Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-08-01
REVOLUTION In CIGARS.
important Facts Nade Known to ths
Smoking Public.
An Intsrvisw Win Mr.. Tansill. OF n
". Tansill e Co. He Explains the
Origin aud Development Of His Inn.
mense Basiness-Fgelaees the Causes
Of His Phenomenal Success.

Denver (coIo) Republican. July7.
So many causes have been assigned
for the success of the celebrated ''Tan-
sill's- Punch" cigar, that Republican
reporter, learning of Mr.. Tansill's So
iourn at the Albany, called on him to
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 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, 1 am perfectly willing to crafty
you to the extent of my ability. To
commence with: After the great Chicago
fire of II, 1 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 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 the trade, 1 settled
upon plan to accomplish my object.
But before 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 u fiye-cent cigar mt less than 100
per cent profit, while the average whole
sale dealer or manufacturer made a
profit varying from $40 to Sl5 per 200
on that class of goods. Such tive-cent
cigars, of course, were made OF very in
ferior domestic stock.
''Now conceived the idea that by re-
ducinS both profits and slightly increas-
inc the price, and mt the same time max
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 neiShborhOOds, they,
through the superior quality OF the
cigar, which mt once commanded q
largely increased trade, could afford to
sell it at reduced percentage of profit.
In other words, 1 first raised the price OF
the goods to the retailer, and ut the
same time l reduced my own profits
more than one-half. This difference en-
abled me to furnish an Havana filed
cigar that could be retailed for five
cents.
'rhen I personally travelled over 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 q great saving. charged moth
ing for my services and sold my goods
at less than One-half the profit made by
my competitors. In taking this step
trusted solely to the intelligence of the
smoker and dealer for my recOmpense.
Had l ntt done so the name of 'Tansill
Punch iigar, like the names of my
thousand imitators, would have been
obsolete long ago"
elias your faith in the intelligence OF
the smoker and dealer been snstained?"
''Yes, far beyond my most sanguine
expectations. And as the business has
grown from year to year, L have apprO-
priated percentage of my profits for adj
vertising. l might add in this connec-
ton that l have Just placed contracts
for advertising 'ransilPs Punch in
nearly 1000 daily and weekly newspa-
pers, with n combined annual circulation
of over 500, OOO, 900 copies. From
this it can be seen that my faith in the
merits of my goods and III my methods
of selling them is stronger than ever
before"
HAS your plan of doing business met
with the approval of the merchant
'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, a Chicago
druggist, was trying to establish a
trade on a iive-cent cigar. 10 accom-
piish this he was paying $3S per 1000
for his leading five-cent brand and re-
failing but 200 of them per week.
gave Mr.. Dale tie agency for 'Tansills
Punch for his neiShborhood, and his
trade steadily increased from year to
year until 1t reached the enormous
number of 1900 'Tansill's Punch per
while his aggregate sales, all mt
retail, mind you, of that single brand
have largely exceeded 100000 cigars.
I could cite You similar illustrations in
almost every part of the United States"
''Then l understand, Mr.. Tansill, that
your plan is to sell first-class cigar ut
a small profit and rely upon the large
volume of Your trade for the results?"
''Ihat is it, exactly"