Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1962-08-08
Doteline
Myrtle Beach
BY LEWIS SKIES
By LEWIS SKIES

This excitement is not only
something you yourself can
feel. but it is quality you can
sense in every person you
meet. OF course, one word can
go a long way in explaining
this holiday mood money.
Men are looking forward to
selling, women are looking for
ward To buying, and the town
is thinking of prosperity. But
TO define this excitement as
being produced by money alone
would be shallow. There is d
much deeper feeling behind it
that parallels the harvest fest
ivalS of the Indians.
| wanted to share this holi-
day feeling with two friends,
Don and Margaret McCucn.
They have called nome most
habitablc places cast of the
Mississippi and many almost
inhabitablc spots such as the
humid juuClCS of Mexico. Thcy
now live III Myrtle Beach in a
state az very active retirement.
Bu' IN spite Of their varied oC-
equations and interests they
had never seen a fluc-curcd
tobacco auction. We arrived at
the rev Tabor City warehouse
IN time for the opening of
sales. Immediately they were
caught up in the spirit of the
thing and started trying to
learn the entire tobacco bust
ness IN two hours. They fol-
lowed the line of sale up and
down the rows, checked the
prices and buyers OF each pile
sold, and IN very short time
began in understand the Garblc
of the auCiIOuecr'S chant. Don
made discovery that delight
cd him. He found that the COM
rany which manufactures his
iaVoritc brand Of Cigarcttcs
seemed To- be buying the best
quality lear. He pointed this
out tn Margaret who doesn't
snare ms cigarette tastes, but
Sh" said she would remain 10y
al To her old "fluor-SwCCpingS"
filters.
Walking UP and down rows
and Skillfu!ly jumping piles of
tobacco that We're in her way,
Margaret seemed To be inter
viewing everybody she came in
contact with on the floor. She
handled the united tobacco like
a veteran and questioned far
rncrS about its expected price.
She COmmISCTatCd with W. p.
ThonpklnS about Il pile of his
which had been badly damas-
cd by hail. After sale she made
II her business to find out that
ne was very pleased with the
price he received for il. In fact,
she did a considerable amount
of checking after sale to see if
tobacco sold as high as she
thought it should. Generally
she declared herself pleased
with the results but as she
carefully studied her govern
mcnt grading card I heard her
tell Ben Mcdonald. the tclc-
vision commentator from Will
mIng'Un, that she didn't entire
~ agree with the grades on all
the piles and would change
them in a minute if given the
chance. Mr.. Mcdonald was so
impressed with her that he
tried to induce her 10 appear
ON his program, but to no avail.
After sale we rode through
Tabor City and stopped for
coke at Henry Arncttc'S GroC-
cry. Henry was sort Of put out
at being confined to the store
III sum ~ 'iS 'dHr btl NlltIl
he heard pf the MCCucnS' int
crest in tobacco. he sent us out
to his farm where his son Ter
ry proudly displayed several
barns of tobacco that Margaret
SAID were the best. Going back
into town we stopped at Troy
WurlCy'S for look AT his pack
house Of fine leaf. Don was
surprised To find out what 4
delicious armOa the cured to-
baCcO CXudCS and seemed TO be
thinking Of establishing per-
tumc factory on the spot. Troy
was very genial host, and with
traditional Southern hospitality
invited our guests 10 come
back soon. From the amount Of
work facing him before his to-
bacCo is ready for market. 7
think nc would also bC glad tn
teach them how To- tic It any
time they want TO- learn.
Tho NcCucns were very i'm
pressed with Tabor City and
were delighted with the con-
tagiouS enthusiasm Of tho poo
pie they met. It'S y safe bet IN
say they shook q hundred
hands while here and formed
d hundred good opinions Of the
owners. Riding back TO the
Grand Strand they were filled
with questions about the town.
the people, and the Tobacco
market. II was fun answering
ikn 1Hln-LIutn. .,I,i fu.LL L. -