Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-25
THE TOBACCO TRADE.
n MAKES A MOVE TO HRLP ON TIE
EXPOSITION.
spssch of President starke on Change,
and Working Committee
Appointed.

Richmond will have the Exposition.
There is no longer any doubt about it.
True. all the money needed has not
vet been subscribed, but Judging the
week coming by the week past it GER
tainly will be.
Yesterday the Tobacco Trade, at ono
of the largest meetings ever held in its
spacious hall, gave emphatic endorse
ment TO the scheme and promised assist
ance OF the most substantial character.
In an address Of over an hour Mr..
Starke held in closest attention the large
, crowd. among which were many OF our
wealthiest businessmen. The profound
silence. except when broken by applause,
was generally commented upon, for sell
dom can men on Change DO held still.
, The speaker was warmly complimented
on all sides. and it was evident that his
words made deep impression.
THE EXPLANATION.
Said Mr.. Starke:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen, Either
Arteprns Ward or Mark Twain once de-
liyered a lecture on "Milk," and after
having said that the best thing he ever
saw on milk was the cream, confessed his
Ignorance of the subject by not again
abiding 20 it. | find myself somewhat
in his position when called upon to ad-
dress o meeting composed OF men en-
gagged in business of which l know
nothing more perhaps than to this bust
ness our fair city is indebted most largely
for her beauty and substantial worth. i
am here at your invitation, for the honor
OF which thank you.
have left my post OF individual duty
that. perchance, / might here sound some
note which would find its echo IN your
hearts and pockets TO the starting OF an
era OF public spirit and enterprise such as
we have not known.
The peculiar surroundings OF the to-
bacco trade-its necessities, ITS compllca-
tions, its prospects-you will not expect
me 70 discuss. II l dared attempt 1t
verdict Of such objectionable Ignorance
might be found as would place me IN
category most unenviable.
CHANGING over the columns of one of
our newspapers some time since l was
struck with a little paragraph stating
that Mr.. A. had "shipped his tobacco
through Richmond to of1e Of our small
towns because he could get better prices
there" And, later on | was set to think
ing by q statement that another small
town had raised over 100000 and OBJ
famed a charter to erect an enormous to-
bacco warehouse. | ventured to ask one
of our largest merchants what was the
condition OF the tobacco trade IN Rich
mond? He replied, Far from salts
factory" Here seemed to be an sno-
maly. II Richmond is one OF the lead
ing tobacco marts in this country and her
business is unsatisfactory. aohy are men
stimulated to spend their fortunes In
building warehouses in the smaller and
adjacent towns? How is 1t that better
prices are obtained elsewhere by the
planter?
am glad to see the spirit of these
smaller towns. All honor to them. /
would that the day may speedily come
when along these railroads every few
miles nav lie seen the smoke from the
stack, and the noise of the machinery
will tell Of that thrift which only can
and will make ours a great and prosper
GUS Commonwealth, where the blizzard
is not known, nor the tornado felt; but
where nature has done double part and
ours it is TO enjoy it.
| say God-speed to these smaller
towns. but Richmond is, can, and must
be the one great warehouse into which
all these little feeders must flow. We
would do well to emulate the example OF
these smaller places in first controlling
the product of the country around them.