The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-22
First Tobacco Grower.

In another way (than as the husband
Of Pocahontas) Rolfe is connected with
the early history Of Virginia. In the
spring of 1912, the fifth year of the
colony, ne performed an action which,
if re were to judge it by its conse-
quences only, we might pronounce the
mcst important deed ever done in CO
lonial Virginia. Being an old smoker,
he had the curiosity to know whether
white men could raise good tabacco in
Virginia; and accordingly, he planted
some tobacco seed at Jamestown. 1t
grew well during the summer, and
when the leaves we're ripe, he cured
them as best he could; for not a
person in the colony was acquainted
with the proper process. When the
leaves we're dry, he tried them in his
pipe, and pronounced the tobacco ex-
cellent. His friend: Ralph Hamor,
secretary of the colony, tried it and
finding it very much to his taste,
planted some seed in his garden in the
following spring. Mr.. Hamor, in his
tract upon Virginia, published in 1915,
gave Virginia tobacco strong in
dorsement.
81 dare affirm, he wrote, "that no
country under the sun can or doth
afford more pleasant, sweet and strong
tobacco than I Ihave tasted there, even
Of my own planting, which, howsoever,
being then the first year Of trial
thereof, We had not the knowledge to
cure and make up; yet are there some
men resident there, out Of the last
years well-observed experience, which
both know, and I doubt not, will make
and return such tobacco this year
(1615) that even England shall ac-
knowledge the goodness thereof.
He further says, when urging emf
grants to go to Virginia, that any man
in the colony could earn his clothes
by raising tobacco-clothes having to
be bought in England with money.
The Secretary's prediction proved
correct. English smokers SO well ap-
preciated the tobacco Of Virginia that
the price Of the article ranged from 3
70 5 shillings a pound. A colonist
needed to send only a very few pounds
of tobacco home to get an excellent
suit of clothes. Naturally enough,
every one was eager to plant tobacco
and we read Of tobacco growing luxu-
riantly in the very streets and public
places of Jamestown Nothing could
"draw the people off, says and old
historian, 'from their greedy and i'm
moderate pursuit Of tobacco : al
though hundred and fifty people
were sent out from England to set up
three iron works, and an attempt was
made to ointroduce the culture of hemp,
fax and silk. Tobacco became, and
for two centuries remained, the great
staple product Of Virginia. For a
century and more, it served in part as
the currency Of the colony. Weread
Of men bequeathing hundreds Of
pounds Of tobacco for endowing col
lege for converting the heather. Cler-
gymen were paid salaries Of SO many
thousand pounds Of tobacco per an
nun. Taxes, debts and rents were
paid in tobacco.
No colony can flourish, if, indeed,
team exist, unless it produces some
thing which can be sold for money in
other and older countries since it
cannot. for many years, manufacture
the implements, utensils, fabrics and
apparel, without which it must either
perish or lapse into barbarism. ir-
ginia now had such commodity; and
from this time forward it could make
a return to the company at home, and
buy with its own product indispcnsa-
Bile articles manufactured in England.
Such was the consequences Of John
Rolfe' planting Of tobacco seed in the
spring of lG12.-.Jumes Partons 7ri.
unphs Of Enterprise.
------s- --'-----
While the turkeys natural life
is only ten years, the goose sometimes