The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-07-24
FRIDAY, JULY "a.
WILMINGTON TOBACCO MARKET.


Wilmington took >. long stride in
the march of progress yesterday when
she opened her toba eco market with
the initial sale. That the movement
of making this a tobacco market will
be a success is assured. The first sale
proved this. No enterprise has been
undertaken in our city in years Of
more Importance to her business inter
ests or calculated to do more to in
crease the trade of our business men
than the building Of this warehouse
and the establishing of u tobacco mar
ket here 1t will put our business men
in closer touch with the farmers of the
Surrounding country than ever before.
1t will bring to our city men with
money in their pockets and desirous of
trading who otherwise would not come,
but would do their purchasing else
where. If our business men go about
1t in the right way they can largely
increase their trade by ~eason of these
tobacco breaks.
One important feature of a tobacco
market here is that this crop comes to
market at d time when there is gen
orally a scarcity Of money in the cot
ton growing sections. Tobacco comes
ON the market some time before cotton
and it distributes throughout the coun-
try 4 great deal of money at a time
when heretofore farmers were still
buying on credit and depending on the
coming cotton crop to pay them out.
With a successful trucking season,
followed by a good tobacco crop the
farmers Of our section are no longer
dependent on the cotton crop to meet
the expenses of living. Cotton can be
made surplus crop almost entirely.
We look for great things for the
farmers OF this section and for the
business men of our city from this to-
bacco movement.
One thing the farmers should learn
and that IS how 10 properly cure and
handle their tobacco. Many a lot of
and improper handling To secure good
prices as much, if not more, depends
upon this as upon the original quality
OF the article. This fact was shown
N the prices received for some lots Of
tobacco sold on our warehouse floor
yesterday. Many farmvgs who are new
at the business will be disappointed
at first at the prices obtained, but they
must not let this disIiearten them.
They must learn by experience and OBJ
servation of the work Of others how
TO cure and order their crops.
The manager of the warehouse and
the farmers should give the cold
shoulder to that pest Of the tobacco
sellers, the ''pinhoOkers. They can
DO more than any ore else to injure
the reputation of a tobacco market.
A pinhooker is a man who meets the
farmer before he has put his tobacco
on the warehouse floor and buys it, |
sometimes paying lump sum for the !
whole lot and sometimes agreeing to |
pay so much a pound. The lot is then |
put on the floor and sold in the name |
of the farmer for the use of the pin
hooker. the latter taking chances on |
making a profit, which is more often
the case than not. These pinhookers
are usually good judges of tobacco
and sharp, shrewd neu. Well up with
the market. They do no often pay more
for a lot OF tobacco than it subsequent
ly brings on the warehouse floor
Nothing makes a farmer more dis
contented than 10 sell his load of to-
bacco on the outside" and then to see
it bring several cents per pound more
on the warehouse sale than he got for
it. Although il is his own fault ne
will take on a dislike for the market
in which he was bitten IN this way.