? ? FARMVILLE TOBACCO EDITION ? ?
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Ihe rarmville Enterprise 1 firstskim i
YOLUMME TWENTY-EIGHT FARMYILLE, PITT COUNTY, NOKT^ CAROLINA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1917 NUMBER FOURTEEN
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FARNVILLE EXTENDS WELCOME TO WEED GROWERS
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Mayor Geo. W. Davis Turns Key Of City Over To AU Visitors
TOBACCO MMET HERE TO OPEN THURSDAYT AUGUST 26TH
Farmvttle,"The Friendly
Market" Continues
Steadily Forward
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Established in 1904, Has Steadily Grown From a
Two Million Market to The Fifth Largest Mar
ket in The East, Selling Above 28,000,000
pounds
The birth of * small sleepy hamlet came about in the year 1872, when
FmrmvUle was recognized by the State of North Carolina with a charter of
incorporation for her population of some eighty-odd people, living in fifteen
dwelling*, and comprising an area the size of a city block.
Thirty-two years passed, "one after the other," as the comedian would
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chronicle time; eacA year recording some man m pivgicoo ouu
growth. There was, however, an increase of only 26 people in
the population daring the first decade after incorporation, ac
cording to the census of 1880, which listed a population of 10,
704 whites and 11,088 colored in the eight townships of the
county?Farmville having only 111. ,
RAILROADS BUILT.
The first incentive for development rode in on the engine of
the East Carolina Railway in 1900, which served as a freight
and passenger channel, and gave the town the chance for the
substantial growth which can only be obtained by direct contact
with the outside world.
The Norfolk-Southern Railroad was built seven years later,
connecting Farmville with Norfolk, Va., and Raleigh?the Cap
ital city of the State?which together with connections by the
East Carolina railway made possible immediate contact with
all of the main shipping points of land and sea and markets in
all directions.
National and State highways have,'
during the past several years, been
routed through the heart of the busi
ness district, and motor rtrucks do a
large transportation business also.
The building of better stores and
more residences began immediately
upon the coming of the railroads, and I
the bank of Farmville, which has
during its existence served as a .bus
iness ally to the town, was organized
in 1904, with the late Mr. R. L. Davis,
as President
Farnrville's splendid churches and
schools, its building and Loan
?Association, excellent hotel accomo
dations provided by the Hotel Davis
the extensive business done by the old
firms and the new business enter
prises of the younger establishments
ss. well, have all been necessary and
valuable assets, and have given great
impetus to the progressive tendency
which came with the railroads.
Market Gave New Life
The story of the Farmville market
embraces the decades between 1904
and 1937, and the mall village of
farmers has grown daring this period
into a town of broad proportions
and city-like appearance, for it was
the establishment of the Farmville
Tobacco Market?a masterful under
taking by a group of energetic bus
iness mun of the town thirty-three
years ago?which quickened the
sleepy village into the radiant, pul
sating business center it is today, in
a miracle of rebirth. Unlike Rip Van
Winkle, it might never have awaken
ed if the thundering of tobacco trucks
bad not disturbed its lethargy.
boond 07 liuij
The Farmville Tabacco Market has
not only been a mean* of achieving
a physical transfiguration, at which
observers often marvel,' hot a trans
formation is evidenced in the spirit of
the entire community. Farmvi lie
business men, bound by the unbreak
able strand of unity, realise that they
are not isolated individuals bat that
each haa relationahips in this busi
ness of buying and selling. They are
net interested only in sales, divi
dends, profits In?<ii, but in the
betterment of the community in which
they live, and in the puinnp of thai
community.
. The Tobacco Market in Farmville
Js a factor which presents both op
portunities and obligations to the
men here, who feel that thej
and not be support?a only but pro
a?tan as well, and must give active
wpi ?i hi to their hearts* d?irr
the continual daveiopnunt' of the
?arbst and the high?t typa of ser
vise to custi^^^^^^^^^^ ^
will and interest in the town's wel
fare and business as a whole has ob
tained for years. Consideration of
merely his own business makes a
newcomer in Farmville's business
world very unpopular and he usually
grasps the situation and joins heart
ily in the effort being made for the
progress of the community as a
unit.
