Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-01-07
From TarheeIlana.

| VI IAS NSW lear Is dG OduQ. we nope
it may be blessed by the prosperity so
lavishly promised by the self-accredit-
ed advance agent of ''good times and
plenty Of EN-" But skepticism is
abroad in the land and the banks con-
tiuue to bust.
The outward sign of Christmas here
partakes more of the Fourth of July
than it does at home. A great deal of
guupowder is burned on the streets
and in public places in commemoration
of the event that heralded the benign
command, 'On earth peace, good will
to men!" On second thought. this
mode of celebration is not illogical nor
against lawful deduction from the
events of the centuries of Christianiza-
| ton. The religion which sprang from
divine utterance did not prevent-nay,
was often induced to precipitate-
wars, bloodshed, rage, hatred and
misery. What, then, so natural as to
peacefully recall the starting-point of
the Christian era in flash of gunpow.
der and roar of cannon?-typical of
the merciless enormities which a hap
pier age, we trust. has outgrown.
North Carolina is a great tobacco
producing State, and at this season of
the year the planter markets lis
staple. The covered tobacco wagon
is feature on the streets, although
occasionally the grower risks the
weather and hauls his product to town
on open conveyance. When l first
saw these coming in took their con-
tents to be well-cured cornfodder, but
better knowledge came to me through
exposure of my native ignorance to a
! sophisticated bystander. The planter
does not hawk the "weed" about the
town, but takes it direct to one of the
two great warehouses, where it is
classified according to quality, and ev-
company with gentleman whose ac-
quaintance l had happily formed dur
ing the first days of my soiourn here.
1 went down to a warehouse the other
morning. The building is probably
$50 feet long and 100 wide. On the
floor lay piles of tobacco-leaf as it was.
taken from the hogshead. 1t was
packed in layers, the different quail
ties being separated by paper. Some
piles contained as many as four grades.
On each pile were stuck as many la
bells as there were grades in the pile.
with the name of the planter, and
number of pounds of each grade. and
later on the prices which they had sold
for. These piles were placed all over
the floor, in rooms, with barely room
to pass between-abOut two hundred
and fifty, in all. The auctioneer took
them pile by pile, row by row, and a
hustler he was! Pres. is good land
crier, but the tobacco man could give
him several pointers. / would like to
give his formula, but unfortunately Il
couldn't understand word he said.
His voice was voluminous and filled
the room with ease, and to the Initial
ed seemed perfectly Ineligible. Not
a word was uttered by the bidders. 3
| nod, a shrug, or CLINT of the eye
standing in lieu of the tongue. As
each pile was sold, the price, or
prices, and the name of the buyer,
were written on the cards by an at
tepdant. and attached. Immediately
after them came a colored gentleman
with a truck and wheeled the commod-
ity away to its proper place. As the
sales were rapidly made, about half
score of truckmen were kept busy. 1t
was a wonder to me that they didn't
get things in a tangle, from the rapid
ity and apparent carelessness with
which the piles and tags were handled.
But it was no concern of mine, and |
let matters go as they would.
There is class of buyers, enjoying
the most inexpensive designation OF
..Pinhookers. These gentlemen
usually operate in pairs. Their pur-
pose is to buy direct from the farmer,
and then place their purchase upon
the floor to take their chances with
the other lots at auction. Pinhooker
No. 1 approaches farmers wagon.
examines the tobacco, and then asks
the price for the load. Fifty dol
lars" says the owner.
Fifty dollars! Too much:" and
the buyer gees away. Then Pinhooker
No. 2 comes up. How much for this
lot?"
Fifty dollars" again responds the
farmer, but with less confidence than
in the first instance.
Fifty dollars! Whew! Say, friend,
! if anybody offers you forty dollars,
you take him up right now. 1 would
Mt like to call it thirty!' And he goe:
away.
A few minutes later, No. /. who Ia:
been watching the proceedings from 6
distance, comes sauutering along,