The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-05
u asean III A LOG HUI.
INontInNed from ninth page

it q moment, ana then began 20 codh'
out the bills. II never felt so happy
in my life" said the man 'as when
got those bills in my hands"
But to return: My farm was 21a To
3 miles srcm Durham. | ran the farm
and manufactured tobacco at odd
times. Everything was done BY hand,
we beat tile tobacco up with sticks by
hand when it was dry, and then run Il
through i fine wire seiSe. With the help
of my boys we could put UP 400 to 900
pounds per day In 1866 we made l5,-
600 pounds and got so cents or 60 cents
a pound, and had to pay about 20 cents
a pound revenue tax Some of the far
mers who had gone into manufactur-
ing tobacco became offended at the inn
position of d tax which they did not
approve. and quit the business for that
reason. OF course this made it better
for those who remained in it.
We called our tobacco PRO Rouo-
Publico." Our business Increased
yearly until in 1873 | decided to move
to Durham. We had already had to en-
large twice. Our first building was a
log hut 16x1S; then we built a bigger
house 20x3O, and soon the business out
grew that and we had to build a third
time on the farm place. Having to
haul everything To and from Dur
ham was very inconvenient, and | went
to Durham and bought lot at the sale
of the estate Of John r. Green, and, by
a swap with the widow, got the ground
on which the present factory is loca-
ted paid out $500 an acre for it. and
it was all in old field. A few years ago,
when | built my new home. | bought
one-half an acre from Mrs. Green adj
joining my first purchase, and / had to
pay at the rate of $4,000 an acre for it.
As soon as / bought this lot in 1873,
/ put up wooden factory that cost
1900 1t is still standing in the rear
of the present large brick factory. The
last year we manufactured in the coun-
try w,s made between 100000 and 1885,,
900 pounds of smoking tobacco. Awhile
after coming to Durham, / took in as
equal partners in the business my sons
Pen and Buck, and gave chem the
money to become equal partners with
me in the business. Ben II as henahout
nineteen and Buck about seventeen,
and the firm was III. Duke Sons. My
Oldest son, Brodie, had moved to DUR
ham about 1870, and was manufactur-
ing tobacco on his own account. For
about ten years | travelled most of the
time, my boys relieving me Of the cares
of the business and manufacturing. In
fact they did most of the business. Dur
ing these ten years / travelled over 80
States.
In March, 1878, the business OF B. T..
Duke, who was manufacturing the
"Duke of Durham" was Incorporated
into ours, and Mr. Geo. w. Watts was
admitted as an equal partner. Our cap
ital at that time was SO, 000--$14, 900
for each of the five members of the
firm. The New York branch was es-
tabIished when we had only $4,000. 1t
grew until its quarters were too small,
and then it outgrew the second en-
largement, and we had to have another
and bigger factory there. Here in
Durham, too, the growth has been
steady, and we have had to enlarge our
business from time to time.
have never done business any year
in which I did not feel myself better off
at the close than at the beginning.
Profits have grown larger and larger,
but at the first some of it came very
slow. / have considered myself very
poor twice in my life; first, when I
started out to make a living with moth
ing but willing hands and a stout
heart; second, when / returned from
the war.
have never paid interest on money.
/ never went i'm debt to such an ex-
tent that | could not pay when the
time came. 1t is paying interest that
ruins most men who fail
People as rule depend too much on
government / have never asked gov
eminent to do anything for me except
to keep open the avenues of trade, and
protect me in the enjoyment of life,
liberty and property. / am somewhat
like an old fellow who rode by my
house some years ago ON a dray on a
very hot day When he had gone by
some distance, the horse stopped, and
he was lying with his head on a pillow,
and his face turned up to the boiling
sun. / thought something was the
matter with him, and / walked up to
where he was lying TO render what as
sistance / could. As / approached
he said: ssAlI I've got to say is, 'shoo-
ay don't bother me- The govern
ment is not a cow. But many people
seem to think it is. Everybody wants
TO do the milking; nobody wants TO
feed There is an idea that it certain
men are sent to make laws and certain
laws are made, then the causes of their
poverty and discomfort of all the
people viii be removed 1t is an
idle dream never to be real
lied What Is Government? Ii is
a plan adopted by the whole peo-
pie for their guidance in national life.
Every person in the country is part
of that government. The govern
mental functions of the nation can be
perfected only as its individual mem
bers perfect themselves.
Since was twelve years old / have
been trying to make the world better
by having lived in it. Giving to the
support Of the gospel has been parC
Of my life When we began to employ
large number Of people, we organ
lied a Sunday school in one room in our
factory, and out of that Sunday school
grew Main street Methodist church.
Il. II