Wholly Agricultural
Farmville is one hundred per cent
agricultural, every business here de
pending on the farmer and whether
prices for his produce go up or down,
the doctor, lawyer, merchant and
chief's final summary?in his ac
counting for the year?black or red,
finding its results in the prosperity
of the farmer.
A large mapority of the business
and professional men here are farm
ers themselves, whow in the cool of
the evening steal away for a look
about their plantations. And those
who are not actual owners, are se
cretly planning some day to pur-'
chase a little farm, for the "Good
Earth" soon gets into the blood when
one hears little else all day long ex
cept crop production.
Believe in Market
Farmville people believe in and sell
on their own market, and watching its
phenomenal development and increase;
in popularity with gratified hearts!
each season, saw it reach its peak in
1935, when it sold over 28 million
pounds of tobacco, with a 30 per
cent increase for the market at a
$21.72 average per hundredweight?
the highest average in the State for
the season. Last season with a short
crop, damaged by excessive rains the
market sold above 18 million at an
average of $22.56. Does this mean
anything to Farmville people ?
Thirty-three years ago Farmville
was an unknown quantity, today it
is a thriving town %of 3500 population,
surrounded by many of the finest
farms in the commonwealth, recogniz
ed at home and abroad as a mighty
force in the State and well known in
every town and city that speaks the
language of tobacco.
And what has brought this pres
tige and distinction to its name?
Without hesitation any Farmville cit
izen will answer your question in
four words. "THE FARMVILLE TO
BACCO MARKET." It has been her
glorification.
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ADJOURNMENT NEAR?
CROP CONTROL ISSUE.
ISSUES TO THE PEOPLE.
TO LOAN WARSHIPS.
RUSSIA SEEKS SHIPS.
Nobody can tell just when Congress
will adjourn because some sudden
turn of affairs might cause the sess
ion to be prolonged. This was illus-l
trated by the sudden emphasis given
to farm legislation last week and while
this threat to adjournment may be
passed over there are other prob
lems that can become acute over
night
Congress is undoubtedly tired and
anxious to get home and if crop con
trol is necessary before the regular
meeting in January the members will
not object to a specal session in the
falL Incidentally, then get mileage
| which TTt?an? a handsome bonus for
many of them because the cost of
traveling is nothing like the allow
i ance available.
You can take it for certain that
the President lost no time in pont
ing out to those rushing into the
White House for aid that the situa
tion was just about what he had
warned them of when the Supreme
Court struck down the AAA- Large
ly because of that control, and the
drought, crop supplies had dwindled
and their prices moved upward. Now,
with a large yield predicted, the mar
ket for cotton reacted and there were
plain indications that it might col
lapse if there was nothing to prevent
unlimited production in the future.
It might be worth while to glance
at the record of the present session
and see what has been done upon the
measures that the President propos
ed for legislative action- Without
paying any attention to routine ap
propriation bills we find that the
President was given the $1,500,000,
000 relief fund that he wanted, that
he lost the major part of his court
reform proposals, got something of a
start in wages and hours regulations
and in housing legislation, although
nothing like what was originally spon
sored. Executive reorganization bog
ged down with prospects being that
he will get his six-administrative as
(Continued on page two) *
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Roosevelt Renews Attack
Against Liberty Leaguers
In Roanoke Island Speech
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Chief Executive Quotes
From Letter Written iri
1857 by Lord MacAuley
Declaring Government
Could Not Exist; Adds
MacAuleys Are With
Us Today.
Manteo, Roanoke Island, N. C.t Aug.
18.?President Roosevelt declared to
day "democracy?and more demo
cracy" is the answer to "Tory insist
ence that salvation lies in the vesting
of power in the hands of a select
class." 1
"I seek no change in the form of
American government," he said. "Ma
jority rule must be preserved as the
safeguard of both liberty and civiliza
tion."
The President, renewing his criti
cism of the Liberty League and oth
ers, who he said, "thunder today,"
spoke at a celebration marking the
350th anniversary of the "lost col
ony."
