North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-03-06
Cigars and TOba eco.

We had the pleasure of q call from En-.
NJ. DENNIS, of the Waukegan Tobacco
works. Ed. i, our personal friend, most
agreeable chum, a fair dealer and good
business man. We are pleased all over to
see that the late loss of the firm by fire has
not impcded their progress. Below will be
found an article from Chicago paper
which tells who he is and what his business
is better than we can tell it in q column.
Dennis got many orders in this precinct
WAuKEcAN, Feb. 26.
In the course of journey westward, |
had occasion to make Il stay of a couple of
hours in this pretty little town of Wauke-
gan. Having been so long surrounded by
the fiat dullness which Immediately sur
rounds Chicago, l was not little sur
prised to find ut so short distance outside
Of those suburbs, town so picturesquely
situated as this. 1t is manufacturing
town, too. The manufacture of tobacco is
carried on to large extent here. BY far
the largest mandatory, as well as the best
managed one, is that of Messrs. Dennis,
Lyon 4 Co. The building occupied by
them, being not far distant, visited it,
This building, formerly the Transit
House," situated on the corner of State
and Water streets, was purchased by the
firm shortly after the burning Of the old
one, on the 18th of December last; and
the quickness with which they have fitted
up their establishment certainly says much
for the energy Of Mcssrs. Dennis, Lyon &
Co. The building is four stories in height,
has front of sevcnty-six feet, and is for
ty feet deep. Entering the building, the
countingroom is seen to the left, while to
the right is the cigar packing room, in
which six hands are employed; the whole
number of persons employed in the estab-
lishment being over eighty. In the rear
of this apartment is another, in which the
tobacco used for cigar wrappers is prepar-
ed. Ascending from this room there is q
fall leading from the first to the fourth
floors, for hosting up tobacco. Back of
this dampening room is the sample room,
filled with pipes, cigars and fancy articles,
and the various brands Of smoking and
chewing tobacco, as the "Game Cock"
and 'Gold Leaf for which the firm is
celebrated. l have hardly ever seen finer
assortment of tobacco boxes, pouches, etc.,
than is presented in this room, not even in
Chicago. Still south of this is another
and larger room, which is devoted to the
storing Of fine-cut chewing, smoking to-
bacco and plug tobacco. Having careful
ly examined the stock here stored, can
say that Dennis, Lyon Co. do not adu-
terate their tobacco and cigars a fact well
known to purchasers that, having once be-
come customers of the firm, they remain
so. Passing up winding staircase to
the fourth story, the cigar mandatory
itself is seen. This is large, well-light-
ed and differentiated room, in which
some forty persons are found engaged in
the work of making cigars-a thing re-
curing far more skill than the majority of
smokers generally imagine. The inteli-
gent and scrupulously clean appearance of
these "twisters of the divine weed" Ger
tainly speaks well for those who employ
them. From this room door leads into
the drying-room, where the tobacco, de-
prived of its stems, is prepared for being
Transmitted into cigars. In the room
where the cigars are stored are to be seen
thousands of cigars which are Aere assert
ed-a work which is performed by one
man, and which requires years of practice.
In the stemming room, next to this, some
twenty girls and boys are employed, each
one in separate pew. The second and
third stories will be used for the manufac-
turing of smoking and chewing tobacco as
soon as the machinery shall all be put up.
This firm began business Oct. l, 1868 and
their trade relations extend over Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
The secret of their success is their RELIABLE
ity, energy and enterprise. Mr.. +. NJ.
Dennis is the salesman; l. II. Lyon tho fl
naneial manager, and their overseer is Mr..
Geo. Dewey, who has had quarter of n
century's experience in the trade.
ROANOKE.