Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-08-03

So many causes have been assigned
for the success of the celebrated Tan
sill's Punch" cigar, that Republican
reporter, learning of Mr.. Tansilrs So
iourn at the Albany, called ON him to
ascertain for the benefit of smokers
true explanation of these causes. Mr..
Tansill expressed o 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 L have"
was the reply. "Since l 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. 10
commence with: After the great Chicago
fire of II, I became convinced that
there was q large and increasing de-
mand, tidal wave, as it were, for
frst-class five cent cigar. How to pro-
duce such cigar and to marketi it profit.
ably was the problem to solve.
81 was young man at 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 I give it to You, let ME ex-
plain the situation rs it existed ut that
time. The average retail dealer IN
those days never thought it possible to
sell five-cent cigar ut less than 100
per cent profit, while the average whole
sale dealer or manufacturers made
profit varying from $40 to SIS per ], 1000
on that class of goods Such five-cent
cigars, of course, we're made OF very in
ferior domestic stock
| ''Now I conceived the idea that by re-
ducing both profits and slightly increas-
ing the price, and ut the same time max
ing D cigar TINT 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 ut once commanded q
largely increased trade, could afford to
sell it at reduced percentage OF profit.
In other words, I first raised the price OF
the goods to the retailer, and ct the
same time [ 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 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. I 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 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?"
| eyes, far beyond nv most sanguiue
expectations. And as the business has
| grown from year to year, 1 have appro-
priated a percentage of my profits for adj
vertising. I might add in this connec-
ton that I have inst placed contracts
for advertising 'ransill's Punch in
nearly 1000 daily and weekly newspa-
pers. with combined annual circulation
of over 100000, 600 copies. From
this it can be seen that my faith in the
merits of my goods aud in 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 bnt read our correspondence, you
would then realize how our agency aud
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, Chicago
druggist, was trying to establish
trade on a five-cent cigar. 10 accom-
plish this he was paying $3S per 1000
for his leading five-cent brand aud re-
failing but 200 of them per week. I
gave Mr.. Dale the agency for "Tansill's
Punch for his neiglborhood, aud his
trade steadily increased from year to
year until It reached the enormous
number of $4,000 'Tansill's Punch per
month, while his aggregate sales, all ut
retail, mind you, of that single brand
have largely exceeded 1000. 900 cigars.
could cite you similar illustrations in
almost every part of the United States.