The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-05
Every Market in the State
Shows a Slump in the
Weed.
RALEIGH MARKET SAME
The Figures Dictated by the Trust are StarYa-
lion Figures ard the Tobacco Plan
ters See Very Blue
Outlook.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the
tobacco sale season in raleigh.
But it was not such beginning as to
send delight to the hearts of the men
who raise tobacco.
The tobacco was here in goodly quanti-
ties, but Raleigh, like all of Carolina that
raises and sells tobacco, found that since
last season the price of tobacco had taken
a slump.
The cry of low prices for tobacco has
ccme from every point where the leaf has
been put on sale this week. How great
has been the decrease in percentage can
not be told till the season has heightened.
Lack of competition on all the tobacco
markets has caused, and this lack is the
result of the tobacco trust. The result
as shown this week is that tobacco at the
present prices seems to have touched the
bottom.
The sales in Raleigh, as compared with
other points was high, but only IN COM
parison, for the net result to the farmer
is not encouraging. That the Raleigh
market did well is shown by the fact that
no farmer who had tobacco on the floors
at the warehouses here turned the tag
or took his tobacco home, as was done at
Wilson and other places.
At both warehouses III Raleigh yester-
day the breaks we're good ones for an
early opening day 1t is estimated that
there were on the floors of the ware
houses here from twenty to twenty-five
thousand pounds The offerings yesterday
were the primmings, the first curings, and
the quality was inferior, this having some
thing to do with the prices, but the great
slump was from the Tobacco Trust.
There was a large crowd OF Raleigh
business people in attendance on the
opening sales at the Capital Warehouse
and the Farmers Warehouse. Their pres
ence showed their interest. The farmers
who sold, while seeing that the prices
were low, recognized that Raleigh was
paying as high as other markets were
paying
The only buyer on the market yestcr-
day. outside of the warehousemen, and the
Raleigh Leaf Tobacco Association buyers
was Mr.. C. p. Cellars, representing the
American Tobacco Company. The buy
crs for the Raleigh Leaf Tobacco Associa-
ton are Mr.. Cobb, of Durham, and Mr..
r. +. Knott, of Raleigh.
The leaf was sold by Mr.. w L. Rice,
the same auctioneer who last season Off
ciated so well on the floors in Raleigh.
He rang out the prices clearly and it
was not his fault that the price did not
soar up the scale.
The Farmers Warehouse is conducted
by Messrs. j. H. Cheatham and Garland
Mitchell, the same as last year, and this
insures the very best treatment for the
farmers. Mr.. R. T. Gowan is book-keeper,
and Mr.. T. B. Yancy is assistant.
The proprietors of the Capital Ware
house are r. H. Knott and r. l.. Will
hanson, two experienced tobacco men. Mr..
Knott made a good record last year and
Mr. Williamson, his new partner, is we'll
and favorably known in the tobacco belt.
Mr.. T. c. Lynch is book-keeper.
The prices paid yesterday on the floor
kere ranged from two dollars to ten dol
lars, the averages of which have not yet
been worked out. The larger part of the
sellings was in the neighborhood of five
to seven cents, and men who have been
on other markets say that the Raleigh
figures lead thus far in the sales over the
State.
The sales in Raleigh will be held every
day and that hoEe Of the farmer and the
wsrehousemen is that the prices will in
crease.