The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-29

in advertising and promoting new bust
ness. Monopolists don't have to do that
sort of thing
1t is said of Mr.. Duke that when he
was eight years old he watched hen
sitting on some duck eggs. When the
unborn ducklings began to to peck
through their shells, the impatient boy
could not wait for the slow process of
nature, but broke the shells with his own
hands and drew forth the inmates. That
has been characteristic of his whole life.
He will not wait for events to occur. He
makes them occur. he opposes his will
power 10 the accidents of fortune. Hard
work is better than good luck.
SON OF A POOR FARMER
Mr.. Duke was born on a farm near Dur
ham, North Carolina, in 1857. His faith
er, Washington Duke. was a struggling
farmer with three sons and one daughter
The future president of the Tobacco
Trust was the youngest of the family
When the civil war broke out the farm
er found himself in an embarrassing po-
sition. He believed in the Union and
was opposed to secession, but his State
was in arms and, in spite of his sympa
thies and convictions, he was forced by
circumstances to serve in the Confed-
crate navy. Mr.. Duke sold his farm and
stock with the understanding that ne
was to be paid in leaf tobacco when the
war was over.
His children were sent to live with
their grandparents in an adjoining eoun-
ty
After the war Mr.. Duke returned to
his farm and worked for its owner on a
one-third share arrangement. He re-
ceived some leaf tobacco from the pur-
chaser of his horses, and this he peddled
through the country. For two years
his struggle for life was so hard that
he was unable to have his children with
him. He recovered his farm when his
employer failed to pay for it. Mr.. Duke
was then fifty-fve years old and his
son James-who was afterwards to be
one of the richest and most powerful
men in the world-was an auburn haired
lad of eight years.
Life was not very gay ON that North
Carolina farm. Washington Duke was
Republican and made no secret of his
views. The Duke family was bitterly
hated in that time of political passion.
Yet they gave no sign of surrender.
Even the Ku-Klux considered the ad-
visibility of condemning Mr.. Duke and.
for months he lived in expectation of
night visit from the masked ruffians. He
started a primitive tobacco factory in
little barn, but his neighbors were dis
posed to boycott him. His sons went to
the nearest country school, which was
open for only three months in the year.
During the rest of the time the worked
~.
barn-faetory.
This was the early life of James Buch-
an Duke. When he was eighteen years
old his father offered to send him to col
lege. Now mark his attitude and choice
at the critical point in his formative
young manhood.
Give me an interest in your business,
father he said. I'D sooner have that
than go to college"
Was it desire to make money, ma
tural love for work or a disinclnation
toward a supposed effeminacy and I'M
profitable idleness in college life that in
spired the young mans decision? Never
thelesa, Che decision was made, and
Washington Duke gave a one-sixth IN
terest in his business to each of his two
sons. The third son was otherwise en-
gagged and, therefore, received no share.
BY this time the tobacco business had
been moved from the first barn to a
small wooden factory. James Duke
stayed in the factory and attended to
the making and packing of smoking and
chewing tobacco, while his brother b.
\. Duke, now treasurer of the American
Tobacco Company, went on the road and
promoted sales Gradually James be-
came the real head of the firm. In 1871
the Duke factory was built In 1881
Washington Duke retired from business
Now the power of the man who directs
an industry involving $125, 900 900 a year
and employs 100000 persons in manufac-
turing 300.000,000 pounds of tobacco a
year, began to show itself His capacity
for work was amazing. Work was his
pastime. He turned his back on all else
In 1885 W. Duke & Sons had a business
OF about $2000000 a year and a total
capital of $4,000. In 1889 Mr.. Duke had
turned the $4,000 into 81, 5000 900 by sheer
devotion to the tobacco trade.
For the first ten years of Dukes Mix
ture, cheap and popular form of smok-
ing tobacco, the firm lost money en- it.
Mr.. Duke tried every known form of ad-
give it up. Last year the sales of Dukes
Mixture amounted to one-fifth of all the
smoking tobacco used in America He
brought the Durham factory to such a
state of perfection that tobacco still in
the hogsheads could be manufactured,
bagged. labelled and delivered on the
car within thirty minutes.
MASTER OF THE INDUSTRY.
The tobacco industry was scattered ami
without system. Mr.. Duke concentrated
himself on cigarettes and smoking to-
bacco. BY 1889 he had an annual bust
ness of "a. 90. In that year alone
he spent $4,000 in advertising. He
/ came TO New York in 1884 His first at
| tempt TO consolidate the tobacco trade
was through an interview with Mr..
| Ginter. of Allen & Ginter. Mr.. Ginter
| treated him with scorn.
/ II don't recognize you even as COM
| petitor." he said But the time was soon