He based much of his add cess,
broadcast nationally, on a letter which
Lord MacAuley, English historian,
sent in 1857 to an American friend,
Sam Randall, a New York writer.
MacAuley wrote democracy would
not succeed in the United States, add
w ? ? ? ?
ing:
"Either some Caesar or Napoleon
will seize the reins of government
with a strong hand or your republic
will be laid waste by barbarians in
the twentieth century."
Mr. Roosevelt dubbed "American
Lord MacAuleyV persons who "tell
you that America drifts toward the
scylla of dictatorships on'the one
hand or the charybdis of anarchy on
the other."
After quoting a long portion of the
historian's letter, the President said:
"Almost methinks I am reading not
from MacAuley, but from a resolution
of the United States Chamber of
Commerce, the Liberty League, the
National Association of Manufactur
ers or the editorials written at the
behest of some well-known newspaper
proprietor.
"I conceive it to be true that I am
just as strongly in favor of the se
curity of property apd the mainten
ance of order as Lord MacAuley . , .
and in this the American people are
with me, too."
He referred at another point to
that assertion:
"My friends, I am of the firm be
lief that the nation by an overwhelm
ing majority supports my opposition
to the vesting of supreme power in
the hands of any class, numerous, but
select." : ~
Farmville Officials
Lead Busy Lives
Foresight of Municipal
Governing Board
Keeps Farmville in
Flourishing Fettle
In contrast with city governments
which are slow to keep up with popu
lation growth, is that of the town of
Farmville, where municipal services
are not allowed to become inadequate
before an increase in facilities is
made; this was observed in the addi
tion some months ago of another of
ficer to the police force, whose duties
lie in enforcing traffic regulations;
this department is composed of Chief
L. T. Lucas, R. B. Fields, J. B. Smith,
night policeman, and Andy Martin,
traffic officer.
The fire department has been aug
mented recently by a new alarm
which has caused some unfavorable
comment from the citizenry but seems
to be accepted with enthusiasm by the
chief, Haywood Smith and the com
pany; the street cleaning department,
under the direction of Berry Taylor,
is being constantly enlarged; recre
ation facilities at the park have been
increased, and health conservation and
charity requirements have been anti
cipated and designed to meet the
needs of the town.
Farmville, with its municipal play
ground, swimming pool and golf
course is successfully turning the leis
ure of its youth and unemployed,
which might become its "social dyna
mite", and a real menace to its fu
ture, into a period of healthy relaxa
tion and wholesome fun. For the
general condition of the country as
viewed through the spectacles of War
den Lawes, of Sing Sing, is really
alarming. He advises: "Look after
the boys and girls in their spare
time." Last year, more than 20,000
lads, from 16 to 19 years of age, went
before the magistrates of New York
City alone. Twenty-five regiments of
boys, over six times the entire stu
dent body of West Point and Anna
polis combined, were brought before
the New York courts for misdemean
ors and largely because no one cared
how nor where they spent their leis
ure hours.
Farmville, through its officials and
dtixens, is atriving to keep the poind
of its youth interested and the adult
populaton also- cheered during vaca
tion months and leisure hours.
But nowhere has the foreeifht and
provision of the Town Fathers been
better demonstrated than m the re
cent changes and additions made in
the light and water plant; in the in
stallment of two Diesel engines, which
combined with other engines in the
plant provide a total of 1200 horse
power, and in the building which
houses these Herculean giants of mo
dern times.
Looking ahead has characterized
the adminsitratin of ex-Mayor John
B. Lewis, a native of this section and
a leading attorney, who with his
splendid board of town aldermen com
pleted one of the most successful peri
ods of advancement and development
in the history of Farmville. City
Clerk R. A. Joyner and W. A. Mc
Adams, superintendent of the water
and light plant deserve commendation
for their ?art in the undertakings of
the Mayor an dthe Board, which was
composed of George W. Davis, Dr.
W. M. Willis, J. W. Joyner, A. J.
Flanagan and J. M. Stancill.
