The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-26
CIGAR MAKING PAYS WELL.
SAVANNAH A FINE FIELD FOR TO-
BACCO MANUFACTURING.

Made Here as Anywhere.
The manufacture OF cigars enjoys the
distinction Of employing more hands 70
the amount Of capital invested in the bust
ness than any other successful industry
in Savannah.
The aggregated capital invested in the
seven registered factories is less than Sl0.-
90. twenty-five hands are employed. ff-
teen Of which are skilled workmen. The
wages paid are between $1,000 and $1,000
apnually.
on account Of the small capital invested
IN the business the average earning pow
er is many times more than bank rates
Of interest
Mr.. Joseph Sognier says: Il have man
ufactured cigars here for the last twenty
years. I find Savannah well adapted for
cigar manufacturing as far as the eli
mate, labor and obtaining Of the material
is concerned. The profits are also fair,
and ] have and do receive my share OF
patronage, yet it is entirely IN
the power of Savannah to IN
crease cigar manufacturing ten.
even twenty-fold, IL the public would
only more freely patrouize this home in
y
homemade cigars. We certainly can and
do make as good a cigar for the money
here as anywhere in the United states.
I employ three to four hands, two Of which
are skilled workmen. My pay roll Is even
now s., 500 year. and much larger when
business Is brisk.
Mr.. Goldman Of Collman & Co. said: 'Sa-
vannah has an immense cigar trade and
only a small proportion Of II Is supplied
by Savannahs factories, which really
make better cigar for the money than Is
made anywhere else in the country. The
main trouble is and has been with the
Savannah public. which does not patronize
this home industry as much as it ought
10. 1t seems a mighty small thing for
any smoker to do, to call for and insist on
getting a Savannah made cigar, as hegould
insist on getting Savannah brewed beer,
yet this would be and Is the very life Of the
Industry. II a dealer has a call for home
made cigars he is bound to
keep them on hand We em-
ploy steadily eight hands, five OF
which are skilled cigar makers. Our pay
role exceeds $500 a year.
Mr.. Eugene Labiche is the oldest cigar
manufacturer in Savannah. The cigar
manufacturers, he said, certainly buy
as a rule in Savannah the best leaf tobac-.
co they can get. The cigar makers are
as skillful here as they are anywhere and
we give for the same money as good
cigar as can be had. Probably the only
reason why the business is not many
times larger than it is now, is lack of
patronage by the Savannah people them
selves / employ three HANGS, two OF
which are skilled workmen. When bust
ness Is good 1 have employed as high as
nine"
Mr.. Charles Coleman says that Savan
nah has all the requirements necessary to
make cigar manufacturing prosperous
and remunerative industry. The trouble
has been, he says, that the Savannah pub
lie is Indifferent about the choice Of the
cigars smoked. II smokers only knew all.
the horrors that a jolt lot OF tenement
house made cigars may contain, they
would be careful in insisting on getting
a clearly home made cigar.
Mr.. Gompers of the federation of labor
Iectured here few weeks ago and pic
tured most vividly what tenement house
manufacturing means, or what
IS commonly called sweating"
Fancy only eight people who all cook,
eat, drink sleep and work in one room.
Probably two or three tables are used
for cigar making during daytime and
for other purposes at night. Probably this
room has one or two windows. with
view on a yard and no ventilation to
speak of, the germs of almost any disease
are liable to be conveyed in a Job-lot or
such cigars made in such an atmosphere,
and I'm such surroundings, and as the end
of a cigar is bound to be held between
human lips, IT is dangerous and unwhole-
some to smoke such cigar under any
circumstances. Mr. Coleman employs
three and four hands, two Of which are
skilled workmen. His pay roll averages
over $3.50 a year
Messrs. Martini and Vincent Keller also
manufacture cigars, and there are also
one or two colored manufacturers, all of
whom express about the same views.
number of dealers who were seen all
had Savannah made cigars and said they
are as good as any made. Some dealers
claim the smallness of the capital invested
in the factories is the main drawback
and the reason why the business is not
more extensive. They claim that large
capital means a greater choice and varf-
ETY. of goods, which small capital cannot.
of course, offer. II takes capital to adver-
tise and 10 introduce brand or
makes. The best cigar. if only sold on
its merits. is incapable of becoming A
heavy seller without name and advertis-
ing.
Several dealers suggested that the es-
adjustment Of a $4,000 or a $l00,O00 cigar
factory would prove a very successful and
paying enterprise, especially if a number
of the seven or eight hundred dealers that
Savannah has would become stockholders
and thereby create a self-interest in the
successful disposition of the output What
has been done in beer brewing can be
done in cigar making.
Get the dealers interested by becom-
ing stockholders and it becomes at once
an assured success" remarked another
dealer. Get up a $4,000 or 100000 stock
company, make the stock payable In per
cent or 10 per cent monthly instalIments.
and Savannah would soon have a fac
tory that would give employment to 100
hands and that would keep hundreds of
thousands of dollars that are now sent
on to pay for cigars at home, and all the,
way from $4,000 to 100000 would be paid
out in wages and spent at home"
A prominent cigar manufactures. and a
successful man of small means said he
would head such a stock company with
$4,000, as he thought it would pay He did
not look upon cigar manufacturing by
any means as a bonanza, but he consid-
cred the business, if well managed. ought
to be able to yield 10 to 20 per cent. on the
Investment. In giving steady employ
rpent to a large force of hands, it is GER
tainly unsurpassed.
COTTON HURT BY THE COLD.