The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-08-14

1b,yvU5D 900.
The roos Of mis- fortune were IT,"
blind mules and nftey cents IN Yankee
silver. Also there was i suaried Il
barren farm.
There have been two tran5ccnden:
MISUNDERSTANDING. the man "t-d
the mules. and James Buchanan, TIL
man with the millions
There are other Dukes, but they
nave been merely c~ontributory. wash
faeton is dead. He lived until he vas
e~ighty-hvc in the full faith and pei
feet peace If a Christian. Although
there are plenty Of good people VII"
will say that the fruits Of his helis
and the products Of his factories are
chief among the implements or satan
James r.. the SON. inherited his per
aona1 qualities n genius for baSl-
ness. To this patrimony, however
must be added a daredevil spirit ihat
has paralyZed more than n 1ntreflch~
cd and confident competitor. Even
Great Britain was made dumb AID
ridiculous by its fierce violence ana
staggering p~rodigality.
DO you know how to spend
money!" the young Duke once asked
a new man who had come into bu&l-
ness. The man confessed that he
didn't. "That's against you Duke re
piled. "Spend a lot, wisely but in tn
show of folly, and the other fellC"
VIII always luI III lOchiIi5 ~ "a
n~erve-center of a competitor, dom
waste any time on theories or expert
ments. but hit as hard as o can in
the pocket-bOOk."
When the tobacco trust began its
campaign for the trade Of England 1t
paid $3.50 q share for the stock OF the
largest concern in Liverpool, doubling
the market quotation and thus OBJ
tanning control by the celebrity, profa-
.:-, a-1 n,,Janify Of itC nn9TIt1DnS
Duke generated the fight. Thirteen
British companies quickly combined
against him. They spread q bulletin
all over the kingdom promising SOU
600 annually to the retailers who deat
with them exclusively. Duke met the
exigency instantly, and by telegraph.
Ne agreed to distribute 81, 100000 q
var for four years. Besides, he would
hermit the deaIerS to keep their prot
it's. "MOreoVer," he said 81 am op
posed to boycotts. My offer doesn't
prevent you from buying from whom
Won please" Yet his man only q Few
years ago moved out of a furnished
room in New York that cost him IS
4 week n took another because II
was a dollar cheaper.
Great Britain yielded with the knife
at its throat. Under another name the
tobacco trust of the United States Is
doing business throughout the BRUSH
colonies and Englishmen, let in as a
stroke Of policy, are interested III the
division of territory and the profits Of
the combination.
And not alone to British soil has the
trust carried its methods and mer-
chandise, but it has followed the appe-
tite and habi for tobacco into all tie
countries of the world except those III
which governments themselves nave
mOnopolized the trade. 1t sells NOR
tobacco than do all the private and in
dependent dealer on earth Jumped
together. A single item of expense,
its internal revenue taxes in the Unit
ed States, amounts to $50, 900, 600 a
year, and many more mllilons are
paid in tariff duties on shiploads Of raw
material brought from foreign lahdS.
The first tObaccO factory was a ram
sEackIe stable or the tangled and ster-
lie farm in North Carolina. At the
selling, price made in Wal street n
securities Of the trust today are worth
$500, 600. 900. Truly, the two bhni
mules have multiplied, and SO have the
so cents in Yankee silver.
While he talked with nae, Mr.. Duke
moved around in his chair with con
siderable energy. There is a Sigh
draWI in his words-a gift to the
South from the jungles of Africa-hut
he speaks with animation, and touch~
ing matters of principles, with the de
cisive tone of conviction. | found him
to be modest. kindly, and without
formality. He is a tall. robust a
with thin, reddish hair. dark blue eyes,
and a smooth. fiorid face. His cloth
ing was as plain as Il farmers. A per
son who is familiar with him says he
never has tasted intoxicating liquor.
MY father" Mr.. Duke said, twas
the Wisest and best man | have ever
known. Until he was f~orty-five years
IL H. l,nl 1iIyal in tho nn111trN ont
of contact With the world, away from
his narrow community, but he went
into business and made a fortune. In
his youth he rented land and with
his meager savings bought a farm.
At the opening of the civil war he
owned 800 lean acres, but nothing
else worth mentioning. While yet a
boy he was converted at a Methodist
revival, and ever after lived a con-
sistent Christian life. He despised
secession, but followed his State into
the rebellion. After the war, how
ever. he hecame a Republican. At
the age of forty he sent his children
to their relatives and joined the Con.
federate army.
"On the retreat from Richmond he
was captured by the enemy, but soon
released. He walked home, 1875
miles. and sent for me. Brodie L., my
half brother, Benjamin Newton, my
~ II "Ai0 A''"iJ iAs
sister. I was min years old and
Mary was twelve. The whole family
James Il. Duke.
went to work. Mary was house
keeper. We always regarded her as
being a member of the firm. n
was consulted and paid her share of
the profits along with the rest of
us. During his long tramp toward
home, my father traded a So Con-
federate note for SO cents in Yankee
silver. He bought two blind mules
on credit from my uncle. With his
thin acres, his children, his blind
mules and his half dollar he began
the business of growing tobacco or
little patches of land near the house.
In fact, he couldn't have grown any
thing else.
"Johnston's army and Sherman's
'bummers,' as they were called, had
been through that part of North
Carolina, and coming upon> bidder
stores of bright tobacco, golden in
color. liked it. After the war, and
the soldiers had gone to Their homes,
many of them wrote to the post
master of Durham and he filled their
orders Go II u-OC thn+ ~. o1o~-