The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-22

Her by the Roanoke and Southern.
Many of tho business men of Roanoke,
since the Roanoke and Southern was a
certainty, have been discussing the
availability OF this city as tobacco
market and its resources for establish
ing tobacco manufactures on a large
scale. The Roanoke and Southern will
soon open up to Roanoke the most ex.
tensive tobacco-growing sections both of
North Carolina and Virginia.
Several of the most prominent bust
ness men here have been interviewed
on the subject, and tho majority are
confident that with tho right men to
push 1t this can be made a tobacco man.
ufacturing town.
In reply to the question as to what he
thought of the prospects for building q
tobacco trade here, Mr.. N. b. johnson,
OF the firm of Brown Il johnson, said
that he saw no reason why good to-
bacco market could not be established
here. This place." continued Mr..
johnson, FUSED to be good market for
the sale of leaf, and was also consid-
cradle manufacturing point. The bust
ness was allowed TO go down when the
real estate boom started. The business
used to be u lucrative ono even when
the territory from which the supply of
leaf was drawn was very limited one.
Now that the Roanoke and Southern
road has tapped tho best tobacco Sec
ton of the country and given us ingress
therein, am confident that it would be
greatly beneficial to tho city as we'll as
prob table to those engaging.
h. ID. Thomas, OF the firm of Huff,
Andrews 81 Thomas, and a man of con-
siderable experience in the tobacco bust
ness, both as dealer and 4 manufac-
turer, when asked his views on the sub
Ject said /; " am highly in favor of the
proposition and think that it is the next
best thing that can be done to enliven
the business of the city. have been
here a number Of years and am posted
as to Roanokes past history as to-
bacco market and manufacturing point.
In 1875 and &c the tobacco interest
was of some considerable size here.
There were several warehouses for the
sale of leaf and manufacturing plants
that turned out both plug and smoking
tobacco The majority Of the leaf then
manufactured here came from the
farms of this and adioi ning counties.
But when the narrow gauge railroad,
running from the Richmond and Dan
Vile to Rocky Mount, was built this
cut off from Roanoke the trade OF that
section of Franklin county from
which the manufacturers here
drew the heavy filters used in
the manufacture of plug. When this
became the case, the factories could not
afford to have their leaf shipped from
Lynchburg, Danville and other tabacco
centers and still compete with these
large markets, and hence there was
nothing else to do but suspend. But
the opening up of the best tobacco sec
tions of North Carolina and Virginia by
the Roanoke and Southern, entirely
alters this state of affairs and makes it
possible for Roanoke to become as great
tobacco market and ufacturing
city as Danville or Lynchburg
Mayor Evans, in speaking of the cues
ton. said that he was confident that a
prof table tobacco trade could be estab-
llshed. len years ago when ! came
to Roanoke" said he, " tobacco was the
chief staple of trade but when the
boom started the real estate business
became so. alluring that the tobacco
business was entirely abandoned 1t
was once paying business and l see no
reason why this Should not BIO made q
paying business again. am glad tina t
the question is being agitated. / re-
celved only a few days ago letter of
inquiry from tobacco man saying he
had seen recent item in The TIMES
advocating the establishment of facto-
ries here and he desired some informa-
ton concerning Roanoke's availability
for this business. l hope that this agi-
tation will result in something moro
than talk and that some live business
men will establish factory at an early
date"
CaCIiual AIuuniIa.,a En-