But there were no local markets in the area, and 

 it was inefficient for individual growers to ship 

 their crops to the manufacturing centers to the 

 north. Rogers, therefore, went to Durham, North 

 Carolina, where he met with successful manu- 

 facturer James B. Duke and others to seek buyers 

 who might attend a South Carolina market. In 

 1890, a warehouse operator from Danville, Vir- 

 ginia, R. A. Croxton, came to Florence and with 

 Roger's backing, opened the state's first tobacco 

 warehouse. 



Four years later, in Mullins, Buck Daniel opened 

 the Planter's Warehouse. Daniel had hired North 

 Carolina experts to come down to the "Palmetto 

 State" and advise farmers and warehousemen 

 how to handle their crops most efficiently. By 

 1895 there were 200 tobacco barns around Mullins 

 and a great deal of the crop was being shipped 

 to Virginia and North Carolina. 



One Marion County historian described the 

 situation well when he wrote in 1901: 

 By the year 1900 Mullins' market had three 

 large warehouses, four large and well equipped 

 tobacco stemmeries . . . which employ four or 

 five hundred hands. This has given Mullins 

 an impetus not dreamed of ten years ago. 

 People are emigrating from all parts, houses 

 are not to be had. She has a bank. This spirit 

 animates, actuates and permeates the whole 

 surrounding country. 



The extension of Bright tobacco into the area 

 was even uniquely encouraged by a newspaper. 

 The News and Courier of Charleston distributed 

 seeds, gave instructions and employed professional 

 demonstrators to advise prospective growers on 

 farm techniques and other information related to 



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