The western sentinel., 1900-07-26

that this great issue of the paper will
be read at home and abroad, and as
the Piedmont is one of the institutions
of town it becomes legitimate target
for reporters pencil.
The original of what is now the
Piedmont Warehouse was a building
4Ox1O0 feet, erected in 1871 or 1872,
and christened the Planters Ware
house." It was built by Joint stock
company-other than that bare fact
we have no data concerning the enter
prise from the time it was inauguara-
ted until the Warehouse was leased
by M. w. Norfeet in 1875, at the
same time Mr. Norfeet enlarged the
building, adding 60x190 feet, and an
l. 41x70 feet, at the same time chang
ing the name from planters to
Piedmont. Mr.. Norfeet has re-
manned identified with the warehouse
ever since, and in 1882 the. present
firm, comprising Mr, NorAeet andlJ.
S. Scales, was forAed. For a year or
two prior to that time the firm style
had been Norfeet & Vaughn.
The copartEers are North Carolin-
ians, Mr.. Norfeet being originally
from Caswell county. He came here
in 1873-for one year was engaged in
merchandising, and ever since has
been identified with Winston's tobae-
co interests Mr. Scales is from Stokes
county-has been with the tobacco
trade since 1875, and been a resident
of Winston since 1876.
So much for the proprietors a
word or two concerning the employees:
The auctioneer is Mr.. H. J. Crute.
w. A. Webster is floor manager; J.
M. Jessup assistant floor manager S.
Z. Neal is check clerk John r. Tay-
lor is bill clerk; A c. Strayhorn
statement clerk, and VIM. Long ticket
marker. It is a force of employees
that stands we'll with both buyers and
sellers; each is attentive to his respec-
tive duties, and the result is a con
stant growth in popularity on the part
of the warehouse.
As sale progresses one or the other
of the partners personally accompan-
les the auctioneer from pile to pile
they feel and know that in promoting
the interests of their farmer patrons
that they are promoting their own
interests, and they spare no honorable
effort to secure the highest market
price for every pound of tobacco on
the floor. In other words, they pro
tect their customers, and this has beer
the policy of the warehouse ever since
it came under Mr.. Norfeet's manage
ment. How we'll the policy has work
ed-how we'll the people-the farmers
have appreciated the matter i;
shown by the very suggestive fac
that the business of the Piedmon
Warehouse has increased six fold since
1875-a most gratifying record, GER
tainly. It clearly demonstrates tha
hard working farmers can and do ap
preciate efforts on, the part of ware
housemen that promote their individ
ual interests as well as those of tht
community generally.
Our warehouses generally attrac1
tobacco from essentially the same sec
tions of country. In the case of the
Piedmont the sections embraced are
the counties OF Stokes, Surry, Forsyth
Guilford, Yadkin, Iredell, Davidson
Wilkes, Rockingham, Alexander anc
Catawba in this State, and Patrick
Henry, Carroll and Grayson in Vir
ginia. The tobacco from these coun
ties named is mostly teamed to Win
ston; then there are greater or les
rail shipments the Piedmont receives
from Asheville, Durham and Dan
vile, and occasionally from Louisville
KY. Outsiders " can form some
thing of an idea of the extent of coun
try thus rendered tributary to Win
ston when we say that considerable
loose leaf tobacco is teamed from
points eighty-fve to one hundred
miles away, and instead of this being
an unusual thing, it is matter o1
| everyday occurrence.
Through the efforts of Mr.. Scales
Mr. Jessup and other gentlemen, who
in the interest of the Piedmont ware
| house, visit hosts of farmers at theil
homes, large quantity of tobacco is
carried here that otherwise would &C
elsewhere, and while these gentlemen
promote the welfare of the Pied