The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-09-07
REVOLUTION In CIGARS.
Important Facts Made known to the
Smoking Public.
An Interview with Efr. Tan SIN, Of IL
w. Tansili a. Cole Explains the
Origin and Development of His Inn
naense Business-Relates the Causes
ofHis Phenomenal Success.

Denver (colo.) Republican. 5u1yS.
So many causes have been assigned
for the success of the celebrated '"Tan-
sill's Ptheh" cigar, that q Republican
reporter, Learning Of Mr.. Tansill's So
iourn at the Albany, called on him to
ascertain for the benefit of smokers
true explanation of these causes. MIR.
Tansill expressed readiness to COM
municate ON this subject, and the re-
porter piled his questions.
"Have you any objection, Mr.. Tan
sill, to giving the readers of the Repub-
1ican an inside view of the success you
have attained in your business?"
swell, no. / can't shy that I have"
was the reply. ''Since have no patent
on my methods of conducting business
afid no secrets to withhold from the
public, 1 all perfectly willing to crafty
you to the extent OF my ability. 70
commence with: After the great Chicago
fire of II, I became convinced that
there was Il large and increasing de-
mand, q tidal wave, Ms IL were, for
first class five cent cigar. How to pro-
duce such cigar and to market it profit
ably was the problem to solve.
81 was young man Mt the time and
full Of ambition. After carefully study
ing the condition Of tile trade, 1 settled
upon plan to accomplish my object.
But before give it to 5ori, let me ex:
plain the sit;..,,ion MS it existed at that
time. The average retail dealer I'M
those days never Thought il possible to
sell fiye-cent cigdf 1T less than 100
per cent profit, while the average whole
sale dealer or manufactured made a
profit varying from $40 to $15 per ], 900
on that class of goods. Such five-cent
cigars, of course, were made of very in
ferior domestic stock.
Nov / conceived the idea That by re-
ducing both profits and slightly increas-
ing the price. and at the same time maxi
ing cigar that should contain the
choicest Havana filler. and then placing
it in the hands of prominent retail deal
ers all over the United States, with an
exclusive control or agency for the same
for their towns or neighborhoods, they,
through the superior quality of the
largely increased trade, could afford to
sell it ut reduced percentage of profit.
In other words, first raised the price of
the goods to the retailer, and ut the
same time I reduced my own profits
more than one-half. This difference en-
abled me to furnish an Havana filled
cigar that could be retailed for five
cents.
''Then I personally travelled oyer the
United States and established my agen.
cies, relying chiefly on mail orders,
thereby dispensing with double drum
ming" and the jobber's profit, thus eff
fecting a great saving. I charged moth
ing for my services and sold my goods
ut less than one-half the profit made by
my competitors. In taking this step l
trusted solely to the intelligence of the
| smoker and dealer for my recompense.
Had not done so the name of 'Tansill
Punch cigar, like the names of my
thousand imitators, would have been
obsolete long ago."
HAS your faith in the intelligence of
the smoker and dealer been sustained?''
Yes, far beyond my most sanguine
expectations. And rs the business has
grown from year to year, have appro-
priated percentage of my profits for adj
vertising. | might add in this connec-
ton that l have Just placed contracts
for advertising 'Tansill's Punch in
nearly 1000 daily and weekly newspa-
pers, with n combined annual circulation
of over 500, 900, 900 copies. From
this it can be seen that my faith in the
merits of my goods and i'll my methods
of selling them is stronger than ever
! before"
-'Has your plan of doing business met
with the approval of tho merchant?'
t'My success emphatically answers
your question in the affirmative. Could
you but read our correspondence, you
would then realize how our agency and
goods are appreciated by both dealer
| and smoker. As to the value of our
! agency, / will give you an illustration.
Nine years ago w. NJ. Dale, q Chicago
| druggist, was trying to establish o
trade on n five-cent cigar. TO accom-
| plish this he was paying $3S per 1000
| for his leading five cent brand and re
| failing but 200 of them per week. I
gave Mr.. Dale the agency for Tansil's
Punch for his neighhorhood, aud his
trade steadily increased from year to
year until 1t reached the enormous
number of $1,000 Tansill's Punch per
month, while his aggregate sales, all at
retail, mind you, of that single brand
have largely exceeded 1900, 900 cigars.
I could cite you similar illustrations in
almost every part of the United States. T"
''Then I understand, Mr.. Tansill, that
your plan is to sell frst-class cigar ut
a small profit and rely upon the large
volume of your trade for the results?"
''That is it, exactly"