The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-19
A BIG WINSTON ENTERPRISE.
The Tobacco Factories Of p.
n. Hanes &c Co.
Five Acres OF Floor Space Devoted to the
Manufacture of the Soothing Weed.
Over 500 Hands Find Lucrative En-
ployment Several Popular Brands
Which Arc Well known all Over the
Country-An Interesting Story.

tobacco industry that has placed this
city at the head of all others Of the
State Of North Carolina in point Of en-
terprise, the yearly output Of that pop
ular community being eleven millions
of pounds. The fame of the tobacco
grown in the Piedmont Belt is we'll
known to all who use the weed by It's
flavor not equalled outside the stretch
of country 100 miles wide and twice
that distance in length in this section
of the State extending from Franklin
county. Va, to Catawba county, n. C.
Desiring to visit the great factories
that use only this tobacco, we were d.
rected to the leading firm engaged in
the business, who are the largest in the
State, that of Messrs. p H. Hanes s.
Co., which occupies four large buildings
of brick, the united floor space of which
amounts to five acres. Tho Messrs.
Hanes always welcome visitors to their
immense establishment, on the theory
that personal inspection of the method
of manufacture of the twist and plug
tobacco that they produce will add an
increased popularity for their' goods,
and, indeed, observation of the cleanli-
ness that pervades everywhere, the care
in selection and assortment of the various
grades of tobacco. can have no other
effect.
Most interesting is the process to
which the leaf is submitted from the
time it is brought in by the planters OF
baskets, on which it is placed, are run
up to the sixth story of the working
building" Of the establishment, which
structure Is 23Ox112 feet in dimensions
OF ground floor, there opened and the
leaves assorted, the perfect ones being
reserved for use as wrappers; the bal
ance graded for use in making the sew
cral brands that arc turned out. Tho
filters are then swectened by q patented
machine. with mixture OF the finest
granulatcd sugar, boiled to candy,
and Spanish licorice, the highest grade
known, in liquid form.
1t is then we'll favored and taken to
the men who form it into twist and
Jumps of different weights, this oper-
alton being the most interesting OF any
to be seen in the establishment. 1t is
performed exclusively by colored mon,
women, boys and girls, it being done by
jobbing system by which one man
hires two or three assistants with whom
he settles on pay day, SO that of the 375
people so engaged, but l25 receive their
pay directly from the firm. BY them
the plug and twist is made OF proper
thickness and length, wrapped and
weighed of different numbers of pieces to
pound according as it is intended Any
one who has preconceived opinion as
to the effect that the negro is sluggish
worker should see the rapid motions
they maintain throughout the day from
6:30 in the morning until tho same hour
OF the evening with an intermission Of
one and one. half hours for dinner.
Their ages range from the full grown
m n or old
picaninny, who has to stand on box
in order to keep hands on level
with the benches on which they work.
Referring to the extreme lender age
of these Mr.. IIanes said:
81 am not in favor of working them
at so early an age and would be glad to
see law passed limiting the ago at
which they may be employed, say 12
years. Yet, considering the habits Of
the people, it does perhaps no harm -
Before the plugs and twist are ready
for market it has to be taken to the dry
ing room, then pressed and labelled
with tin tags, when it is ready for pack
ing and shipment.
In these extensive works $50 en-
ployees are engaged. Their general
pay runs from 40 cents to SIPS, except
those working by the piece and paying
their own assistants who get more,
sometimes moro than s3 daily. Seldom
moment elapses during the day when
there is not sound of singing in some
part of the great building, popular plai
tation airs being joined in by the whole
working force until the swelling chorus
can BE heard at great distance from
the factory.
Men, women and children among the
whites remain silent; it is only the
negro who sings, apparently most happy
at his work. Mr.. IancS thinks tho
establishment of factories employing
the colorcd people is an important
factor in the solution Of the race pro-
blem on the principal that 1.-The devil
always finds some work for idle hands
to do"
The children employed in the factory
are not without opportunities for acq uir-
ing an education, as the works Shut
down during three months in tho winter
time, when they can attend tho best
system of graded school, in the South
In the manufacture Of 1000, 900
pounds of tobacco and upwards 2OO,-
coo pounds of l:corce and 100000
of graduated sugar are used. The to-
bacco stems are shipped to Germany.
where they are made into cheap grades
of smoking tobacco and snuff.
The Messrs. Hanes began business as
manufacturers of plug tobacco about
ghtetn years ago, with sevcnty-five
hands working six months in The year,
with an annual output OF 100, 600 pounds
They have just gotten out large show
card showing their growth their bust
ness having, through the merit Of their
goods, gradually grown TO it's present
dimensions. In 1887 their factory was
burned out, but was replaced with