The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-05
THE DUKE OF DURHAM.
Mr.. Brocie L Duke Gives Short His
tory of the Brand.

4 Mr.. Brodie L Duke Gives a Short His
tory of the Brand.
/ left my fathers farm in 1860. My
father was manufacturing tobacco and
farming together about five miles from
/ Durham. At that time, before the new
] Internal Revenue law went into effect,
/ parties were permitted by law to man
ufacture and brand tax free, :
tobacco that was grown during the
war. M. r. Suggs, of Chapel Hill, was
the Inspector, and it was his duty to
inspect all tobacco manufactured, and
if made of old tobacco to brand it
| TAX Free" otherwise to collect the
money and brand it TAX Paid" There
was a story current among the boys
that now and then some manufacturer
less serupulous than he should have
/ been, would steal Mr.. Suggs' branding
irons while he was eating big supper,
and brand lot of tobacco TAX Free"
was working with my father in
1868, and had tried to get him TO move
to Durham. When the Bull brand was
sold by John X. Green's executors, /
tried to persuade my father to buy it.
When he seemed to prefer to continue
in the country, / decided to move to
town.
At first ] rode around through the
country and bought leaf tobacco
was IN the spring Of 1869. To the fall
Of that year / made arrangements to
go to manufacturing on a very small
scale. bought place in Durham and
paid $3.50 for it, my father letting me
have the money. 1t was what was
known as the old Willis Markham place,
near where / built my residence and
near where the Pearl mill is situated.
The first year / manufactured and
sold about 1900 pounds Of smoking to-
baceo. which was first called "Semper
Idem.' About 1871, when there was
great controversy and litigation about
trade marks and brands, | determined
to change the name.
had cut Of duke made, and got
Caleb Green TO print my labels. ! came
TO Raleigh and got Phil THEM to make
me sketch of duke and had the cut
made in Baltimore. called it "Semper
Idem Duke of Durham" and business
grew gradually until the panic of 1873
came near breaking me.
Tn those days when we would ship
tobacco we would put in draft. Some
Of my customers died OF yellow fever
in Memphis and / was hard up for
money, my account being oyerdrawn at
the bank. came down to see Mr.. G.
Dewey, president Of the Raleigh Ma
tional Bank, and told him was busted.
but had pretty good stock of tobacco.
Mr.. Dewey let me have enough money
to buy stamps and make a trip South
and West, where / sold enough tobacco
to pay what I owed the bank and put
money to my credit in the bank. /
mailed a check for all got from my
Memphis customers executors to Mr.
Dewey.
/ weathered through that panic bet
ter than the last one. Then my af-
fairs went along well, business grow
ing, and learning by experience. /
did my drumming by correspondence.
in those days tobacco was made BY
hand, and packing was done by wood
en- press. / would work this way all
day and drum by writing at night.
Many time / would write letters till
3 o'clock in the morning.
About 1875 / did a great deal Of tray
cling, and haa many varied expert
ences.
In 1878, the year before consolidation,
my output was 10000 pounds. The
profits had decreased proportionately,
but they were from 6 to 10 cents per
pound.
In the meantime, my father had
moved TO town in 1874, and built fac
tory on the present site of the Duke
factory. j occupied half of the build
ing In order to get the benefit of the
steam power.
In 1878, my father admitted my
brothers, b. N. and J. p. Duke, and the
firm was called w. Duke 81 Sons Short
ly after that, Mr.. Watts was admitted,
and my factory was consolidated with
the other factory, and the firm name
was then w. Duke, Sons 81 Co, and con-
tinued so until the formation of the
American Tobacco Company.