Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-07-26
REVOLUTION In CIGARS.
Important Facts Made Known to the
Smoking Public.
An Interview with Nr. Tansiii, or q.
". Tsn.iiI a. 60. - sse Explains tho
Origin aud DeveiOpment at His I'm
menss Busin.ss-Reiates the Causes
Of His Phenomenal success.

Denver (Colol Republican July ?.
So many causes have been assigned
for the success of the celebrated Tan
sills Punch" cigar, that Republican
reporter, learning of Mr.. Tansill's So
journ Mt the Albany. called on him to
ascertain for the benefit of smokers n
true explanation Of these causes. Mr..
Tansil expressed readiness to com
muncate on this subject, and the re-
porter piled his questions.
"Have Won any objection. Mr.. Tan
sill, to giving the readers OF the Repub-
lican an inside view of the success you
have attained in your business?'
"Well, no. / can't say that have, "
was the reply. "Since | have no patent
on my methods OF conducting business
and no secrets to withhold from the
public, / am perfectly willing to crafty
you to the extent of my ability To
commence with; After the great Chicago
fire of II, | became convinced that
there was n large and increasing de-
mand, n tidal wave. M it were, for q
first class five cent cigar. How to pro
duce such a cigar aud to market it profit
ably was the problem to solve.
II was young man at the time and
full Of ambition After carefully study
ing the condition OF the trade, / settled
upon n plan to accomplish my object.
But before give it to You, let me eX'
plain the situation rs it existed mt that
time The average retail dealer in
those days never Thoughts it possible to
sell fve-cent cisar at less than 100
per cent profit. while the average whole
sale dealer or manufacturer made n
profit varying from 80 to SD per l,OO)
on that class OF goods. Such iiye-cenC
cigars, of course, We're made OF very IN
ferior domrs ic stock.
"Now | conceived the idea that by re-
ducing both profits and slightly increas-
ing the price, and mt the same time max
ing n cigar that should contain the
choicest Havana filler, aud then placing
il 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 nelghborhoOds, they,
through the superior quality OF the
cigar, which mt once commanded a
largely increased trade. could afford TO
sell it at n reduced percentage OF profit.
In other words. first raised the price OF
the goods TO the retailer, and ut the
same time | reduced my own profits
more than one.haIf. This difference en-
abled me to furnish an Havana filled
cigar that could be rctailed for five
cents.
"rhen I personally Travelled over the
United States aud established my agen-
cles, relying chiefly on mail orders,
thereby dispensing with double drum
ming and the lOhber's profit, thus ef-
fectlng great saving. ! charged moth
ing for my services aud sold my goods
at less than one-half the profit made by
my competitors In taking this step [
trusted solely 20 the Intelligence of the
smoker and dealer for my recompeu,e
Had | not done SO the name of 'Iansill
Punch cigar, like the names of my
thousand imitntors, would have been
obsolete long ago.
"Has your faith in the intelligence Of
the smoker and dealer been Sustuiued?"
Yes far beyond my most sanguins
expectations. Aud rs the business has
grown from year to year, nave appro.
priated percentage of my profits for adj
vertising. | might add in this connec-
ton that | lave Just placed contracts
for advertising 'Iansill's Punch in
nearly 1000 daily and weekly newspa-
pers, with combined animal circulation
of over 800, 600, 00D comics From
this 1t can he seen that my faith in the
merits Of my goods aud ia my methods
OF selling them is stronger than ever
before"
HAS your plan of doiuc, busiuess met
with the approval Of the mcrchant?"
My success emphaticaily answers
your question in the Affirmative. Could
you but reud our CORE 'poudence, you
would then realize how our agency and
goods are appreciated by both dealer
and smoker. As to the value of orr
agency, | will give Won an illustration
Nine years ago w. VI. Dale. Chicago
druggist was trying To establish
trade on tive-cent cigar. To accom-
plish this he was paying S3S per 1000
for lis Lending five cent brand and re-
failing but 200 Of them per week. L
gave Mr.. Dale the agency for 'Tansill's
Punch for his neighborhOOl, aud his
trade steadily increased from year To
year until II reached the enormous
number of 1900 'Tnmsill's Punch per
month, while his aggre cate sales all mt
retail, mind you, ot that single brand
have largely exceeded 1000. 90 cigars
i could cite Won similar illustrations in
almost every part of the United States"
Then | understand Mr.. runsill, that
your plan is To sell iirst-class cigar Mt
n small profit aud RELY upon the large
volume of Your trade for the results?"
That Is it. exactly