The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-31
Millionaire j. Z. Duke.
Continued from First Page

decessors that competition can never be
destroyed; that monopoly IS an uusouni
business IDEAS the unprogressiye state
Of the tobacco trade in France and italy
prOyeS-and that large methods are bet
ter than small methods, from every
standpoint. public and private. We
spent something like ST .0oO. 600 last yeat
III advertising ana promoting new bust
ness. Monopolists don't have TO 30 that
sort OF thing
1t is said Of SIR. Duke that when he
was eight years old he watched a hen
sitting on some duck eggs. When the
unborn iucklings began to 70 peek
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. re opposes his viii
power 20 the accidents Of fortune. Hard
work is better than good luck.
SON OF "A Poor FARMER.
Mr.. Duke was born on q farm near Dur
ham,, North Carolina, in 1857. His faith
er, Washington Duke, was q 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 ana
was opposed to secession, but his State
was in arms and, in spite of his sylnpa-
thies and convictions, he was forced by
circumstance to serve in the EOnfed-
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 We're sent to live with
their grandparents in an adjoining coun-
ty.
After the war Mr.. Duke returned to
MS farm and worked for its owner on q
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 vita
! him. He recovered his farm when his
employer failed to pay for it. Mr.. Duke
was then fifty-five years old and his
son James-who was afterwards to be
one of the richest and most powerful
men IN the WOrld-Was an authenticated
lad of eight years.
'NAJ S$J vi NAitAt
Carolina farm. Washington Duke was a
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 q
night visit from the masked ruffians. He
started a primitive tobacco factory III a
little barn, but his n~eighbors 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
on the farm or helped in the rude little
barn-factory.
This was the early life of James Buch-
an Duke. When ne 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 nave that
than go to college"
Was it a desire to make money, q ra-
tural love for work or q Discrimination
toward a supposed effeminacy and I'M
profitable idleness in college life that in
spired the young n decision? Never
theless, Che decision was made, and
Washington Duke gave a onc-sixih 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 q
small wooden factory. James Duk,
stayed in the factory and attended tC
the making and packing of smoking and
chewing tobacco, while his brother, B
n. 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 1926, 000, 900 q year
and employs 100, GOO persons in manufac-
turing 300, 000, 600 pounds of tobacco 6
| year., began to show itself. His cap&citE
for work was amazing. Work was his
pastilne. He turned his back on ali else
In 1883 w. Duke & Sons had a business
of about $4,000, 600 q year and a tOta
capital of SIC, 900. In 1889 Mr.. Duke ha(
turned the $40, 900 into 81 500, 900 by sheer
devotion to the tobacco trade.
For the first ten years of Dukes Mix
turc, q cheap and popular form of smok-
ing tobacco, the firm lost money On 1t
Mr.. Duke tried every known form of ad-
vertiSing in vain. But he would no
give it w. Last year the sales of Dukes
Mixture amounted to one-ffth of all the
smoking tobacco used in America. H
brought the Durham factory to such {
state of perfection that tobacco still il
the hOgsheads could be manufactured
bagged, labelled and delivered on the
car within thirty minutes.
MASTER OF THE INDUSTRY.
The tobacco industry was scattered AM
without system. Mr.. Duke concentrated
himself on cigarettes and smoking to-
bacco. BY 1889 he had an annual bust
ness of 81 800 90. In that year alone
he spent $4,000 in advertising. H.
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.. Gintel
treated him with scorn.
L don't recognize you even as a com
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