St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-23
FLOUR CITY CIGARS.
Something About the Manu-
factuPe of Them in the
Early Days.
The First Makers and Jobbers
OF the Seductive
Weed
And the Growth Of the Big
Industry in the Flour
City.
Over q Million Sold in Mime
apolis in a Week--Relia-
BILE Dealers.

blessed he he who first invented sleep"
quoth Sancho Panza as he lay down to his
slumbers, but If blessings could with pro-
priety be shOWered upon the head of that in
dividual. in what form could mankind best
show its appreciation of the efforts of him
who first brought to light the comfort he de-
lived from fragrant cigar or Missouri
meerSchaum well loaded with tobacco either
iong-cut or granulated.
The growth of the cigar and tobacco bus
lness, like everything else in Minneapolis,
has been very extensive. Starting from moth
ing, II has extended its arms, octOpus-like,
until its agents are to be found III every
corner of the Golden Northwest" and there
are but few firms OF prominence in the city
who are not dealers TO some extent i'll the
seductive weed.
The first manufacturer of cigars in Mime
apOliS was II. {. Paxton, who loca ed
here in 1856 and commenced operations
On Washington avenue, between First
and Second or Second and Third
Svenues south. The same year, but a
little later. he was followed by Theodore
Crosse. who established himself on First
street. between Iennepin and First avenue
north heSe two gentlemen constituted
the i9ar-manufacturing industry of the city
(Which, however, was not incorporated as
city until the following YEAR, for quite a lit
lie time. Then others OF the craft dropped
in, and it soon became quite feature of
TIE loNH- ne output, however, Was limited
10 between latOO and A.CiO cigars q week,
which. however. the manufacturers jobbed
themselves, the retail price being two and
thee fer quarter, nothing else having
market value. As early as 1866 according to
MI. Crosse both OF the well-known firms of
q. Il. Newell Il Co. and Anthony Kelly
Jobbed cigars, handling them in conjunction
with their groceries but did not make any
specially of them. so that to Messrs. Ninecke
q Doerr belones the credit Of being the first
wholesale dealers
1t is interesting to note in this connection
the growth attained by this industry.
In 1866. as previously stated, the
output was about 10000 per week,
the consumption of the product being CON
lined almost exclusively 10 this vicinity to-
day. II Is estimated that from LOO 900 to
1.5O0,OO9 cigars are burned up in Minneapolis
every week. Taking their value as averag
ing eight cents apiece This gives total of
over SS0OOO that is spent in the Flour city
every SIX or seven days for cigars alone. A
GLOBE reporter in search of this and kin
dred information discovered quite a little
interesting matter concerning the manufact-
ure OF the weed. In this city now there are
ABOUT 20 persons engaged in the business
whose wages run from IS to SIS per week
In order TO earn this sum it takes from three
10 tour years Tor Il girl or man 10 become ex-
pert. is in the manufacture of handmade
goods. ] hese are made entirely by hand,
never being allowed TO even touch the mods.
Thanks TO The Introduction OF a greater
amount OF system into the business manu-
number of better cigars at less cost than ever
before For that reason the grade of cigars
manufactured today is UNNECESSARILY superior
to the brands placed upon the market in
earlier days. Thus the average fiYe-center
OF commerce today is much more satisfy
ing smoke tnan its ten-cent brother was
few years ago. The former. except in few
cases, has genuine Havana filler while the
latter was composed of almost anything that
would burn. his is not said in any way as
reflection upon The early-Gay manufacturers
Ihey had hard enough time TO get any kind
OF STOCK mere. let alone the Superfine goods,
taking from SIX To seven eekS for material
TO reach here from New York Wisconsin,
which raises quite plentiful supply OF the
9eed nov. was not quite as much OF a tobac-
state then; but even if she had been it
ould not have availed much, as her produc.
only good fer wrappers. Connecticut and
'ennSylvania both give a better filler and
even the famous Sumatra is only valuable for
wrapping.
