Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-27
FEATURES OF TRADE.
The Price of Good Cigars Really
Higher This Year Than Last
BECAUSE OF THE M'KINLEY BILL.
A Larger Acreage of Tobacco Planted in
Eastern Counties.
THE HEAVY OUTPUT OF STEEL RAILS
OFFICE OF PIrrsBuRG DISPATCH, I
TUESDAY, May 26.
T-Roo, n-SI1.l-

As a rule tobacco planting time begins
tn the early part of May. This season
there were few plants set at the beginning
of May on account of dry, cool weather at
that time. In Lancaster county, Pennsyl-
vania, a section which has became famous,
both for quantity and quality of its tobacco
CROP preparations were made by growers
for increased acreage and, although the dry
weather of May has been adverse to growing
crops, the yield viii no doubt be up to aver
age, for the reason that the acreage is above
average. Seed leaf and Havana seed are the
popular seeds, and it is now nip and tuck as
to which viii take the lead.
Havana seed has been steadily gaining in
public favor of late. Cigars made of Havana
leaf seem to be the favorites with the smok-
ing public. A representative of one Of the
leading leaf tobacco firms had this to say of
the situation and outlook: 1.-THE firm which
represent makes a speciality of cigar leaf
tobacco, and our chief source of supply for
fine grades is Lancaster county, Pa. Con-
necticut, Ohio and Wisconsin are also con-
tributors, but in the main the supplies from
these sources are below the finest in quality.
The materials out of which plug and smok-
ing tobacco are made come in the main from
kentucky and other Southern States. The
manufacture of plug tobacco has become
thing of the past, so far as this city is con-
cerned, but granulated smoking tobacco is
still manufactured here in large quantity,
and has achieved a reputation which has
a
West. There are not less than 10000 boxes
of leaf tobacco worked up into cigars annu-
ally in this city, This means the manufact-
ure of $3.50 600 pounds of cigars, as the boxes
of leaf tobacco average S25 pounds.
1000 Engaged in the Manufacture.
There are not less than two dozen large
cigar factories in the two cities, some of
which employ as high as 200 hands. In addi-
tion to this are any number of small fac
tories, so that it would be a low estimate to
say that there are 1000 persons in Pittsburg
end Allegheny engaged in cigar making.
Prices of cigar leaf tobacco are 80 to 40 per
cent higher than last year. Under the Nc
kinley tariff Sumatra wrappers have now
to carry duty OF 2 per pound. where
as before the tariff went into effect the
duty ranged from IS to rs cents per pound.
Dealers in leaf tobacco took time by the fore
lock and stocked up heavily before tho Nc
kinley bill took effect. When the stock on
hand runs out an advance In prices is sure
TO come, and there are already signs of an
upward movement in prices.
Sales have been larger SO far this season
than for any corresponding period the past
half dozen years. There is now very little
old stock IN + the bands OF packers. and all
Low grade cigars vary very little in price
from last year.
Demand for the latter has increased by
reason of the advance in good goods.
A leading dealer reports that his sales of
tobies the year past have reached Il 1000, ,0OO
and that this year SO far trade in this line |
shows Improvement, while in the line ofgood |
cigars there has been decline in volume of |
trade.
Heavy Output of Steel Rails.
At the Edgar Thomson Works there were
2,7O0 tons of steel rails turned out in a hours
within few days. This was double the best
yield of last year. Previous to the late i'm
prOvements the largest yield did not exceed
J. 400 tons in the day. The new machinery
has fully doubled the capacity of the rail |
mill. There are eight furnaces now in oper-
alton, and some have a capacity of go tons
of metal daily. There are orders ahead suffi-
for several months to come. That there is a 4
comfortable profit at present prices does |
rot admit of doubt. Opinions vary between |
s. 90 and $40 90 per ton as to profit on steel i
rails. The present price is a shade above /
$50 per ton. A profit of So 90 per ton would
be equivalent to over $4,000 per day,