New-York tribune., 1872-07-17

pIatform on which samples for sale arc placed with
row Of chairs either side Tor bidders. The sales
are all genuine and there frantic speculaons or
gambling transactions. About 800 hogsheads daily
disposed OF In Summer and 100 In Winter, the prices
ranging from s. 500 per 100 pounds and as high
as $40 for remarkably fine samples, the bright yellow
leaf bringing the largest price. The best sample saw
was valued at $s5 and the owner In showing 1t to me-
unfoded the golden leaves, stroked them aectionatey
with bis fingers and called attention to their COLOR tex
ture, ana fragrance, with as much pride as gem
collector would show In exhibiting rare stone Look
at that color" he said holding lear up TO the light;
"now smell Of tit IA fragrant as magnolia flower
Eghty-nve dollars Is the lowest price, Now, here Ia
sample that would bc glad to get eight dollars for,
throwing on the counter bunch OF Very gy black ana
ranksmellng leaves "You SEQ what difference there
Is I'm the value OF tobacco" -
Going out OF the Exchange, selected the first large
factory came TO Tor visit d nde 80 rSpogS tSe esta soI
lshment with me- explaining the various processes:
We pSG az o % b ppSco o % oRSs place I'm one end Of
the room dozen negro women were seated upon the
floor sorting the leaves putting the brightest lunches in
pile the medium IN another anu Ine daIh 1uTs III
third The process consists In dipping the leaves
lcorice extract in cauldrons and adding Vari-
Gus fayors. For the higher grades sugar is
the manufacturer's secrets. skillful combination
navors VIII sometimes secure for brand reputation
leaves dipped In the tanks the punches Of leaves are
passed through machine like a large clotheswringer,
They taken To the next story below where dc
tachment Of women, boys, and girls all black unisten
the punches. mrO the leaves, and pull out the stems
from end end OF the leaves. The stems are sent to
Bremen, wher they ground into snuh or rolled out
stems are remtyed TO roll the leaves into punches
natened rosof various Sizes according TO the size OF
ali ages, from hoys and girls Of old and women
do this work, shndng at long tables. They take mum
Der OF dark Leaves for the filling or body OF the roll
manipulate then into the proper shape, ana wrap
around them kaf of lighter color known as the wrap
L L. ito al t.rf
work, keeping Up Of their strange. monotonous
chants by the hoIr together, or singing hymns with emo
sight to hundred Of them crowded into long lines at
the narrow tables going through their work with me- me-
chanca regularly, and singing all the while in the
peculiar minor which nearly all their tunes pitched
dno mi it I'm IN shane for pressing into plugs
first thoroughly died IN racks I'm adryingroom ana ten
taken 10 the floor below where next operation
is called "pottng" and consists pressing the rolls
into iron molds B hydraulic pressure Ihey come Out
soded into plugs, and then receive second pressure
TO make them smooth. Nothing remains but TO pack the
plugs boxes bI Presses put on the gay coOred
labels and the and they ready for
sale The label is he proprietary mark brand and
generally ancifd name and prettily-colored picture
illustrating the name Of the brand
The manufactur8 Of smoking tobacco is much moro
simple leaves after the stemming and sorting, are
through another machine which sfts the out The
tobacco is then spread on the floor and sprnkled Win
the fayoring qiors, made OF VANILLA cinnamon, and
other spices. EGh manufacturer Keeps his nav0rlng
recipes profouni secret When brand becomes well
established I'm public favor tho name OF the brand and
secret of its yor become property IN themselves
often Of considerable value The skin ot the nanuIac
turer who Establishes reputation for "a certain
brand is shown selecting his tobacco in order to con-
tnue TO produce uniform article After the hayOring
extract is applied the tobacco rs ready of putting up
in bags boxes when the labelling and stamping COM
plee the work.
The tobacco business furnishes employment to large
laboring population. In Lynchburg and Danyille the
business OvershadOws everything else as much as
spinning 10 Lowell and shoe-maing in Natick.
In Richmond it relatively important, although
the amount OF tobacco manufactured here Is greater
In either OF those places. In factory OF SMOKING
tobacco few white women and girls at work, but
this appeared 10 be exceptional. Probably more than
nneenfhs OF the operatives are negroes. Their wages
run from s. "A week for children, to sl2 and Si for the
best skilled hands They work 10 hours day, and arc
paid by the pound for most kinds OF work. The majority
live from hand 10 mouth but and then there Is one
who owns "a comfortable little house, and has lew
hundred dollars in the Freedmens Savings Bank.