While from the figures given above it
might be supposed that cigar manufacturers
are rolling III wealth, the facts are that less
than one tenth of the number quoted are
made here. The balance are imported goods
The better grade of domestic or the cheaper
output OF PENNSYLVANIA. Be it known that
next to New York state the keystone manu-
tactures more cigars than any other state in
the Union.
There is a good deal of Imagination" said
dealer III talking over the mattoT, about
cigars. great many people think when
they see double stamp on box of Ha-
vanas that they are better on that account,
but as a matter of TACT a Key West or Tampa.
fla,a make is better. The fact is. he con-
tDued all smokers don't know much about
cigars. They insist upon light cigar when,
II they really knew, a dark cigar is the best
because that Is the way tobacco is properly
cured. Another thing; those spots in cigars
Lnat people used to want so. 1t got to be
quite a craze until both dealers and manu-
lecturers began spOtting the wrappers with
ACID, and then the craze stopped. There is
a frofa T1nn
not perhaps. generally known, and that is
that OWING TO the damp climate they are
mace up without casing, l. e.. packing in
water The result is that none of the flavor
Dt the tobacco is washed OUT
NJ. Is. Elsie. at 1920 Washington avenue
aorlh, mas manufactured cigars in Mnneap-
Dlls now Tor SIX years having come here
rom Jordan, Mimi. He keeps a force of
nineteen eXIerts at work whose combined
efforts turn out 1900 cigars per week, his
output Tor the last year Icing almost a mill
il cigars. lie manufactures a high grade of
goods, hls"Nest Hotel Bouquet, finding great
.aYOr among good smokers Mr. Elsie is
pushing the sale of That brand, and from the
way 1t Is coming TO the front he is satisfied
hat high grade of goods can be manu-
.actured and sold here. His ''City of Mime
tpOlS, another ten-center, is another good
ielier, as is also the case with his dual
lty, a nickel cigar: but his pride is, next to
he " est Hotel Bouquet lie Flor de Lafav-
Ute, a 10 cent cigar which is a clear Hayana
ust the same as an imported cigar Mr.
Elsie lays stress uron the fact that he en-
llOys hone but The best Workmen and paws
he highest wages 10 the city.
Gustav Piiaum. who huius forth at No. 224
plymouth avenue, Is a veteran among cigar
men. He established himself in the business
II 1874. and for upwards OF a year did all the
business himself. Now he has facilities for
turning out 1900 cigars q month. He takes
BRIDE III the fact that he manufactures q
ligh grade Of goods almost exclusively. He
'Wns the right TO the brand, the title
md portrait Of the present mayor Of Mime
polls MI. winston, and the cigar which he
els under that name has the best repuia-
ION OF any clear Havana made in the city
80 great IS its popularity in fact that in
he ten months the cigar has been on the
market the aggregate sales have reached
25o,CO0. This manufactory is still doing
business under the old tariff. rs The firm had
bought sufficient TO lay in what is undoubt-
sdly the largest stock of imported material
IN the city. Mr. Pfiaum who has attained
Ipe ola age, points with pride to his long
connection with the old volunteer fire de,
partment he having been secretary of Hose
company No. at the time twas disbanded
He Is still sufficiently hale TO give Il little at
entiOn TO tint affairs of the cigar manufact-
Dry. bat The business is capably managed
~ his three sons, who thus relieve him of its
tctual cares. Under their supervision the
business IS steadily increasing, and they look
o a big increase after Jan. l.
j W. Pauly, at 1919 Washington avenue
lorib, IS another gentleman who by making
lrstclass goods and giving hem his personal
attention IS getting Il big reputation. lie
segan business here about four Years a0o
md now employs about twenty men durino
he BUSY season. lie pays particular atten-
ION to the city trade and with his j w p
guaranteed strictly pure Havana nickel
;igar. he has worked up Zig trade He is
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