Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-27
A sNuFF FACTORY.
Practical Manufacturers Here Proposing
a $3.50 Plant.

VINE, MT. miller ana MS DfOIner
came from Henry Clay, Delaware,
to Nashville with very little capital
and undertook to build up business
there, relying ON their own personal
labor and limited means, but found
they could not, for want of capital,
provide sufficient stock to make it
profitable and have given up the un-
dertaking. Mr.. Miller came here on
the invitation of VIM. ID. Meriweth-
er to see if company could be or
ganized, and SO far has met with
much encouragement. The gentle
man is stranger, but he proposes to
give satisfactory references in every
particular.
Mr.. Miller states plainly that he
has no money to put in it, but if the
citizens will raise $4,000 stock, that
himself and brother will work for q
stipulated salary, and let their sala-
ries all over and above bare support
be held back to pay one fifth or more
of the stock for their shares. They
propose to take charge of the practi.
cal work and details and let the
company furnish the general mana
ger.
They claim to understand the bust
ness fully and the secret of making
the best quality of snuff and all
about it, The gentleman talks intel
ligently about the business and is
very frank in his representations.
That there is an immense profit in
snuff making is a question that need
hardly be argued, for Mr.. Clark has
already posted our readers on the
facts, which were not exaggerated.
There is clearly a profit of twenty
eight cents per pound between the
manufacturing cost, that is, cost OF
tobacco, labor, boxing, tax, etc, and
and the wholesale selling price, and
the secret Of success lies in the quail
ty of the manufactured article and
the selling. 1t will certainly not cost
over ten to thirteen cents pound to
sell it, leaving a net profit of fifteen
cents per pound The plant will cost
$50, 500 aud the balance of the money
will be needed in buildings, four
months stock for the employment OF
twenty hands to operate the bust
ness. Mr.. Miller thinks such plant
can be safely relied on to pay ten per
cent. the first year while establishing
trade.
1t is argued by some that the snuff
trade is on the decline and that il
would be impossible for new con
Germ to supplant the old established
brands on the market, but such is
not the fact. The Western Tobacco
Journal contains tabulated state
ment eff the government report show
ing the revenue collections from to.
bacco, snuff, cigarettes, etc, for Janu-
airy, 1891, with the comparison Of
December, 1890, and January one
year ago, for all of the snuff factories
in the U. S., twenty-five in number,
and every one shows an increase over
December, 1890, and very large in
crease over January, 1890, one year
ago. Some have doubled their ca.
pacity and the increase OF sales and
consumption are greater than the
increase in manufacturing. For in
stance there is one factory in Tennes
see. This factory has been in opera
tion some three or four years, and |
last year, besides charging its build
ings, increasing machinery and |
working force to forty hands, cleared |
$50, 900 The figures in the tax list
given in by the company, on which
they paid the revenue, shows that |
during the month of January, 1890,
they made 28,S50 pounds. During
the past month, January 1891, they
manufactured 6l,700 pounds, which
is an increase of 81, $40 pounds, more
than doub 1t appears from this
report that this new concern has had
no difficulty in establishing trade
in opposition to the old factories OF
the East. Now if this Tennessee
factory cleared fifteen cents pound
on last months work, their profits
were 6,l70, and twelve times this
would be $74 600 for the year. So il
will be seen that Mr.. Clark was not
far wrong in his calculations. More
over the capital originally invested
in this factory was 500, 900.
1t may also be said that GAINESVILLE
has two advantages over all of the
Eastern factories as a location. 1t
has the tobacco and can have choice
Of quality and buy as it is needed
and not necessarily have to lay in
arge stocks. GAINESVILLE also saves
he freight, which amounts to SO or
sl2 per hogshead, and then it is much
ne rer the Southern market.
1t appears, from the lights on the !
u icct, taat there should be no hest. ,
alton, d lay or failure in raising the !
necessary capital in short time.
Rnnnl pnkin dnrl, nr.rs and nnrn