The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-12-13

grand total of one million thirty
thousand FIVE hundred pounds that
has been sold on the two floors, and
for which the sum Of sixty three
thousand five hundred and eighty
five dollars has been paid directly
into the hands of the farmers. The
two warehouses estimate that they
will yet handle one hundred and sew
enty five thousand pounds more the
present season, all Of which are very
conservative figures and which will
make US reach about the mark OF
one and a quarter million pounds.
But the tobacco industry is yet in its
infancy in Clarendon county, and
next year we expect to see the num-
Der of pounds produced just about
doubled and possibly another ware
house here, which will insure more
buyers, sharper competition, aud
better prices.
Regarding the volume of business
done here that is also increasing
every year. Goods are sold cheaper
by retail than they are on King street
in Charleston or Main street in Col
umbia, owing to the fact, of course,
that merchants in town the size of
this are not subject to such heavy
expenses and high taxes as are those
of larger cities. A new wholesale
grocery concern has been establish
ed this fall, which buys bacon and
other heavy groceries by the carload,
and gets them at the very same
prices that it costs Charleston whole
salers to lay down such products on
East Bay street, so that it is enabled
to supply our local merchants with
heavy groceries at the same prices
that they would cost in Charleston,
and the merchants save the freight
from that point to this one. By a
special pool arrangement our mer-
chants get three reports daily from
Liverpool showing the fluctuations of
the cotton exchange there, and te!e-
grams showing the fluctuations of the
New York cotton exchange every
twenty minutes, thus enabling them
to keep right up with what cotton is
doing and pay the highest possible
prices for the feecy staple. Up to
the present time we have handled
only $500 bales of cotton right in
the town, but this does not include
what has been handled by our mer-
chants at nearby stations on the Will
son and Summerton and the Central
railroads. Up to few days ago one
cotton buyer has paid out for cotton
including some little that was bought
at Jordan and Davis Station, two
little points on the w. and S. rail-
road in this county, $4,000, and
our merchants have sold in cash sales
right across the counter since the 1st
of August, not including what was
collected for previous sales or what
was charged for future collections
(from information obtained directly
from their books and very close and
conservative estimates) the sum of
100000 Up to this 10th, of November.
We are gradually coming to the
front in a commercial way, and th:
improvements are of a lasting charac-
ter. There are several fine residences
in course of erection, and among the
very recent improvement is magpi-
icent telephone exchange, making
central connections here from almost
every point in the county, including
St. Paul, Pamela, Silver, Packsville,
Davis Station, Alcolu, New Zion and
Foreston.
The graded school which opened
the 1st OF October is doing good work
and in the white school there are
about 225 pupils enrolled, with prob
ably more in the colored schools.
There are many things which go to
make our little town a most desira-
bic one to live in and I might go on
in numerous detail mentioning our
advantages, such as many flowing
wells of artesian water, splendid
church buildings, good physicians,
and so forth, but perhaps I have
blown our own horn long enough
for this time. We are hospitable folks
here and stand with outstretched
arms ready to welcome all good citi-
zens, you will place under lasting
gratitude the citizens Of Mspning by
giving this information.
In addition to the above so ably
written by Mr.. Lesesne we vii! say
that we have here handsomely
equipped bank, strongly oficered,
with capital of $4,000 and which
does business of over $1,OOo,O00 a
year and declares an annual dividend
of ten per cent.
Then We have a knitting factory
with capacity of 200 pairs of hos
iery per day which is the result OF
the energy of MIR. W. Scott Harvin.
This factory has made fine reputa-
ton for the quality of its goods, and
before long we expect to see the cap
ital greatly increased, the plant made
larger, and the capacity second to
pona IN &bo Stoto