The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-12

lie N1lu w VI
competent judges to be the finest of
its k d in the South
From Field to Factory.
There is much work that is done
before the tobacco reaches the ware
house floors; there to be sold on
the tobacco plantations. before the
season Of frost has ended, the farmer
has already raked off a rich spot in
the woods. burnt the roots and brush
i from it and planted his tobacco seed,
covered il with Il thin cloth to Ike 20
out the cold but admit the sun and
: rain. and so leaves it for a time whi:e
. ne goes to prepare the soil and make
ready for the planting. Later You
viii see great fields of the weed. as it
has been transplanted into hills so it
can be worked and given a better
y tr crow N develop. Then YOU
will see the wide leaves so green and
pretty. srreadino themselves over
each other. as the farm hands go be-
tween and rid them of worms and
short shoots. Finally ii becomes i
shade of sreenish yellow ana taken
from the Geld is hung on sticks ana
placed in the barn and cured This
is the greatest tire the forrnrrs
know. for ALWAYS a crowd cf e'r,s
and bovc r,eAt he~n 1T nioht aid lis
and tell Ghost stories. and other
things. that every trre country person
knows how 10 enjoy
The touacco having Deen cured, and
this after nights OF. care4u w4t~nil5,
Is then taken from the iiue vurL4s
barns ana placed III lac prize barls,
where men and women assert IT, wrap
it into bundles, hang il on sticns. and
then bulk ii. IN this state II is piao-
ed on wagons and carried over lhe
country roads TO the town market,
here it is next handled in the large
tobacco warehouses. each grade OF
the same KIND being weighed and
placed in separate piles, where each
sale day in the season it is sold at
auction to the highest bidder. These
! bidders represent not alone the great
! incorporated tobacco companies, but
! also small dealers and commission
men, who buy for the purpose of la
ter selling to manufacturers or oX-
; porters at advanced prices. each buy
er classifying the tobacco. as suits the
firm for which he deals. From the
warehouse the tobacco is taken TO
the great packing houses. where il
is further prepared for shipment 10
the manufacturers, and packed in
huge hogsheads are sent to these. anc
there made in the tobacco for COM
mercial uses.
lir. L.. Y. Cooper, as q tobacco
Warehouseman is the most successful
N the tobacco world. He is e-psiiy the
first man in the tobacco warehouse
business in the South His
warehouse is s~iendidly equipped
for handling The tobacco. 1T has wide
floors, convenient of access to the far
mer who brings his tobacco to mar
ket. is Wei lighted. giving opportunity
for the grades of tobacco to be seen.
and he employs a large and capabre
force of assistance who see to it that
the farmer is protected in his inter-
est. and that he receives the best
prices for his tobacco. representa-
tives of Mr.. Cooper bidding against
the other buyers in order to reach
the highest market price, and even
then. if this price does not suit the
farmer, he is privileged to decline the
sale and turn down the ticket. AT
tached to his warehouse arc stables
in which the farmers horses and
mules are, cared for. and there are
also sleeping rooms for the farmers
who reach the warehouse over night.
in order to have their tobacco ready
for the early morning sale. This
sale of tobacco at auction on the
warehouse floor is a scene, that in
it's intensity, it's rush. it's whirl. its
activity, it's noise, and it's general ex-
element, can oily be classed with
the furious activity attendant upon
scenes i'm great cotton or stock eX-
changes, when prices are soaring to
the heights or the bottom has fall
len out of the market"
The leading factor in the develop
ment of Henderson as a great tobac-
co market. has been the active, en-
ergetic and honest dealings of Mr..
ID. Y. Cooper as a Warehouseman.
In all communities there are men
who by common consent become lead
erS of their constituency, and their
environment and vocation place them
in the front rank as honored citizens.
representative business men, and re-
liable counselors. OF such is Mr.. ID.
Y. Cooper.
1t was in 1872 that Mr.. Cooper
came to Henderson and established
himself in the warehouse business. for
the past thirty three years having
been actively identified with the to-
bacco trade. both as seller and an
extensive buyer of the leaf In truth,
there is no more prominent or con-
spicuous character associated with
the tobacco industry in the Hender-
son, or any other tobacco market.
He is a man in the prime of life. and
by a large experience and successful
career as tobacco Warehouseman,
covering a period of thirty three years
he mas maze nlIlSelI kilo"h a. eii I'M
portant factor of the tobacco world.
Mr., Cooper was reared on the
farm, and there he gained thor
ough knowledge of tobacco and the
best methods in which to handle it,
thus paving the way that led to the
building up of his great and success
full warehouse business, i'm which he
stands pre-eminent. His push and
energy, keen foresight. unerring Judg-
ment and well-knoWn integrity nave
been forces at work TO give his pres