The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-20
WILL ASK TO HAVE
CHARTER REPEALED
Of BIackWelI's Durham To-
bacco Company
HELD BY TOBACCO TRUST
THERE, ARE MAJORITY STOCK
HOLDERS WHO GET NO
DIVIDENDS.
HELD BY TOBACCO TRUST
MAJ. GUTHRIE TELLS OF HIS INTENTION
He is Stakeholder and Will Ask the Leg 'sla
ture to Put That Branch of the To-
bacco Trust in the Hands
of Trustees

OF trustees
The fight against the Tobacco trust is
on in earnest.
1t began with the farmers who have
been robbed by Il reduction of something
like 100 per cent in the price of their
tobacco.
1t is to be taken up by the organization
of the Durham Antitrust Tobacco
Company which will ask the Legislature
of North Carolina for a charter to man
ufacture tobacco.
1t is to be waged in fight to repeal
the law Incorporating Blackwelfs Dur
ham Tobacco Company, and put it into
the hands of trustees.
Strong efforts are being made to
compel the Tobacco trust to pay the
farmers Il fair price for tobacco, quit
violating the laws of North Carolina,
and stop the monopoly it has built.
The farmers are in dead earnest and
will stop at nothing legal or honorable
TO destroy or cripple the trust that has
reduced them from conditions of com
fort to vassals, working for the trust
Major VIM. \. Guthrie, of Durham.
was in Raleigh yesterday He has pub
lished two important advertisements in
today's paper:
l. That application will be made the
General Assembly at the June session
to repeal the charter of Blackwell's Dur
ham Tobacco Company, of Durham.
2. That application will be made to
the General Assembly at the June SEES
sion to charter the Durham Antitrust
Tobacco Company, with a capital not
exceeding twenty million dollars 10
manufacture tobacco.
The introduction of these two meas
ures will create interest in all sections
of the State. The pictures with which
these advertisements are Illustrated are
pictures that illustrate.
The Importance and general interest
in these are such that We publish this
interview with Major Guthrie:
lie would no doubt be interested to
know some things which are familiar
to you in connection with the history and
present business status Of Blackwell's
Durham Tobacco Company and the re-
lations of that company at the present
time with the American Tobacco Com
pany. commonly called the Tobacco
Trust.
Major Guthrie: Briefly stated, what
is now the corporation known as Black
wells Durham Tobacco Company grew
out of what was originally partner
ship which was cotemporaneous with the
founding of the city of Durham.
Col. VIM. T. Blackwell in the year
1862, bought the factory and Bull trade
mark belonging to the estate of ]. r.
Green, deceased, and entered into part
nership with Mr.. j. r. Day, to work
the Bull brand of smoking tobacco in
Durham.
''In 1870 Col j. S. Carr bought a
third interest in the partnership business.
4 few years after 1870 Col. Carr and
Col Blackwell bought out the interest
of Mr.. Day in the partnership and con-
tinued the business as n partnership
until January, 1883, when the two Nc
Dowell brothers and their nephew, Mr..
Austin. of Philadelphia, bought the in
terest of Col. Blackwell in the partner
ship and united with Col. Carr in or
ganizing the present corporation under
the name of Blackwelrs Durham To
bacco Company.
THE Legis', ature of 1883 granted the
company charter, with an authorized
capital of 81 100000, divided into shares
of 500 each. Four men at that time
owned all the capital stock of the COM
pany. Col Carr owned half of it and
the two Mcdowell brothers and their
nephew, Mr. Austin, owned the other
half.
The Legislature of 1887 granted the
old company n new charter with an au-
thorized capital of $1,000 600, divided
into shares of SO each under which the
company has operated ever since This
new charter of 1887 also changed the
name of the company to 'Blackwell's
Durham Cooperative Tobacco Com
pany.' This new charter of 1887 was
passed the same day it was introduced
and went through both houses under a
suspension of the rules. / remember
Hon. j. Il. Webster was then Speaker
of the House and remarked to me
when he signed the new charter that it
was the first act of that session to be
enrolled and ratified, and was the first
act he had signed as Speaker of the
House. 1t is chapter number one of the
printed Private Laws of 1887.
The Legislature of 1891 amended the
Act of 1897, by restoring the original
name of the company, striking out of its
name the word Cooperative In 1888
the outstanding capital stock of the COM
pany was S4OO0,0O0. the full amount
Of $50 each. and Col. Carr and his
Philadelphia associates owned altogeth'
or about 10000 shares. or about fifteen
sixteenths of the entire capital stock.