The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-10-27
TOBACCO WAR in
west VIRGINIA
.BUrERS FOR THE BIG MAN uFAc-.
TORIES ARE NOW ~ w.
VA. TERRITORY.

] HUNTINGTON, oct. 27.= Gradually
coming into the lime light during the
past I'VE years az q tobacco produc.
ing region, Southern West Virginia
mas at list assumed sufficient import
ance in this respect to invite battle
between the trust and the independent
tobacco Industries of the country.
Five years ago the, tobacco growing in!
dustry il this, section waS SO light
that It attracted no attention nom
the great tobacco centers. TIE few
togsheads that were produced at
that time were uspsfly shipped to
Louisville, by steamboat, where the
product commanded q fair price, but
such thing as soliciting the crop
had not been heard of.
This year, however, It Is different,
Then the tobacco territory was con.
fined. to slight acreage In Lincoln
county. Now there are great barns
'df tobacco in CsbelL Putnam, Lin
coin, Mason and Wayne counties.
ON enc farm in Mason county, near
GalHpolis Ferry, a field OF fifty acres
was grown. The tobacco cut In the
counties named viii, this year, bring
an immense quantity of money into
this territory, and the quantity and
quality of the crop are such as to ex.
cite the keenest interest among buy
,ers for the big manufactures.
Henry Bfumen. representing Ia
Lyncnb1rg mandatory visited Hunt
fngton this week, end will spend the
next ten days in southern West Wiz.
ginfa, engaging tobacco for his firm.
Letters received by local growers in
dictate that two representatives OF The
Htnka hn
here Wednesday, and then will BIZ
started the race between the trust and
the independents for the capture o.
the West Virginia crop. The Lyncn-
burg man, having two days advantage
OF the trust men, will probably sue
ceed in making a number Of heavy
purchases before his rivals come on
the scene, but when they do come 1t
will be two to one for the trust men,
and they will be able to cover twice
as much territory as their rival.
Many farmers seem to be disposed
to hold their crops, believing that
prices viii advance before the first
OF the year. The West Virginia pro-
duct this year, compares faTorably
with the crops of the long-tried to-
bacco growing sections of the coun-
try. and the prices offered are al.
ready considered fair.
Present conditions are such as to
demand the construction OF a ware
house, somewhere In the West Vir-
gfnfa district, and various parties
now have this project under conSid
GRAFTON. 1t is looked upon as an
absolute certainty that warehouse
OF liberal dimensions will be erected
either at Point. Pleasant or Hunting
ton. Huntington,s all concede, is the
logical location for the warehouse,
but there seems to be a prospect,
that Point Pleasant will also erect
one, and win act independent OF any
action that Huntington may take.
Last week three barn bgEntngs iocs
CURED in West lrginia, d one OF the
barns burned. and, sine biggest Of the
three; was in Mason county, smother
In Putnam, and a small barn in Lin
coin county. There has been some
speculation as to 5the origin OF these
fires. Incenddarism Is strongly sus-
pected in two of the cases, but per
sonal grievances are believed to have
been the motive, and not any feeling
with reference to the troubles which
have agltated the Kentucky and
Tennessee tobacco regions