THE POSSUM HUNTERS



Tobacco is the principal product through this sec-
tion of Kentucky, many of your neighbors depend
on their tobacco crop to give them the wherewith
to live, and you know that the combination of
buyers have held the price down to a mere pit-
tance. I am going to break that combination. I
am going to dictate the price to the buyer. I am
going to organize a shell-proof, bomb-proof and
fool-proof organization. When organized, we will
hold out for our price, we will dictate instead of
being robbed, and if necessary we will manufac-
ture our tobacco and put it op. the market. But
that will not be necessary; the Crosby Tobacco
Company can be brought to reason, they are
human just like you and your other tobacco grow-
ers. Will you come in with us Will you help"
  "No."
  "Why "
  "Because I refuse to tickle myself with pretty
words when there isn't a God's blessed chance of
success."
  "You are the first man who ever told me that
God was fighting on the side of the 'Trust,'"
Hughes laughingly admonished; then seriously:
"Why do you think our hope is so vain"
  "Because this same scheme has been tried
three different times, and was a complete and
miserable failure each time."
  "I grant that, but why was it a failure"
  "Simply because the 'Trust' could buy their
tobacco from the men who didn't join in the move,
and the poor fools who formed the 'pool' were
laughed at as they were told to count their credi-
tors while the other farmers counted their dol-
lars. Your scheme will pan out just the same
way, even though you've got it hedged up in
better language than the others were. But you
can't fool Durbin Ellis; because he was fool
enough to join two of the other 'pools.' Just re-



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