New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-13

. colo l. anticipatcd the hogshcads are opened ana
removed from around their contents An lHspcc-
for selects from each pile n sample puhch I'll INT
leaf This he labels and seals, with guarantee
that il represents the average quality OF he "hoe'
ordinarily tbe samples are easily chosen Some
times however, farmer can't resist the 'eHhp"'-
lion 70 hide his bad leaves in the middle, just as
he hides small fruit IN the centre OF an apple
barrel. and suit for damages may result, IN
which the Inspector has TO suffer Some years
ago an unusually thrifty producer gave weight to
his nile by planting stones and garbage in the
ccntre He afterward had sixty days of leisure
in the workhouse 10 reflect on the unucklneSs
of his inspiration. The sales are the most noise
LEES and expeditions in the world. When every
body is ready The aucioneer stands in front OF
the row of hoGsheads, picks up sample bhhch
and begins TO flourish it like censor, chanting
in rapid monotone that would static even H'Iah
Bernhardt a gibberish whose chief characteristic
is eXasperating iteration The DyStahderS' now
ever seem TO understand it. and even IKE H.
They snatch at the swinging bunch. finger II.
bu,v their noses in it, and Snii and knit their
brows The warehouscman followed by scribe
| balances himself OH top Of the piles ana SHOUTS
ont in plain English that the crowd beio" are
idiots if they neglect this splendid opportunity
Tbercupon two or three begin to grUnt back at
in ledger the bunch is tossed over to the buyers
| sample bag and before You can wink the pro-
cess has begun again at the next hoqshead Every
hogshead is sold separately. The talcS al the dii-
| fercnt warehouses are conducted on a system OF
| rotation. Sometimes over 200 hogsheads are SOLD
| AZ one establishment in morning The auction
| Ger and buyers Immediately scampcr oil 10 the
| next house on the list and another auction Is in
Xroaress before the clerk Of the fist has fairly
| had time 10 dry his pen. IL n g)oden0u@h ma
is not forthcoming on any particular package the
| agent calls out Rejectcd!' and it is understood
that the sale is reserved. The buyer on his
part has the privilege Of maEing an equal mum
her Of reflections with the seller and this is, per
| haps the best safeguard for fair dealing.
| Another curious feature of the tobacco trade
| and one that especially recommends it to the
| farmer is the impo-siblity of making the weed
| the subject Of injurious speculation few years
ago during a temporary agitation. some wide
awake gentlemen in Ncv-YorIl decided 10 corner
the crop, regulate prices to suit themselves. and
| make their fortunes at the expense of the Ken
lucky farmer and his guilcc>s agent. At last
| accounts the wide awake gentlemen were wonder
! ing why they had done It. Wheat and corn mas
be graded by immovabc standards that all tie
world recognizes. One operator SAYS 10 another !;
! " | contract 10 deliver 10 you - many thousanC
bushels Of such grade. az such price, on such "a
DAY and when the day comes nobody
has any difficulty in finding ont how much OF
that particular grade is aYaiablp ana al
what figure No two tobacco men, however, So
far known 10 the trade have succeeded IN agree
Ing as to the precise quality OF any given number
of tobacco leaves Every man FIXES his OWN
standard Moreover, nothing Is So uncertain rs
! the quality of the yield from particular area
The leaves not only vary III iucneSs Oh every S'nk :
the stalks themselves III the same patch are soh'
| times not comparable. This year there have been
! greater inequalities than ever before. nave
seen one hogshcad from small farm sold Tor Ten
/ times the price of another grown within the same
! Enclosure and ostcnsibly OF the saline grade Inc
market again. is the uusteadcst thiaS in the
world. one grade may be- advancing AT one mo
ment and another falling in price the next ana
even experts If they attempted to speculate on the
continual variations would get bewilderd III the
caort Ia find out at any moment exactly where
they stood About the only gambling opportunity
! that exists is i'm the foreign demand. The GOV
ernments of Austria, France, Italy and Spain have
mouopoizcd the purchase and sale of all the tODac
co used in those countries and have maze the
trade a permanent branch Of the treasury EVERY
wear an official invites bids for tic required sup
/ ply The lowest bidder gets the contract, anu l.
known here as the Austrian, French Italian Oh
| spanish contractor. Sometimes contractor slShS
an a agreement without having on hahd luA sup
nix Then he may easily he cOrneTcd, and one OF
tno have at different times been oOlged 10 buS Ill
, hurry at a loss, or 10 forfeit the heavy sum de
poslted for the fulhlment OF the Obligation. NOT
| Iouy ago the Eastern holders of Iow grade oI
tobacco that "A foreign contractor wanted p"t
wouldn't pay enough Tor, formed syndicate u
buy ND all the low grade tobacco III the VEST am"
Al force him into compliance win thcir u'h'"H"''
# j. only tair TO say that the local WaTchuuschch
aid their best to help the farmers 10 pIo"t ny '"c
incident and Instance Is recoldcu "hcic i"
! grower Jailed 10 make no m"'" ""' Va WV
| uer' as lie could -
A pretty little fight has lately been stirred up
hy outsiders who, Tor political or pec"n1tS ira
sons are trying to persuade the farmers t" ,nIirn
| IL, thcv are hardly dealt by. Inc L"uIHNII'
! Tobacco Exchange Is composed oi loit''ru M"t'
! Lousemcn and seyenty-iiye buyers E"ch oil III"
| warchonscmcn has vote III the tAcH3iiH' VIZ.
laws down tine rules OF trade, ana the pnAriS NJC'
! am eoual number Of voters from their own p"u&
! Nv the warchous,mcu complain that thcIT IlSN
is greater than II should pr. ihf} nur.'"' |nnd
! .ums In the growers on unreallZcd crops az S'o"
! Interest il is true but not always ON thc pcS'
security Each firms standing depends Oh coI,9'
! an the ability and reputation oI w ~ =,
some of these, wishing 10 lhsUT" pl"N'S ~ ~,
;'otn' I'D tn s,op ruinous competition with I'm
! cinnati laid plans for consolidating th' W'i,u'
business Of the two towns III a STOCK co,"P.i;N
| ~ Vnrk banker offered 10 receive SUBSCRIPTIONS
! and the consolidation was prnctlcaIN con'PTT
chen the Earrings diversions IN the Arsrh,.n.r AZ
nnbiic came 10 light and made money III NV
| Ill scorcc The consolidation went To pieces.
p or mr. two watchiul politicians raised the cry
that there had been conspiracy against me grow w,
crs The growers heard it and were ei,,ic nnno.
,hc talk of greater profits into forming an oPPoi
WV. W., oiinnc known as the Tobacco Growers ASSo-
.io. This association held sale month OF
sn AGO. which was dead failure for wan, o. ; ~"
| ers The warchousemen nre eo'r''P'''''N''
| liant. - - ,hov declare point-
inc to the aqriculturiss who sat around ," ~
stovcs DO these men look rs tnouHn "a, )" tLen
s,1 them . II il to our interest '" Set ,ro ~
| ~. GOOD prices as can. we nave no im Wv, 80