The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-06-23
A. 7. CD. GOT
IN A DAY
DEFENDANTS COUNSEL READ KRA.
MER'S LETTERS SHOWING
METHODS OF PLAINTIFF
FIGHTING FOR BUSINESS

Raleigh, N. c., June 22-'At Chapel |
Hill I sampled 1900, sold three deal |
ers who had quit handling White |
Rolls. Many of the students refused |
samples as the cigarettes were not |
strong enough. Coupons cut no figure,
as they said they wanted cigarettes |
| to satisfy their taste," read letter |
| written by Samuel Kramer, vice |
president of the Ware-Kramer To-
bacco Company, from Durham to his |
| employees in May, 1909, and read to
| the jury by Junius Parker, of counsel
| for the American Tobacco Company,
| in his cross examination of the wit
ness.
Much of the cross examination con-
sisted of the reading and Identified
| ton of stacks of letters which Mr..
Kramer had written from all parts of
| the South to the company at Norfolk
and telling of the trade conditions.
The defense continued to get in
strong work yesterday. The reading
of the letters brought out some of
the most damaging evidence that has
been offered against the plaintiffs
| case.
A letter under date of December 3,
1906, was read in which was this ex-
cerpt: 81 had hard work to get him in
| line, but as our goods are better now
l induced him to take more" Witness
did not remember exactly why this
was written, but thought the word
NOW" should be known" meaning
| goods better known. Mr.. Parker
wanted to know of the witness if he
1 knew anything of the Ware-Kramer
Company deliberately reducing the
quality of White Rolls. Witness, af
ter some thinking, finally said that
if anything like that had come up he
would have remembered it, but he
didn't recall it. To refresh the wit
ness memory an extract from a let
ter written September, 1907, from
Charleston, was read: 81 note what
you say about reducing the quality
of White Rolls. Don't think about
if we can get the coupons out of the
way" The witness couldn't recall
writing this, but had no knowledge
that the quality was reduced. He
did know that the company's business
began to decline in September, 1909
"Sorry to say White Rolls special
blend are flat here. 1t is hard to
convince Eatimas' smokers to use our
special blend,'' read a letter under
Atlanta date of May %, 1908 Mr..
Parker sought by this to establish
that the Ware-Kramer Company was
out for the scalp of certain brands.
Witness said that when new brands
come on the market the customers
try it and if they don't like it they
go back to the old or try something
more Smokers were like people who
eat, they don't like sthe same thing
} all the time.
Speaking of the situation in Roam
} oke, Mr.. Kramer wrote: Fifty cent
neckties will be cheap missionary
work to have some one behind the
J counter to look out for u.s." Mr..
Kramer had given some the clerks
neckties to shove out White Rolls.
!, Under date of January 1, 1907, from
, Richmond, the following appeared:
MIR. Webb will see Saunders and
try to replace fresh stock for the
old which Shaw and Grant have on
, hand. They can mix few of the
, old ones with the orders they sent out
: so they can work out all right
) From Asheville June 12, 1905,
Kramer wrote to F. d. Ware: 81
hope your trip will hit the trust hard
in Philadelphia and demoralige Sweet
Caps Witness didn't know. why he
should have used such language. A
letter written under Charlotte date
J April 6, 1907, says. "Since White
, Rolls came out they gave the Am
erican Tobacco Company knockout.
Carolina Brights are completely out
and Sweet Corpora1s almost, still the
celebrated holds it's head high. /
| shot broadsides into Wilson Straight
Cuts as a twin sister of Carolina
; Brights,' and in foot-note was
added: ''I must knock them out COM
3 pIete1y before am satisfied"
: In October 8, 1907, Kramer wrote
his firm letter in which he stated
: that he had met Mr.. Simmons, master
: mechanic at shop in Charleston,
and obtained permission to make a
> speech to the workmen. Kramer
: twrote: After talking to them a<feW
minutes, sampled them and you
5 would have been surprised at the
/ forty million candle power I turned
) loose on Wilson Straight Cuts. These
) workmen are all going to use our
l goods Three days later he wrote:
lsI have no copy of my speech but
: did hit them hard. You ought to
i lhave heard me preach the funeral OF
7 Carter Witness admitted that the
l Iworkmen were impressed by what he
] said about the Wells Whitehead pro-
] ducts being "scab" goods. He ex-
, planned that the 40 million candle
r power expression was one given him
3 lby Carter.
r Crabtree and Aull, it was explained,
lWere two statesmen of the A. T. Com