days to Refresh His
Mcmory-How the Tobacco Exchange
Was First Organiycd-Duties of Inspec-
tors.
Richmond is..ihe largcs, tobacco market
In Virginia.
Virginia j. the place. where the weed was
discovered. II was indigenous to Virginia
soil. IT sprang mp in the primeNal forests,
and stood side by side with native oak.
hickory. and other forest growth. Captain
John smith and his men found that the In
dams knew how to PM tobacco ia u pracii-
cal purpose.
The rcd men. 50 history states. smoked
the weed. and taking into consideration.
the millions who now grind tobacco between
the upper and lower molarS. il looks a little
strange that there il no mention made OF
chewing tobacco in the annals relating 10
the discovery Of IL.
The LAZY. indOlcnt suggestion Of inactivity
j.. however. conveyed in the aboriginal idea
that 10 smoke meant peace, and this was
rcsoricd 20 a. the symbol Of fiicndliness by
the noble red man.
Later ON the tobacco asserted itself. Ii be-
came a sort Of monarch much the same
that alcohol j.. II served 10 fill q void place
i'm The taste OF men. and was eagerly sought
for II became a commercial commodity
small i'm it, way M first, bat widening out
n il became known. Taxes were paid i'm
tobacco. and Virginia sent 10 her mother
England. something that conquered that
country which proudly sings "Rule. Brit
tannia.'
And ~ the importance Of tobacco forced
itself upon the world. and il j. to-day one of
The principal producieof the soil oi \lf-
CHINA.
10 ar,ex and sell il is the chief idea with
thousands Of men. who have large landed
possessions. and who put big money IN the
cultivation of the weed.
To many. there has been a great deal Of
money in such crop, hut in later years the
uncertainty Of labor. the fluctuations of the
market and the protection Of the crop, from
almost numbpTess raNagcs. have gone very
far towards knocking down the profits and
makes the cultivation of tobacco, not by
any means "a sure road 10 fat pockci-book.
Ruf all the same. there are farms suited -
exactly for the purpose and farmers who
know 80 well how "a bring 10 lis maturity
the crop that their fathers before them cul-
ii,atcd. that they still cling Ia tobacco. and
Virginia leaf to-day ILLS more pipe-bowiS.
and finds it, way into more mouths, Than
any other tobacco in the world, save that
crown ON the dark and bloody ground Of
Il daughter of irginia kentucky.
Richmond j. great i'm great many things;
80 man, that no attempt will be made iO
anumeraic them in this article. save 10 say
that she j. the largest tobacco market in
Virginia. The millions Of pounds received
and sold here. manufactured and shipped
away. and the piles Of money that tobacco
causes Ia shin hands j. something curious
10 look AT and compare with its early ir~is-
nihcani history.
The trade in it has materially changed
since il used 10 be- sold here, and il is in
ferc-iing 20 talk 10 some gentlemen who can
recall trade matters Of fifty years dccadcncc
and hear them tell Of the difference. rs
shown in the manner of sale now, the
handling Of the commodity. and compare
the same with the old methods.
speaking Yesterday to gentlemen well
Ncr-ed i'm such matters. the TIMES man
about town found some food Tor reflection i'm
the statements made concerning tho
growth of the tobacco trade. the birth Of the
Tobacco Exchange here, and matters re-
laiing thereto.
There was time when there were what
was called tobacco rollers. These were
men who used Ia iiX rollers around the
hogshcads. much the same in shape a. fell
iocs Ia wheel pair of shafts were fast
eucd 10y pins to each end of the hogshead.
and frequently a tandem team pulled the
7.
our rough roads hy sheer force. From the
names around the horses neck swung
wallet with enough cold provisions To last
during the trip. and pendant from the horse
was also his food. There were no ware
houses nor exchanges in these " brave old
day, Of old" and the tobacco was sold in
the streets to the highest bidder.
Up the James river. later on. il was sent
- .,l al. ton
from the city. then known a. Minktowh. was
the stopping point. 40 far a. wafer naNiga-
fion was concerned. From NinktoWn 10
Richmond the tobacco had 10 DE wagoncd.
and there are to-day standing upon one OF
our most fashionable thorOughlarcs some
attractive buildings that were built 10y
money made in hauling slObaccO here irom
Miuklown.
Anor many long wears, the men in the to-
hacco trade took up an idea that II was ne
crs~arv 10 have a Tobacco Exchange, and
the scheme was accomplished
The first house used for such purpose
Wa. AT Antrim's corner. on .rhockOc slip.
i'm the second story of the building.
There was great deal ofOpposition mani
tested 10 the Exchange AT first, the chief
hrycrs freely expressing their views against
it, They. however. finally assented. and
the tobacco was taken 10 the place above
named. and first sold there about lNI3.
There was no organization at that time,
but Mr.. John ,askie. 10y reason of his age
and Understanding in the trade world, used
10 Invariably Ice called 10 the chair when
matters Of dclberation came up for con-
sidcration. There was no secretary then,
Thai officer. a. well as the president, having
been added a. the Exchange grew.
Bnt The indispensable anciionecr had t0
exist. and Mr. William !. sheppard was
The irsi man who made merry music IN that
capacity. lie held this place for years; IN
fact until death removed him, and Was sue.
cccded bv Mr.. William \. Sheppard. Later
ON MIR. Valentine Winfree performed the
duties of auctiOnccr, and still later Mr..
Archer Boiling. To-day Mr. John Powell
does the talking. and it is well done too.
About fifteen years ago the Tobacco IN
change became such formidable interest
that new quarters were sought. and the IN
change was moved 10 its present quarters
i'm what il known as the llarNie Building.
The following-namcd gentlemen consti-
tutc the officers of the Exchange Or. X. \.
Patterson. president; l.. I. Christian, wee
president. and 4. Mcleod. secretary. The
house in which the Exchange l. located was
built 10y judge Hagncr, now resident OF
Washington. ID. 4. The Exchange Is one
of The leading institutions of this great to-
hacco market. and under the light of latter
.laN events il seems strange how Richmond
could ever have conducted satisfactorily
all the great traffic in tobacco that II always
has controlled without the aid of such an IN
rtiiutlon.
The rooms occupied by the Exchange are
large. airy and exceedingly well adapted
fer the purposes for which they are intend
ed. They are daily thOnged with leading
and representative business mcnoi the city.
l,ut the Exchange docs not handle all the
tobacco sold in Richmond. \ great deal OF
IL il sold AZ private counters. and some pre-
Ter this method.
At the Exchange, however, there are to
le seen the tobacco men of the city. The
hogshcads arr sampled by an inspector.
and each dealer has a box in the Exchange
where these samples are dePo>Ved. Here
they can be inspected by purchasers before
fhcy are pat up for public sale. and when
offered in this way, the man who buys
knows what he il getting.
~ one time the Governor of the state ap-