The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-08-26
OPENING SALE AT THE TO
BACCO WAREHOUSE.
a Busy Day in ManninsPeople from
All Over the County 80, 900 Pounds
Of Tobacco Sold Manning Step
ming TO the Front.

! Of Tobacco Sold Manning Step
| ping to the Front.
! The tobacco warehouse on las
| Thursday evening was the most pop
ular place in town and under TN
brilliant lighted chandeliers beaut!
ful women and handsome men prom
enaded up and down expressing thei
admiration and appreciation for The
elegantly appointed institution
which is expected TO bring slaGnest
and prosperity into our midst. Early
in The evening wagons beEah arriv
lug loaded with the golden leaf anc
comparatively new product IN this
section; or these wagons were the
sun brown honest faces CT tolllne
farmers who came here 30 lend a
Ihelping hand towards making Man
ming a tobacco market Some Of
these came from distances Of forty
miles. The stream continued com
ing all night and at daylight the
yardway was full and many wagons
had to stay IN the street.
The scene at the warehouse on
last Friday morning will not be for
gotten soon. Just think of it, nearly
sc, 900 pounds OF tobacco on the floor
at one time and nearly $4,000 in cash
paid out to be put in circulation.
Manning has at last awoke from her
lethargy to join the progressive
march.
The procession was formed, and
under the leadership Of experienced
captains the march was begun under
fiattering and suspicious circum-
stances. Indeed the day will be re-
'membered in the future as an occa-
sion marking q new era in the histo-
ry of our lovely town. For weeks
Mr.. E. L. Wilkins and his assistants
have been working hard to get every
thing in shape for the opening tobac-
co sale Oh the 21st. Col. G.E. Webb,
the Winston warehouseman, had
been secured to help organize, and
that gentleman was on hand several
days before the opening to lend his
assistance.
The warehouse, by the way tobacr
90 men say, is the handsomest in the
State, was cleaned out, and on
Thursday night was brightly illu-
minated and ready for the reception
Of the weed. Tobacco began to come
in Thursday afternoon and by 10
O'clock Friday morning the floor was
covered with the golden plant.
The old town turned out in holiday
attire to witness what they had
never seen before-a tobacco sale.
Promptly at II o'clock Col Webb
mounted truck and announced to
the people that the sale was ready to
begin. The Colonel then addressed
himself to the farmers and explained
to them that the Manning market
was ready to pay them the market
prices for their tobacco. He told
them that in the first place prices
were not as high as last year and in
the second place the quality of to-
bacco was not as good, so they could
not expect last years prices. Col.
Webb then told the ladies present
that he was not always as ugly as he
was when selling tobacco and then
the music began. Col. Webb began
to rattle off bids at q lively rate, in
sing song tone that was amusing to
the visitors and that gave animation
to the SALE
Bidding was lively and it was soon
evident that while prices were not
tip top, they were some better than
they were at Sumter, Florence, and
other points, so said men who were
present at the opening sales at these
places. Many farmers were not
pleased while others were entirely
satisfied. This we learn was the case
and is generally the case at all open
ing sales. The fact remains, how
ever, that the Manning tobacco mar
ket is to- be q fixed permanent insti-
tuition, and the management will see
that the interest of the farmers shall
be protected.
Mr.. E. L. Wilkins, the manager,
secretary and treasurer of the Clar-
endon Warehouse and Supply Co.,
tion with the organization of the
market. He has labored increasingly
TO get the people interested, and ia
placing the market on a firm, perma-
nent basis. It was gratifying to see
Mr.. Wilkins last Friday enter upon
the discharge Of his duties like al
old warehouse veteran. He was here,
there and everywhere keeping a
sharp lookout over everything with
a kind word for everyone.
Mr.. Clarence Wilkins was Office
boss, assisted by Messrs. Cabell
Smith, Riley Strange and I. 1. Bag
nal.
Take it altogether the opening sale
was success, and now let the mer-
chants, bankers, farmers and every
one pull together towards frst-class
tckecco market.