Newspapers / Harnett County News (Lillington, … / Dec. 18, 1947, edition 1 / Page 10
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^rw', 1 *i^»^ ‘- ‘M'‘-- '^‘■'»i ^• CV^’*''* *{'?’«■* fc"^ r wr lj' Vf •tx^ ' •■ki^ K‘ HARNETT COUNTY N12WS—^“Wtahed at, LllUnlfton, N. C. KK 1^* / t:* TOBACCO AUCTIONEERING IS OLD CUSTOM THAT DEFIES HISTORIANS (By Gerald Tetley) Although, the tobacco auctioneer of the Old South has become a na tional curiosity, through his alliter ative “cry," the history of this an cient profession is so nebulous as l.> defy more than a circumstantial we!* of background material. if tobacco today Is one of this country’s worst economic headaches and as such commands much nation al attention, there Is a question mark also about the origin of the auction system. Since the tobacco cry assumed part and parcel of audible advertis ing, there has been a steady rise In the number of total strangers break ing motor trips to attend a tobacco sale. .Most of them stand In av.'od silence and many wonder how it all started. They want to know why the auc tioneer sings his tune and where ho gets hlS lingo from. Gift Not Inherited .N’orman Love, one of Danville'.'’ best auctioneers, seems to challenge the long handed down story that the capacity to auction tobacco is attrib utable to an inherited gift. His father never sold tobacco, but for years the son was a ticket marker and was on the buying Hue right behind the auc tioneer. He caught the technique and then, he .says, hied him off by him self, hit on the tune and practiced It. Louie Love, his brother,' learned In the same way and Norman Love’s son is now a ticket marker in the buying line next to his father. On one point alone does there ap pear to be unanimous opinion, that the tobacco auction is sung because a man can sing for hours without over-excrtlug his larynx, when pure speech would soon wear out his vo cal cords. That Is why the old timers could sell tobacco from 9 to 5 with an hour for dinner and appear In top form afterwards. Nearly all tobacco auctioneers are mubical, which seems to help in the perfection of this odd operatic Inter mezzo between the piles of golden weed, Music in the Business The motive of music also runs .strangely through the business of crying tobacco in public sale. As early as 1810 the old chronicles tell how tobacco farmers, when they ar rived at Lyncbburg, would be met by a man with a trumpet who would thus announce the arrival of tobac co. The “gentlemen spernhUors’’- undoubtedly the genesis of the pin- hooker—then gathered round, broke open the tobacco on the street and gaivo their opinion as to the quality and what they would pay. Naturally, all sorts of abuses crept Into this system and In 182.') the Virginia leg islature onlorod an inquiry Into the auctioning of tobacco and remedied some of the abuses, .\pparently the old fashUmed iu- .speotor who appraised tobacco final ly became the auctioneer by starting a price in (he presence of the plant er and tlio buyers and running up the bid. The laryngeal factor In tobacco selling finds an Interesting counter part in that the priests of the early Roman chifroh who. having to suy mass for the peasants all day long, intoned their services. Musicologists ilnd ail intriguing similarity between '.natches of the auctioneov's tune .v'lth a major triad or a diminished Ifth and (he ecclesiastical incanta- lou of lltui'gloal music. Few Anctlonei'rs—Big Money Tobacco auctioneora draw big money as a rule, because their art is limited to few, it is understood that there are "schools’’ wliere the art of auctioneering tobacco is taught. As a matter of precise fact, while (he auctioneer of today may be more streamlined and perhaps taster, the men who cried tobacco 30 years ago weie local characters and eminent in their own domain. There was no such thing us a •‘starter,’’ that is to suy a man pre ceding the auctioneer to tip him off as to what figure he shall start the next pile. The art of Instant apprai sal of tobacco's worth was one ot the prime assets of the old auctioneer. Tlie memory of many of them'per sists. There was Cnpt, A. .1. Ellington who sold at Acre6'.s for many years. He was the perfection of sartorial splendor appearing at the warehouse a few minutes before 9 o’clock each day, with his plug hat, his mornlug coat and striped trousers and wear ing gloves—often spats In bitter weather. His gray whiskers and his eye- glas.ses gave him an owlish look and he could easily be mistaken for a visiting congressman. At 9 he would carefully withdraw hla gloves which ho used to slap out the winning bid. T’con he would start a dignified mon otone and €apt. Ellington was still going strong towards falling light. Controls Interfere* The tuneful lay persists, though the day has passed when'there was a distinction between the auctioneer who had a “Iholy" sale doing a bit of clowning on the side to overcome some of (he repetitious monotony. There were men who could twist their tongues around syllables at lightning speed and who never seem ed to pause to catch a breath. The others were labeled Just “plain" auc tioneers and weie out lor speed and the shortest distance between open ing hid and the knockout. The day of the oldtlmer hap gone, however, and much of the art has given way to certain controls ordered by boards of trade. ■While the auction system has withstood the tests of time and has been alternately applauded and damned with faint praise, It is now going through a new testing period with a strong suspicion that the fed eral government would like to see it discarded entirely and the sale of leaf restricted to the graded apprai sal method. To do (his would be to deal a fur ther blow to the South which has a large luvestmeni In the form of warehouse realty and highly trained staffs. Most of the leaf men agree that the auction system Is the best yet devised for the sale of leaf. sOrplus property SHOES, CLOTHING, BEDS HARDWARE, BUILDING SUPPLIES, and Many other items at a bargain. ARMY & NAVY STORE Ftiquay Springs, N. O. W. H. LEE Electric Shoe Shop LILLINGTON, N. C. May CHRISTMilS Bring You JOY AND GLADNESS WE WILL BE CLOSED ALL CHRISTMAS WEEK MODERN LAUNDRY & CLEANERS DUNN, N. C. CfeTPIAS Lafayette Grocery Lillington, N. C. ND she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them at the inn. Luk« 2i7 WE WISH YOU A HAPPY CHRISTMAS WISHING YOU ALL MERRY CHRISTMAS . by the THOUSAND we send to all our friends this Yule Season May ^'ours be indeed a MERRY CHRISTMAS WOMBLE COMPANY GENERAL MERCHANDISE TELEPHONE 2626 LILLINGTON, N. C. THURSDAY. DBCBMBBR K, lt47 •ogB^BBSsgssgseaemmaamtBaasmmfHm The story behind Christ mas is one that has given the Yule holiday ^ force and direction for over a thousand years. Hearts are made over ' on this day. It gives us great pleat- ure during this holy sea son to extend our best Christmas wishes to all our friends. THE CITY MARKET LILLINGTON. N. C. . HOLY NWHT '^SILENT NIGHT SUPERIOR SEED & FEED COMPANY TELEPHONE S16 LILLINGTON. N. C. PEMBERTON ELECTRIC COMPANY LINDEN, N. C. rHRprr^ .Aicccpt our hearty thanks for the pleasant business associations of the past year. Once again we say Merry Christmas! First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Angier - Coats - Dunn
Harnett County News (Lillington, N.C.)
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Dec. 18, 1947, edition 1
10
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