Included in the activities of the ad
ministration during the past four
years, which would challenge those of
M i- tin! ' ?4m ninA 1WAWA ? AMn
a city twice JWJ m&c wcxc. uic wu
struction of a swimming pool with
CWA labor and material, supplement
ed by $2,000 raised by public subscrip
tion and an investment of $5,000 by
the town; the purchasing and instal
lation of $600 worth of playground
equipment, donated by citizens; two
tennis courts added by the town; the
acquiring of a lot adjacent to the pool
to serve as a site for a future com
munity house at a cost of $1600;
the furnishing of building, water and
lights for the sewing room, financed
by the government for unemployed
women; employing a sanitary inspect
or, Dr. H. B. Smith, and giving finan
cial assistance to his fly and rat
eradication programs; enlarging the
power plant at a cost of $15,000 and
the purchasing of new equipment;
which together with the plant im
provement totalled $106^116.40; the
digging of a new well (not yet com
pleted) at an estimated cost of $10,
000; the sponsoring of the golf
course in meeting the challenge of
the Federal government to match its
grant of $5,000 for labor on this pro-;
ject, by calling a mass meeting and
assisting in a canvass for stockhold
ers, who subscribed this amount, and
overseeing its construction; the build
ing of new rural electrification lines,
$11,659.13; extension of distribution
(Continued on F^a Eight)
WAREHOUSEMEN PUT
AUDI READINESS FOR
THE SEASON OF 1937
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Preparations Completed
For The Opening Day
Command?"Let's Go!"
Warehousemen have completed ex
tensive preparations for the handling
of sales this season, being busily en
gaged in overseeing the remodeling,
renovating and clearing of their
houses and premises for several
weeks, and are now ready for opera
tion and the rendering of every pos
sible service to farmers on a 24-hour
a-day basis. Evedybody in Farmville
is awaiting the opening call of the
warehousemen at 9:00 o'clock Thurs
day morning, "Let's go!"
With a splendid yield and a crop
of better-than-the average quality in
this vicinity, the season bids fair to
top any of previous years, and ware
house facilities and Jthe corps of ex
perienced assistants have been in
creased accordingly.
Courteous service and guaranteed
satisfaction will be the rule on the
Farmville market this year, where
cordiality and a warm interest in
each individual customer will always
nrevail. 1
All four of the large warehouses
here are of brick and steel construc
tion, and each boasts of a good loca
tion with four entrances; buildings
of exceptionally convenient design
and splendid lighting systems, which
together with the efficient manning
of all departments provides market
ing advantages unsurpassed by any
other tobacco Sales center of any size.
Monk's Warehouse.
Associated again this season with J.
Y. Monk, a veteran warehouseman,
who has been proprietor and active
manager of Monk's Warehouse for 30
years, will be his son, J. Y., Jr./ R. D.
Rouse, and Johnnie Carlton, all held in
high esteem by the farmers and buy
ers alike and whose success in win
ning the confidence and good will of
both buyer and the seller is a valuable
asset to the market as a whole.
Established in 1906, two years af
ter the market here was organized,
this warehouse has been outstanding
in the entire belt, and has led the
Farmviile market every year.
The warehouse business is a four
teen week's business for many ware
housemen, but the secret of J. Y.
Monk's success lie in the fact that he
is a "year 'round warehouseman."
From January 1st until December 31
every year, everywhere, J. Y, is the
same friendly, cordial person you find
him to be on his warehouse floor when
you drive in with a load of tobacco.
Interested in people, he is first a man
of broad human sympathies, and then
an enterprising and zealous ware
houseman with a sincere desire to ob
tain his highest dollar for his farmer
friends, whom he numbers by the
thousands.
The policies of Monk's Warehouse
has attracted and retained the intense
loyalty of a number of valuable men
and women, who make up the per
sonnel of the force, which this year
will be composed of W. A. Gootie, Jim
Edwards, and George Moore, auction
eers; L. P. Thomas, J. B. Joyner, A. E.
