St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-22

would make daily consumption OF Co.
600, causing the annual aggregate to run
up to no less than 21,600,000. This may
be too high an estimate; it
But there is, after all, reason to think
that, were an actual enumeration pos
Sible, the above figures would fall but
very little short of the truth. The large
number of people engaged in handling
cigars in Minneapolis would at least
indicate that much. Thus, some ten
firms do a jobbing and retail business in
tobacco and cigars exclusively, employ
ing about twenty persons as solicitors
for their goods in the city alone. To
this number should be added the whole
sale dealers in liquors and groceries,
most of whom dispose of goodly
toners in the course of the
year. Estimating the sale of cigars by
local dealers to points outside of the
city at about 100000 more, MinneapO-
lis merchants have in the year just past
handled in the neighborhOOd of 49,
100000.
Out of this number one-ffth, or $780,
600, were manufactured in the city,
leaving about 35,000,000 to be imported,
principally from New York and Penn
sylvania. Havana cigars are, of course,
consumed to some extent, but the direct
importations hardly reached 100000.
practically all of WHICH were smoked
in the city. Minneapolis is
ket by the cigar manufacturers in bust
ness here. While MinDeapolis-made
cigars are almost unstable in st. Paul,
owing to the existence of a strong local
feeling in favor of ST. Paul manufac-
turers and st. Paul cigars, our own
firms claim that this sentiment is not
reciprocated by Minneapolitans. They
buy and smoke st. Paul cigars if such
an erratic cause suits their fancy, even
going to the extent of preferringa cheap
Pennsylvania cigar to better but
slightly higher-priced one made
right among them, AS matter
oils manufacturers can well compete
with Eastern-made goods. In the max
ing of the latter, cheap labor enters to
great extent. whereas union wages rule
in nearly all local factories. The much
larger scale on which the business is
carried on in the East, and the employ
ment of labor saving machinery also
| contribute to produce the same result,
while the greater proximity to the prin-
| cipal tobacco markets cannot but affect
| the Eastern manufacturers favOra-
| bly,. On the LIST of January,
of the present year, thirty cigar manu-
factories were in operation in Mime
| apOliS; ten went out of business during
the preceding twelve months, but this
loss was made more than good by the
/ starting of thirteen new or reOrganiZed
firms. The cigarmakers employed num-
Der about 200, some thirty of which are
women. To these should be added ship
pers, packers and other employees,
| swelling the total number of the per-
sons engaged in the factories to not far
from 800. The first party to en-
gage in manufacturing cigars in
Minneapolis, was Theodore Gross,
same time in 1865. S. G. Paxton fol
| Sievert, now manufacturing on a very
| limited scale in 1868, started the first
| factory of any Importance, employing
as many as ten hands. Gustav Pf1aum,
| still prosperous manufacturer, has
| continued as such for some twelve OF
thirteen years, and Henry Bockhaus
has carried Oh small but safe business
for about the same length of time. AS
rule, however, the cigar manufacturer
averages much shorter business eX-
istence. The capital required for start
need not exceed 500; it may, in fact,
be made OH much less, SIS worth of
| UOACS, tOUdCCO W OilC value vi tWO
sets of moulds worth $40, two presses
costing S12, table, ETC., worth say IS,
will more than suffice to begin with. In
addition to this the manufacturer must
also pay tax at the rate of Sc per year
before the federal government will
recognize him as a manufacturer; but
this paid and his bond to the amount of
$500 furnished, he is in a position to
begin to make cigars. The small amount
of money thus required invites changes,
and a certain ShiftleSSneSS is also char
acteristic of the trade.
Of the existing firms in this city
far the largest business, employ
ing about 100 persons, fully
half of whom are actual cigar makers
Their output last year was 1887, 00(
cigars, or more than One-third of the en-
tire number made in Minneapolis, and
they employ nOn-union labor, largely
women, that make from S10nto s15 pei
week. Most of their cigars go to out
side dealers. the firm employing six
travelling men all the year round
Max Adler q Co., whose exhibit at the
last exhibition, will be pleasurably re
membered. come next, having in 1885,
made nearly one million cigars. They
are followed by f. Lauer, B. Eisele. F
Edwin and G. Plfaum in the order
named. Several other firms have manu-
featured from 100000 to 100000 each
the balance generally doing small
business, often employing only thei
own labor.