The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-07-29
HIGHEST PRICE FOR
TOBACCO IN STATE
BAMBERG MARKET BETTER BY
$40 PER HUNDRED.
Large Crowd Present.
Opening of Market Thursday Marked
New Epoch For Bamberg.
Much Tobacco Sold.

The Bamberg tobacco market
opened last Thursday by breaking the
record in South Carolina for the high
est price. Eighty cents a pound was
paid for tobacco in one of the local
warehouses the second day the
market was opened, and expert to-
bacco men, who were present at the
opening of the Pee Dee markets, un-
hesitatingly say that the local prices
are around $40 per hundred pounds
better than anywhere else in the state
for the same grade of tobacco. The
result is that Bamberg is highly elat-
ed over it's new industry. 1t is freely
predicted now that Bamberg is going
to have the best and biggest tobacco
market in South Carolina. The fine
prices have stimulated the farmers
into action, and already plans are
being made for the general growing
Of the product throughout Bamberg
county next year.
Thursday morning at ten o'clock,
when the market was to have opened,
the weather was very inclement.
Three days of rain prevented scores
of farmers from getting tobacco on
the warehouse floors, and especially
did the weather serve to prevent the
bringing in of the finer grades of to-
bacco, as the planters did not wish
to risk their good tobacco being ruin
led in the rain. However, many thous-
and pounds of the product was placed
in neat piles on the spacious floors
of the two large warehouses, the Dem
bow warehouse and the Farmers
warehouse.
AS indicative of the great interest
that has been aroused throughout this
entire section in tobacco, there were
several hundred visitors present from
number of neighboring counties,
most of whom had never seen a pourd
of tobacco sold, and many of whom
had not even seen a leaf Of tobacco.
The opening was postponed to nearly
IL o'clock to permit the people to be
present on the occasion of this open
ing of a new epoch in the history OF
southern South Carolina.
The sale started in the DenEoW
warehouse. The first pile OF tobacco
placed on the block belonged to ADAM
Boatwright, one of the county,s col
ored farmers. There were 1S5 pounds
in the pile, and it brought II cents
found. The next sale was of a
basket of ITO pounds, also the prop
erty Of Adam, which brought Al
cents.
After the sale was completed IN the
Denbow warehouse, the auctloneer,
buyers and visitors Well to the FarHl-
ers warehouse, where the first pile OF
tobacco was sold for -10cents a pound,
belonging to Sheriff S. &. Ray. This
was very poor tobacco, bur the aeKf
sale was the best cf the day. Three
hundred and three pounds OF the
weed from the crop of Mayor ). j..
Smoak and Sanders Vas bid IN Tor 10
cents pound.
The average price of the days sale
at both warehouses was 2t.bl, which
compares very favofably with the big
markets of the state and when 1t Is
considered that very little good to-
bacco was offered for sale, the price
is better than paid on any market
in the state on the opening day.
The second days sale averaged
about % cents, but one basket of to-
bacco from the crop OF A. NJ. Den
bow and M! B. Burch brought
state. 80 cents pound. This price
the record price, in the state,
80 cents pound. This price
has not been equaled, so far as
known, at any market in this section
of the tobacco belt.
Another fine sale Friday was from
the crop of Thomas Jenkins, a colored
farmer, this tobacco bringing 68
cents. The S0-cent sale was made in
the Denbow warehouse, and the 6S-
cent sale in the Farmers warehouse.
Some ten or twelve buyers were
present at the local market Thursday
and Friday and more arrived in town
Monday. With these buyers, Bam'
berg undoubtedly has the best facill-
ties for the sale of tobacco anywhere
in this section of the country. These
buyers represent every big tobacco
concern in America as well as the ex-
port trad A great deal OF the %
bacco suld here is bought by the ex-
port buyers, and there is animated
bidding for every basket offered lot
sale.
The ladies for a time lost their
feminine adherence of the weed
and came to witness the unique sys-
tenn of selling tobacco. The ware
house floors were graced by the pres
ence of a large number OF women
from town and from other sections,
and they took a keen interest in the
unusual proceedings.
The herald has repeatedly promls-
ed the people that they would wit
ness something very much out of the
ordinary if they would visit the to-
bacco sales, and the people were not
disappointed. Indeed, they crowded
around the auctioneer and the buyers
so that it was necessary for the floor
manager to request the crowd to
make room for the sales.
The auctioneer, Mr.. Saunders, is an
expert in his line. He commands
high salary for his services-much
higher than most people would sup
pose, unless they were acquainted
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