As I was here for another year, acting as butler, I thought I would try and see if I could not make some money for myself.  I asked Mr. Brooks, the manager of the works, if he could get me some tobacco by sending to Mobile for it.  He said he could; and on the fourth day thereafter, in the evening, it came.  I was anxious to get it the same evening, but Mr. Brooks said:  “Oh!  I guess you had better wait until morning, then when you finish your work come down to the office and get it—­you will then have more time to see the boys in the works.”  In the morning I was up early, and after doing my morning work I was off to Brooks’ office.  When I went in he said:  “There it is under the table.”  The package was so small I felt disappointed—­a hundred dollars worth ought to be more, said I to myself; but I took it, and went out among the men.  I thought I would try to sell it at five dollars a plug, and if I could not sell it at that I would take four dollars.  I must make something, for I had borrowed the money to buy it with; and I saw that to clear anything on it, I must at least get four dollars a plug.  The money which I had borrowed was from three fellow servants, who had been fortunate in earning some little time and had saved their money.  The first man I met in the works bought two plugs, at five dollars each; and after I had been there about an hour all was sold.  So I went back with a light heart.  Mr. Brooks said to me at dinner:  “Well, how did you get along with your tobacco?” “I did very well,” I said, “the only trouble was I did not have enough.  I sold it for $180.”  “Well,” said he, “if you did, you made more clear money than the works here.  How much a plug did you sell it for?” at the same time drawing out his pencil and commencing to figure it up.  “I had thirty-six plugs,” said I, “and I sold them for five dollars a plug.”  Nothing more was said just then, but after dinner Brooks and two of the clerks went out on the veranda to smoke.  When they were in a good way smoking, Brooks slipped into the dining room, and said:  “Well, that was fine; you got five dollars a plug for the tobacco?” “Oh, yes!” I said, “tobacco is scarce, and they were hungry for it; it went like hot cakes—­the price was not questioned, I sold at once.”  “What is the prospect for selling more?” he asked.  “Will you sell it for half the profit if I furnish the tobacco?” I said “yes.”  So he sent the same day for a box of tobacco—­about five hundred plugs.  When the tobacco came the box was sawed in two and one-half sent up to my room.  I put some fellows out as agents to sell for me—­Uncle Hudson, who took care of the horses and mules at the works; John at the hospital; William, head chopper, among the 100 men in the woods.  Each brought in from $40.00 to $50.00 every two or three days, and took another supply.  Sometimes, when I had finished my work in the afternoon, I would get an old pony and go around through the neighborhood and sell four or five plugs.  It was a mystery to the servants