The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-13

0 1908 brought 6 to 10 cents,
The story OF the years Of the fight I
1 pool the tobacco In the hurley belt In
|, story Of tragedy. not unmixed wit
comedy, but mostly Of tragedy, n
tragedy OF q poverty Of which IN
CRY knows precious little There wa
Ben Longnecker, the Mason count
farmer. who aided by his wife an
daughter and son-in-law. stood OF
with guns a night attack Of severa
hundred armed night riders and mad
good IN his attempt TO raise a Tobacco
any man living. There was George {
Grady, o. Woodford. similarly deter
mined, who mined his barnyard In or
der TO blow up night intruders VIII,
might attempt to burn his property an,
whose own hogs were blown into bit
when careless employe left open I
| gate that gave them access to the barn
yard and the joys Of roofing II UP
There was Hiram Hedges. q poor farm
| or OF Nicholas county, who was shot II
| death when he refused to listen to the
4. pleas OF night riders 70 cut out or 900
his crop and who foolishly tried TO meet
violence with violence. Nobody has
The smoke OF burning barns nigh,
have been seen In half a dozen coun-
ties within a week. The growers
were determined that the so-calied
trust should not compel them to raise
a SeS we're SrUR % Sest to Or Ss0T X. sna
lows who intended to help the trust
smoke, or worse. before they got
through with 1t. They intended to cut
out the crop and to see that every
body else, did likewise, and woe to the
terious bands whose blows fell With
out warning like lightning out Of a
clear sky. Thousands OF dollars worth
iof barns and warehouses disappeared
between days and left no trace except
smoldering ruins. Such a policy as that
was bound In time to have an effect on
men of any degree OF intelligence. and
gradually tho pool gained until the
crop Of 1908 was mostly pledged to 1t
and the growers cut out the 1909 crop
to such an extent that the manufac-
n fair price for the crop. and 40, for
the first time In the history OF the to-
bacco industry, the manufacturers Yot
only paid q fair price for the tobacco
they bought, but paid paid SO hogs
head for the privilege OF buying It.
Discussion and distruBt of their lead
ers caused the failure OF the fRrmers
TO continue their organization. In the
main they dropped away. but they had
bacco ana they had released thsm-
selves from ,serfdom. Action by the
government in dissolving the tobacco
trust and removing the noiicy which
had previously directed It's business Ac-
tons played some part In the establish
ment OF market wherein competition
became an actual factor, and since
belt.
During the night rider period, espe-
cially after the burning. OF the ware
houses az Hopkinsville. flying
men was maintained in LeSimEton " he
center Of the richest portion OF the
hurley district. From tho cupoIa OF tho
courthouse a watch was kept for fires
In all directions at all hours ofti,e night
az ana wS a. , eon,segusnce sStt tount
lost no barns during the rebellion. But
j. Is said that the tobacco growers who
dld cut out or pool were largely re-
sponeible, for the election OF a new
county judge Mt the next election.
n mSw rNsn,.e shat may be- the judge was
There was many n home In Kentucky
In, the winter OF 1908 where little chill
dren were hungry for the want OF even
the necessaries OF life; whore little |
children, as sweet and innocent as any.
the, lack OF proper clothing and shoes, |
and whose childhood sleep even was
disturbed by the want OF proper and
sufficient bed covering.
All that IL gone like q foul night |
mare. The children OF the sKentunlty |
warmly clad against the blasts OF
winter
Burley tobacco IL summer crop
and 10 marketed during the winter |
months, the sales opening on or about |
Pee, and continuing until on or about |
hA NpRt NJ thu murnAAHlAu Anrn
The tobacco IL cut usually during the
month OF August or September and |
lung on sticks In the tobacco barn 10
iure. The curing process takes, as n
'ule. about two months time.
After sufficient curing period tho
obacco II allowed to come into ease"
hat IL, TO absorb enough moisture from
he atmosphere to enable II 20 be han
He'd without breaking. II II then
roughly graded and tied into
'sscs through which tobacco PASSES
rom the time II leaves tho growers
intil II IL packed into hogsheads for |
or storage ia interesting.
The tobacco as II comes from the
armer's, drying barns, handing from
wagons and brought TO the Lexington
market At the present price OF to-
'acco load no higher than four feW
,rings from $4,000 to $500.
Lexington To-Day looks pR thoukn inc |
worlds greatest circus has Just ar
lived In town, for on every street and |
'ide street In the warehouse section |
ire the long rows of white canvas
covered wagons waiting to be unloaded,
The wagons are driven into the ware
louise and the tobacco transferred In |
Dose form to nat baskets, enabling the |
,uyer 20 pull out samples and deter.
nine the quality throughout the bas-
iet This way Of opcn selling II the |
hing which has made this method oi
Dose leaf selling 80 popular. Each has
Jot IL weighed ana tag showing the
Weight and name Of owner Ia thrown
N each basket These baskets are
hen arranged In long rows on the
aies fioors and graded. All the ware
iouses are equipped with shvlights
which show up the various grades 60
,reatest advantage;
As the sales progress the baskets of
obacco are Ructioned on 10 the high
~ bidder with great speed--as many
~ ak baskets n minute, and the Now
FORK curb market has nothing on these
men when II comes TO the sign Lam
'uaRe The auctioneer and BUYERS pass
own the aisles without stopping Fol
owing tho auctioueor In n man who re-
ords the buyers name and amount Of
ale on the card found on each hasket
Following this man are two expert hc-
ouutants 80 rapid In mental calcula-
ion that they multiply the number Of
POUNDS by the price while they are put
ng the figures on paper. The record
rate account sheet and within nftecn
minutes from tho time his tobacco is
old on the sales floor his payment
heck ~ waiting for him ia the office |