The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-09-04
TWICE AS MUCH TOBACCO AS
THE FLOOR WOULD HOLD.
Thirty Buyers and a Couple of
AucGloneers---The Whole Town
and q Part Of Two Counties
Out to See the Show
Sumter Leads and the
Game Cock Crows
Again.
From The Daily Item, August %.

those who have believed that Sumter was so
situated that tobacco warehouse would
prove . success. To-day the croakers were
converted aud transformed into enthusiastic
howlers for the Sumter Tobacco Warehouse.
The tobacco wagons were coming in sill OF
yesterday afternoon and even when night
bad fallen the wagons still continued to ar
rive. This morning there we're tobacco
wagons 10 still greater numbers and long
before the hour of sale there was twice as
much tobacco on the warehouse yard as
could be placed on the floor at one
time The tobacco growers of Sumter,
Clarendon and other adjoining counties have
rallied to the Sumter tobacco market
handsomely, aud if the sales do not reach a
large total during the season it will not be
the fault of the planters. They have given
Sumter chance to show what there is In
this market, and it now remains for the
Warehouse Company to do the rest. The
/ planters are willing and anxious to come to
Sumter, bat they will do so only on the con-
dition that they come on terms az advanta-
geous as they obtain at other places. Self
interest is the handspring of humanity and
tobacco planters are human. The sale this
moroing demonstrated that it is to the ip-
terest of all growers in this section to sell in
Sumter, and it is safe to predict that the
Sumter tobacco market bas been established
on as safe and firm basis as possible in so
short time.
Manager Brogdon and his staff were at
work this morning at O'Clock weighing the
-obacco aud arranging it on the floor, and
they worked without intermission until the
hoor was studded With piles Of the golden
leaf from end to end and side TO side. Not
another pile could be placed on the floor, and
then the sale began.
The sale WAS opened by Auctioneer W B..
Meachan, who will be here throughout the
season. he has bad thirty years experience
and be knows just how to sell pile of to-
bacco he was assisted by Mr. John Reb.
Drake, auctioneer for Smoot 4 McGilrs
warehouse in Darlington, who is cryer
from way back. Drake captured the crowd,
mons Of whom had seen au,ioneering done
after that manner before. Even the small
boy was amazed by the aexibility and un-
firing rapidity Of his dou6le-ended tengue
Said one to another: "Jes' lissen' to shat'er
man be talks two times faaser than Uncle
jim Jervey."
The auciioueers were surrousded 'by q
crowd Of twenty-five or thirty buyers and
the bidding was fast and furious. A pile Of
wrappers would be started at $3.50 and in
minute would run up to S25, $50 and
sometimes $50, while the uninitiated were
trying to grasp what was being doue in the
midst of 80 much confusion. And 80 the sale
continued hour after hour.
The crowd of spectators was as much Of q
show as the sale was to them. Merchants,
bankers, lawyers, physicians. preachers, me-
chanics and men of 90 trade or profession
were there in such crowds that there wss no
vacant room left in any part OF the house.
The ladies were there in force and were
among the MOST interested OF the hundreds of
spectators
There were about 30, 900 pounds of tobacco
sold this morning asd the sale will continue
this afternoon when almost as much more will
be sold. 1t is difficult to estimate how much
will be sold to-day, as it will be impossible
TO sell all that is here, hut the total will not
be less than forty to 6fty thousand pounds.
The,e will probably be another sale to-nor-
row and il the tobacco that is expected ar
riyes the secoud days sale will be almost as
large az to-day's. Sumter holds the record for
. ssbreak" 10 South Carolina, and Manager
Brogdou and the Warehouse Company are to
be congratulated.
But the most important feature of the
break was the prices the tobacco brought
The prices RAGGED from Il cents for scraps Of
the worst sort 10 $3.50 per pound for lot
of fancy wrappers. There were several
other lots that brought high prices. Mr.. J.
J. Brunson received $2.25 for small lot,
and Ms. R. R. Tomiinson sold lot for ST so.
Numerous lots sold for Is, 80, 80 cents and
Sl.l0 per pound. The average price, taking
all grades during the morning, was estimated
TO be about l24 cents. This was conserve
tive estimate, and a great many estimated
The average to be higher than this figure.
The writer tslked with quite number OF
the buyers aud several visiting warehouse
men, and each and every one candidly said
tha, the tobacco on the foor to-day was the
6nest average lci of tobacco they bad ever
seen in warehouse at one time either in
South Carolina or elsewhere. l, is not TO be
supposed that warehousemen would say CON-
plimeutsry things about new market unless
the actual facts amply warranted them.
The finest tobacco grown in South Caro-
lima is within Sumter's territory and 1t is
safe 10 say that Sumter will become the
market for 6ue grades Of tobacco, and buy
erS WDo want nne tooaccO VIII coue oeEe 10
get it.
Much more could be said about the
''treak', in fact the subject has been but
hurriedly touched in a hasty manner, but
enough has been said to substautiate all that
has beer said 10 the past in favor of es.ab-
fishing a tobacco warehouse. The fact has
been demonstrated shat warehouse was q
necessity to Sumter all that remains is for
the Warehouse Co Ito prove to tobacco grow
ers of this aud adjoining counties that II is
both benefit and necessity to them.
Among the buyers and warehousemec from
other places WHO were present to-day were :
G. w. Gasney, B. T. Jones, Jr., Walter
Watson, J. c. Lea, J. W. Wilson, j. A.
Ragiu, E. L. Swain, B P. Franklin, B..
Bowles, R. Q Walker, of Danyile, Va, j.
N. German, E. c. Matthews, P. c. Pleasant,
Silas Sbeborne, of Richmond. Va. G. g..
Hill, of Winston, N. c., n. c. Gregory, W.
A. Bolden, Roxboro, n c., W. A. Davis
Lynchburg, Va, W l.. Cooper, Durham,
n C.. There were lumber of others on the
floor but n the rush i, was impossible to OBJ
,sin q complete list