The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-10-12
A THRIVING TOWN.
Mullins, Prosperous Tobacco
Town of the Pee Dee.
A HINT TO OTHER SECTIONS.
To Diversity Crops and Not De-
pend Entirely on Cotton as
Money Making Crop.

IlOiiOS VoNHiS SiOH'
The tobacco town Of Mullins. South
Carolina, will be an agreeable surprise
to any business man who will journey
forth and inspect its brief history and
fine work. Mullins is the Little Dan
Vile" of this State. -Four years ago
not one pound of tobacco Was sold here.
Now. comparatively speaking, it has no
equal in the State as tobacco market.
| was requested to inspect the books OF
both ware houses on September 10.
and did so carefully. To my great sur
prise l found that for this season alone
up to the date just mentioned, the to-
bacco sales here aggregate total of
1,014, 7S4 pounds, and that cash to the
amount of $40, ,S41. l6 had been paid to
farmers for their leaf tobacco. These
are the actual figures from the carefully
kept books of both ware houses.
On the day of my visit to the ware
houses, which happened to be on Sat
urday-not busy day generally-both
floors were crowded to their utmost ca
pacity; sales commenced early in the
morning and were not completed until
late in the afternoon, and saw thous-
ands of pounds Of South Carolina leaf
tobacco sold at from +! TO S cents per
pound, from S to IL cents per pound,
and large lots frequently sold at IS, l9.
202 and 223 and % cents per pound. |
have never seen a more active nor bet
ter managed market. Tobacco buyers
and tobacco sellers were alike interest
ed, business men and tobacco farmers
were pushing things together. every
thing was lively, hustling and good ma
tured, and South Carolina Little Dan
Vile was giving an interesting object
lesson in thrift, business capacity and
good work.
MULLINS CAN SPECIFY
when you call for tobacco facts and
figures. Not very much has been said
about what has been going on here
during the past four years. Four years
ago special representative of the News
and Couaier visited Mullins and told
the readers of that paper some few facts
about the small beginnings Of Mullin' S
tobacco interests. This time the News
and Courier man was requested to jonr-
ney to Mullins to see what he could
see, to hear what he could hear, to ex-
anime the books, to keep the record
straight, and publish the facts in the
News and Courier, the great promo
ter" Of South Carolina's tobacco busi-
ness. The writer would here acknowl-
edge the very cordial welcome given
him by the citizens of Mullins. Pipes
and fine cigars figured in this greeting,
good cheer and hospitality mingled
with, but did not go up in smoke, valu-
able assistance was mine in every de-
sired way-and the music was furnish
ed by pipe organs-the mouths Of some
of our good tobacco friends. Espec-
tally am | indebted to Messrs. G. II.
Yarboro, C. J. Mccall and G. R.
Reaves, and | only hope that their re-
collection of certain and numerous i'm
portant events are as pleasant as are
my own. Now for some specifying.
Four years ago Mullins made small
beginning in the tobacco business, IL
which, among others, Messrs. ". H.
Daniel, G. r. Reaves and D. K. Nc
Duffe were very prominent. Practical
results from this move were rather dis
couraging until Mr.. f. 0. Bransford
assumed the position Of general mana
ger of the Planters Ware House.
Things changed then for the better: and
the good fortune has steadily gone on.
Messrs. Daniell, Reaves and McDufie,
who are still prominent and active in
the tobacco interests, could rot take
time from their other large business
affairs to have direct share in the man
agement, but their pluck, perseverance
and ability are largely responsible fol-
the big work of the town today.
MULLINS WAS \ DEAD TOWN
four years ago, said Mr.. G. R. Reaves,
the active and obliging manager OF the
". H. Daniel Supply Company. Con
tinuing he said: ''Since we started the
tobacco business the town has doubled.
Customers are here daily who arc
strangers to US and many are here whom
do not know This was not said II
reply to any leading question, but wa:
spoken in ordinary conversation.
The immense figures, more than
million pounds. and cash for this sea
son of few weeks alone, $40, o4l. l6
show the magnitude of Mullins tobac
co business, and now some reasons car
be satisfactorily added. Mullins is the
centre of splendid tobacco area. Thi:
covers radius of forty miles, embrac
ing the counties of Marion and Horny
in South Carolina and the North Caro-
lima counties of Robson, Richmond
and Columbus. Planters from thes'
FIVE counties are daily at Mullins, thei
nearest market, and their best one.
In addition tobacco is shipped here
from other sections, some having beer
received this season from Rchlan(
county.
The famous golden tobacco Of thu
''Fork" section of Buck Swamp neigh
borhood. !" Marion county. comes her
also, and brings high prices. Mr.. G
H. Yarboro, the large buyer and eff
cient business representative Of th'
Great American Tobacco Company
ships every day from one to two car
loads of South Carolina leaf tobacco
Mr.. Marlboro told ne this fact, and il
conversation with Mr. D. X. McDutfie
one of the best and clcvcrest railroad
agents in the State. this same state
ment was made
The ware houses of Mullins, anon!
other systematic business arrangement
employed travelling man to 90 owe
their territory regularly, soliciting ship
ments and consignments for their mar
ket. For two weeks he has had moth
| ;nr to do having been called in b,