[North Carolina]. [Tobacco]. [Myers, A.C.]

[Small Archive of Professional and Family Letters Pertaining to Tobacco, Cotton, and Whiskey Sales in North Carolina]

[Various locations in North and South Carolina: 1860-1879]. Thirteen autograph letters, signed, totaling twenty pages. Original mailing folds, minor overall wear. Very good. Item #4724

A collection of thirteen manuscript letters mostly sent to A.C. Myers at various locations in South Carolina, nine of which involve business matters and with four letters sent to Myers and his wife by their son, Walter Myers. Eight of the nine business letters were written to Myers by a variety of associates and involve issues relating to tobacco production, sales of whiskey stores, debts owned by Myers, and so forth. One early letter from a correspondent in Germanton, North Carolina encourages Myers to reply quickly whether or not he wants the writer's crew to assist with tobacco harvesting, noting that "Tobc has declined 25 prct in the last month partly on account of the large crop growing and in consequence of the war in Europe." Another letter the next year from a different correspondent in Germanton exhorts Myers to "hasten with any negros that has a pound of cotton or that can get one, sell fast and send me the money as quick as possible." The writer further states that if Myers "must move tobacco write to me and you shall be furnished." Another letter involving tobacco and some commercial accounting was written by B.L. Bitting on his "Tobacco Manufacturing" company letterhead. The earliest letter was written to Myers by a correspondent in Winston asking that "if you still have that whiskey...I am in a condition now by which I could dispose of it." The ninth letter was written by A.C. Myers himself from St. Matthew, South Carolina in February of 1879. Myers writes to a correspondent identified simply as "Hoode," opening with, "While I am here waiting for tobacco nothing to do...." He then discusses in general terms his work as a tobacco agent, and asks his correspondent to report to him if he hears any chatter from other tobacco agents.

Three of the remaining four letters were written to A.C. Myers, with one written to his wife, all four by their son Walter Myers. In his earliest letter, Walter reports to his mother about his own activities in the tobacco industry. He writes that "I have only sold four boxes of tobacco. Think I will sell one here. The tobacco is damaged badly some of it is rotten expect to have a hard time selling it." Walter's letters to his father begin the next year. Once again, he details his own work in trying to sell tobacco, detailing how much he has, how much he plans to sell, and his plans for handling of the remainder. Walter's last letter, dated June 24, 1887, was written on the stationery of "J.L. Scott & Son, Manufacturers of Twist and Smoking Tobaccos," but does not involve his work in the industry. Instead, this letter is taken up mostly with Walter's relationship with his children. Overall, the letters present some valuable information on the North Carolina tobacco industry in the 1870s, during the rise of "Big Tobacco" in the American South. One of the most notable actors in the tobacco business at this time was George S. Myers who was one half of the partnership comprising Liggett & Myers Company, one of the biggest producers of tobacco goods in the country. Whether A.C. and Walter Myers were related George S. Myers is unclear, but bears further research.

Price: $750.00