Buck James, Mrs. M. V. Jones, Miss
Hazel Monk and Miss Janie Davis in
the office; Curtis Flanagan, Jack
Iaughinghouse, Ralph Bowen, John
nie Simpson, weighing clerks; Hay
wood Smith, Sr., Gordon Lee, Brant
ley Speight and Fred Carr, floor man
agers; E. S. Hobgood, night manager,
Mat Grimsley, night weigher.
Bobbitt's
Recognizing the high position the
Farmville, tobacco market held fy the
industry and its possibilities for fa
tore development, J. Branch Bobbitt
cast his lot with it several years ago,
and tobacconists here realise that he
has the ability to help hold the mar
ket on its top position.
Mr. Bobbitt announced some weeks
ago the effecting of an association
Itrith Jack Moyd, of Greenville, who
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has had years of experience and
knows the tobacco business. Mr. Moye
will be glad to see his old friends at ;
Bobbitt's this year and to m&U and
serve new ones there.
Both Mr. Bobbitt and Mr. Moye
have been in this business for a num
ber of years and they know just how
to promote the interests of their cus
tomers.
The proprietors of Bobbitt's are es
pecially proud of the lighting facili
ties of their house, which is the new
est sales house here, for it is a fact
that a greater light is essential to the
buyers in judging the color, grade and
quality in the few seconds they have
to give to each pile while buying, and
this advantage will be of great bene
fit to the farmer.
Assuring farmers of prompt and ef
ficient service by reason of their ex
perience and desire to personally ren
der assistance are the following, who
make up the force this year: F. F.
Boone, auctioneer; Ivey Warren, book
man; Bill Taylor, clip; E. B. Thomas,
bookkeeper, Mr. Scott, of Pikeville, as
sistant bookkeeper; Willie Harris and
Waddell Beaman, floor managers;
Robert Hay, Harper Walaton, weigh
ers; Jim Musgrave, Lyman Lassiter,
Walter Dees, general floor assistants,
Morton Fields, ticket marker.
Knotts
The patronage and confidence of
thousands of farmers from a great
distance as well as from this immedi
ate section have played an all-impor
tant part in the advancement of the
Farmville tobacco market during the
thirty-three years of its existence,
and for the past twenty-four years
'Knott's Warehouse has been one of
the main factors in its development,
and the proprietors, pioneer tobacco
nists, R. H. Knott and J. M. Hobgood,
have merited the successful and pros
perious business they have founded
and promoted. Capable and popular,
Mr. Knott and Mr. Hobgood have fig
ured prominently on this market since
identifying themselves with iV
* Considered as excellent judges of
tobacco they demand careful handl
ing of the offerings brought in by
their customers, know how to run live
ly sales and always pride themselves
that they secure top market prices
or tobacco sold on their floor..
The personnel of Knott's warehouse
?though the names of the entire
force were not available due to the
absence of the bookkeeper?is recog
nized as one of the strongest ware
house teams on this market
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Webb's
Lending their experience to the fur
therance of the fanner's welfare on
the Farmvilie market are Grover H.
Webb, and Jack Lewis, proprietors of
Webb's, who have gained a wide repu
tation as able tobacconists and cap
able warehousemen.
Though only being associated as
partners in the warehouse business
for a few years, both men have had
a life time experience with tobacco,
growing up with it on the farnf and
spending years in the selling industry
and the management ^ warehouses,
and have built a foundation during
these last few seasons that has fav
orably' impressed the farmer and as
sured them continued success in the
business.
With an even greater determination
to go forward this year Webb's con
tinues in. its employment as efficient
office force and corps of assistants
and will be able to handle any amount
of business in a quick, accurate and
pleasing manner. These include: Dav
id Newcome, auctioneer, G. E. Trev
athan, bookkeeper; Miss Mary Eva
Webb, assistant bookkeeper; Claude
Daniel, book man; Frank Rolph, clip
man; W. F. Worthington, ticket mark
er; Seth Barrow, John King, Lee Wal
ston, clerks; B. M. Lewis, leaf and
labor; Leslie Carr and Joe Jones,
floor managers? El L. Sylvant, John
T. Tyson and M. L Maiming, trade
man; A. B. Tyson, night manager.
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