The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-05-16


six wears. but afterwards had to take 1t back.
Some of my friends thought 1 was very unwlse.
I had quite a quantity of tobacco stored away,
and when the armies came along they TOOK nosI
of it. ;.
"When the war was over I found myself at New
Bern. after being released from Libby prison,
with one fve-dollar Confederate note, sold tnat
to Federal soldier for fifty cents, and walked
home 1874 miles, to my farm near Durham L
said to nv boys when got home: The war is
over For people who will do their duty and stick
to their business, there better opporA
tunity in the world for men to make their Tor
tunes My idea was then that there was nothing
that could bring money into this country but cot,
ton and tobacco. / planted a tobacco crop and
began to manufacture, in log hut about l6 Is,
such tobacco as I accumulated during the war
that the soldiers had not carried off. We made
it ourselves (my three boys working with me)
on rainy days when we could not work on the
farm Some of this tobacco I took to Durham
(haued it about three miles from the farm to the
factory and got Capt. Ward, who was then a
partner in John r. Green's factory, and had it
put up into plug tobacco.
"I took this with quantity of smoking tobacco
we had made in the summer and fall of 1865 and
travelled through Eastern North Carolina selling
it. Most of it sold to the merchants in the
small towns and villages. Wilson of my
best points, and I sold quantities there, one of
my best customers being the Rountree firm. [
knew the members of that firm well, and my deal
ings with them were pleasant and profitable all
around. Ny son Buck was with me; he then
little bit of a fellow, just big enough to put
bride a horse.
"My farm was two and one-half to three miles
from Durham. I ran the farm and manufactured
tobacco at odd times. Everything done by
hand. We beat the tobacco up with sticks by hand
when it dry. and then it through a fine
wire seine. With the help of my boys we could
put up 400 to 500 pounds per day. In 1866 we
made $4,000 pounds and got so to 60 cents
pound, and had to pay about 20 cents a pound
revenue tax.
"Some of the farmers who had gone to manu-
featuring tobacco became offended at the imposi-
tion of tax which they did not approve, and
quit the business for that reason. Of course this
made it better for those who remained in it.
Owe called our tobacco Pro Bono Publico'
"Our business increased yearly until in 1878
decided to move to Durham. We had already had
to enlarge twice. Our first building log hut
is X 18; then built a bigger house 20 80, and
soon the business outgrew that, and we had to
build a third time on the farm place. Having
to haul everything to and from Durha was very
inconvenient, and went to Durham and bought
lot at the sale of the estate of John r. Green and
by a swap with the widow got the ground on
which the present factory is located I paid $500
for it, and it all in old field A few
years ago, when built my new home, I bought
one-half an acre from Mrs Green adjoining my
first purchase, and [ had to pay at the rate of
$4,000 for it.
GAS as I bought this lot in 1873 I put un
wooden factory that cost $500. It is still
standing in the rear of the present brick factory
The last year we manufactured in the country we
made between 100000 and 125, 900 pounds of smok-
ing tobacco
"Awhile after coming to Durham took in as
equal partners In the business my sons Ben and
Buck, and gave them the money to become equal
partners with me in the business Ben was then
about nineteen and Buck about seventeen and the
firm was W. Duke & Sons. Ny oldest son. Brodie,
had moved to Durham about 1870, and was mann
featuring tobacco on his own account
For about ten years travelled most of the
time, my boys relieving me of the cares of tho