The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-09
Mr.. Duke Dies at a RiEe
Old Age.
CONTINUED from Page rhree.)

Of the cares of the business and
manufacturing In fact, they did
most of the business. During these
ten years L travelled over tnirty-tWo
States
In March, 1878, the business of b.
H. Duke, who was manufacturing tie
Duke of Durham" was Incorporated
into ours, and Mr. George w. Watts
was admitted as an equal partner. Our
capital at that time was $75,000-
$4,000 for each of the five members
of the firm. The New York branch
was established when we had only
$4,000. 1t grew until its quarters
were too small, and then it outgrew
the second enlargement, and we had
to have another and bigger factory
there. Here in Durham, too, the
growth has been steady, and we have
had to enlarge our business from
time TO time.
have never done business any year
in which l did not feel myself better
off at the close than at the beginning.
Profits have grown Iarger and larger
but at the first some of it came very
slow | nave considered myself very
poor twice in my life. first when
started out to make a living with
nothing but willing hands and a stout
heart second when l returned from
the war.
l have never paid interest on
money. | never went in debt to such
an extent that / could. not pay when
the time came. 1t is paying interest
that ruins most men who fail.
People as a rule depend too much
on government / have never asked
government to do anything for me
except to keep open the avenues of
trade, and protect me i'm the enjoy
ment Of life, liberty and property.
am somewhat like an old fellow who
rode by my house some years ago on
dray on a very hot day When he
had gone by some distance, the horse
stopped, and he was lying with his
head on a pillow, and his face turned
up to the boiling sun. ! thought
something was the matter with him,
and | walked up to where he was iy-
ing to render what assistance
could As | approached he said; "All
I've got to say is, shortly don't
bother me-" The government is not
COW. But many people seem to
think it is. Everybody wants to do
the milking; nobody wants to feed.
There is an idea that if certain men
are sent to make laws and certain
laws are made, then the causes Of
the poverty and discomfort of all the
people will be removed
1t is an idle dream never to be
realized.
What is government" It is a plar
adopted by the whole people for their
guidance in national life. Every per-
son in the country is a part Of that
government.
The governmental functions of the
nation can be perfected only as its in
dividual members perfect themselves.
Since ! was twelve years Old [ have
been trying to make the world bet
ter by having lived i'm it, Giving to
the support of the gospel has been. a
| part of my life. When we began to
employ a large number of people, we
| organized a Sunday school in one
room in our factory. and out of that
! Sunday school grew Main Street
| Methodist church We try to carry
1.-THE religious idea all the way through.
| Wet Worship with those we employ.
We like them and we believe they
| like us.
We have never had any trouble in
the help except when 125 Polish Jews
were hired to come down to Durham
| to work in the factory. They gave US
no end of trouble. We worked out
of that, and we now employ our own
people, There have been 500 or 900
young men and women working to-
gether in our factory here. You will
find no more moral set of young peo-
pie anywhere. We encourage them
| to be self-respecting, and to be reH-
gious. There has never been a breath
/ OF scandal here
People want emigration. If good
| citizens come, well and good. but
there are plenty of North Carolinians
! here who are glad to work All they
need is an opportunity and a chance
/ for employment The idea Of build
ing church near our factories is not
alone carried out in the tobacco and
cigarette factories. Wherever we pu
down manufacturing plant, we alsC
build a church. This has been OUT
| plan from the first We encoura &c
| temperance, and do all we can t.
make men around Us sober. An in
| cident will illustrate our practice: Not
a great while ago | met negro man.
who had been in our employ and ask
| ed him what he was doing. He told
me that he WAS doing nothing. having
| been discharged from the factory. In
| giving the cause of the discharge he
| said: Il YVES feeling a little bad;
| took a little spirits with little sar-
| saparilla; they smelled my breath VI
| there, and they turned me off. The
colored man has quit taking "a little
| spirits with a little sarsparilla' and
is now at work in the factory.
There have been many changes in
my day. l am now growing old, but
it is pleasant for me to reflect that
from the small beginning of twenty
five years ago at the little log hut
in the country, has grown a business
upon which the sun never sets. Not
a great while ago one of our men in
For Diabetes and Bri0ht'S