The Grit-advocate., 1905-02-17
THE PEANUT KING.
How Pembroke u. Gwsitns, Ana.sed a
Fnri mm. in Nir.imi

Forum. in Nircinia.
The humble little peanut has made
this man ri II and given him Il titic-
Thr Peanut King. The man WAS
Pembroke ID. Gwaltney. II" Went
away from corner OF Virginia. that
gave him birth. 10 bore spikes from
Federal guns captured hy >tonewal!
Jackson. That occupation. however
laudnhlc. ended with Lees surrender
al Richmond. Back /" the IiJtlc cor
mrr of Virginia. ihrn came the touicd-
crate armoUCv T." rcioir" in - wise and
prudent wife. The bundles of shin
pla>terS" he had received aS army
iaN and sent nome sl" hHd invested
in land. Thee i; was-a nue Virginia
/ farm. to begin with.
Smithhrld. Va. of leo souls, is OH
Pagan Creek nud very Christian
ucvcri ncics~'. II branch of the James
River. thirty miles from Norfolk. by
the genius of the Peanut King II is th"
opulrnt centre of 81 thriving and lu"Fa-
tive industrN-;h" greatest peanut
fields in The world. III" business Of
" =
nry soon after the war. He prevailed
on all the farmers round ahout t" plant
them. Then he built Il packing factory
and bought their product. \ thou
, sand bags Il day. cleaned aud sorted
is ihc output of tie factory. The i'll
come from the business is million
dollars year Rivals he has had. but
Il, L. Il In,
III" arts Of the prannt business :" well.
His son. Pembroke. Jr.. followed in his
fathers footsteps anl owns u general
store ut Smithlicld. =, story illustrates
thr old :,cntl"muuS hlSluc>S H"umcn.
Young Pembroke bon; ht several large
lois os peanuts one ra.;uu with til" i'll
tcn1irn of hcidlu" them 10" the usual
rise TO realize II profit. III" rise cam"
slowly that year. The youn:, man was
almost discouraged and his father
hearing tlsit he WAS anxious 10 sell for
fear that he would ln," not only profit
hut principal on ;h' peanuts. hOu-ht
tmr stock ut til" market price and thus
relieved til" yuun"u" hIan Of a great
anxiety. Several months aftrwnri
! NJ. 'iWAiln"N ShIt:
| "rrmbroN". You mGlc Il pretty neat
/ profit on those peanuts You sold to be-
! | lclicvc:''
Yes. sold without loss" said the
prudent young man. rot knowing what
turn the coIlo1uy night take ana I'M
willing to cOllmit himself to Il large
: profit.
AS matter of curiosity t"i! III"
/ how y0r came out:' said the cider
man. The young man reluctantly ac-
| l;nowlrd@"d. apparently fearing that
| he might be called on 10 divide. that
he had realized profit Of $4,000. +"
his great nStoniShment his father saih:
"Pcmbrniir You are Il successful ner-
chant. but I made 5000 more an hat
| same LOT OF peanuts
| Smithti"d is noted for its cXror;
packed hams rs well as for its pea
nuts. and the controlling Genius Of tnc
world in the latter product. When
Admiral Evans returned from Kcl he
said of Emperor Williams wonderful
| general knowledge:
"IIe knows even the favor of the
| Smithtcld ham"
For many years before her death the
hams that supplied Queen Victoria :
table ut Windsor Castle We're packed
ut SmithIc!d. The little town is very
| uroud of its hams. Of its peanuts. aud
Of its leading citizen. the Peanut King.
whose children aud grandchildren. II
! nopulouS family. are adding to the wei
| fare and wealth of the State.