Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-07-25
REVOLUTION In CIGARS.
Important Facts Made Known to thi
Smoking Public.
An Interview with MIR. TansilI, OF II.
w. Tansill & Co. - He Explains the
Origin and Development of His I'm.
mense Business-f6elates tho Causes
OF His Phenomenal Success.

| DO iuuuy ChuSeS nave peeH aooiSho'
for the success of the celebrated ''Tan
sill's Punch" cigar, that q Republican
reporter, learning of Mr.. Tansill's so
journ at the Albany, called on him tt
ascertain for the benefit of smokers q
true explanation of these causes, Mr.
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-
lican an inside view of tho success you
have attained in your business?"
"Well, no. can't say that I have"
was the reply. "Since have no patent
on my methods Of conducting business
and no secrets to withhold from the
public, I am perfectly willing to crafty
you to the extent of my ability. To
commence with: After the great Chicago
fire of II, I became convinced that
there was large and increasing de-
mand, tidal wave, as it were, for q
first class five cent cigar. How to pro-
duce such cigar and to marketit profit.
ably was the problem to solve.
81 wasa young man ut the time and
full of ambition. After carefully study
ing the condition of the trade, L settled
upon a plan TO accomplish my object.
But before L give it to you, let ME ex.
plain the situation rs it existed at that
time. The average retail dealer in
those days never thought it possible to
sell five-ccnt cigar Mt less than 100
per cent profit, while the average whole
sale dealer or manufacturer made q
profit varying from $40 to $l5 per |, 200
on that class OF goods. Such five-cent
cigars, of course, were made of very in
ferior domestic stock.
Now | conceived the idea that by ro-
ducinG both profits and slightly increas-
ing the price, and at the same time max
ing cigar that should contain the
choicest Havana filler, and then placing
1t in the hands of prominent retail deal
ers all over the United States, with IN
exclusive control or agency for the same
for their towns or ncighbOrhnods, they,
through the superior quality of tho
81 gar, which ut once commanded
largely increased trade, could afford to
sell it at Il reduced percentage of profit.
In other words, first raised tho price of
the goods to the retailer and at the
same timo [ reduced my own profits
more than One-haf. This difference en-
lbled me to furnish an Havana filled
cigar that could be retailed for five
cents;
Then persona ly Travelled over the
United States and established my agen-
,Gies, relying CHIEFLY on mail orders,
merely dispensing with double drum
ming and the Iohbers profit, thus eff
'ectinG great saving. charged moth
nG Tor my services and sold my goods
1t less than one-hait the profit made by
my competitors. In taking this stop
trusted solely to the Intelligence Of the
'm0k9r and dealer for my recompen*e;
tiad not done so the name OF 'Ianslll
fnnch cigar, like the names OF my
thousand lmltators, would have been
obsolete long ago.
Has your faith in the intelligence OF
ihe smoker and dealer been srlStained?'
Yes, tnr beyond my most sanSnine
And ms the business has
grown from year to year, L have appro-
priated percentage OF my profits for adj
'ertlslnS. L might add IN this connec-
hon that L have Just placed contracts
Tor advertising 'Iansills Punch in
nearly 1000 daily and weekly newSpa-
oers, with combined annual circulation
IF over 800, 900, 900 copies. From
his it can be seen that my faith in the
merits OF my goods and IN my methods
81 selling them is stronger than ever
before.