[AT] Grain Augers

[charlie hill]

Thanks John,  I'll try to remember to do that sometime.  I think there is a 
museum down around Wilson but to the best of my knowledge it's not much of 
one.

I was about 8 or 9 years old the first time I went to the tobacco warehouse. 
It was amazing to a young kid who grew up outside a town of 900.  Fancy cars 
and larger than life personalities.
Everyone was in a grand mood.   There was something going on in every corner 
of the warehouse.  Farmers would come in driving the new car or pickup they 
had just bought with money from the years crop and it wasn't unusual for 
them to burn rubber in the warehouse just to show off.  Of course back then 
burning rubber was more of a short screech than a burnout but those 
warehouses echoed any noise so the screech of tires was quite a show.    I 
think most of the buyers had drivers but the head buyers and "circuit 
riders" as they were called had the really fancy cars with drivers in 
Chauffeur caps.  In fact I know one guy who was a buyer.  I haven't seen him 
in several years so I hope he's still around.  His name is Dick Jeffreys and 
he lives up in Spencer's neck of the woods somewhere.  He was also a tail 
gunner in a B-17 or was it a B-24 in WW II.  He used to have a summer camp 
near where I live and he's told me a few stories about those days as well. 
The auctioneers I knew best were a guy named Dennis Bailey who went to our 
church when I was a kid and another guy from our town named Bob Wilson. 
Both had at one time won the fastest auctioneer competition.   Wilson took a 
turn at a recording career and wrote, sung and recorded a record called "the 
nervous auctioneer".   The refrain of the song was a typical tobacco 
auctioneers chant.  I remember the name Mac Burnett but don't think I ever 
knew him but I probably saw him work at some point.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: john hall
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 5:31 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Grain Augers

Charlie, next time you are up my way stop in Duke Homestead. They have
practically anything used in tobacco up until the dawn of the bulk barn.
With Liggett and American in town, they donated lots of stuff, including a
cigarette machine. The old homeplace is restored as well as the original
factory Duke began processing in. They actually put on live harvesting demos
once during the summer. At that time they also get a few retired buyers and
auctioneers to come auction of some piles. I think they have audio
recordings of Mac Burnett ( I think that was his name). He was supposedly
one of the fastest auctioneers ever. Also they have a screening room where
they show some movies on tobacco farming. Can't remember if these are the
ones Liggett made back in the '40's or not. I think there may be another
museum down in Wilson.

I've heard daddy talk of limo's the head buyers were chauffeured in. Must
have been a sight to see one of them way out in the middle of no where!

John

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "charlie hill" <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Grain Augers


> Oh yeah I forgot Powell but I think they are an eastern NC outfit too
> aren't
> they?   I believe there was an attempt to retrofit stick barns but I don't
> think it was very successful.   It would great if someone would take an
> old
> tobacco warehouse and as much of the old tobacco equipment as they can
> find
> in it for a museum.    Everything from graded sticks, grading benches and
> old 4 wheel tobacco trucks all the way up to bulk barns including a mock
> up
> of a warehouse floor with a video and audio of an auction.   I had the
> pleasure of knowing several tobacco auctioneers including two who at one
> time held the world champion tobacco auctioneer title.  Another thing for
> the museum would be some restored Cadillac and Chrysler Imperial limos
> like
> the buyers used to be chauffeured to the market in.  Of course it would
> need
> a few 2 ton trucks and a variety of restored old cars and  pickups like
> the
> farmers drove to the sale.  All of it parked inside the warehouse just
> like
> back in the day.
>
> Charlie
>

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