The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-28
A BRIGHT OUTLOOK
FOR TOBACCO TRADE
Every indication That Richmond
Will Become q Better Market.
RECORD FOR THE PAST YEAR

From what can be gathered OF the sit
uation. the past year on the Richmond
tobacco market, taken all In ell, mas
been one satisfactory to all concerned.
It is practically impossible to serve sta
tistics. but estimates place the figures
for the twelve months considerably De-
yord those OF last year.
During the last two weeks efforts nave
been made to get the trade up to the
point OF furnishing the data necessary
for review of the year, but the efforts
bore but partial fruit The tobacco IN
spectors and others have been working
20. days trying to get the Information IN
hand. but UP to the present writing they
have been able to do so. Rough es-
Inmates therefore are ell that can be
given. According to these tho total
amount of tobacco hard ed Curing the
year will exceed 6,000.n00 pounds. This
will put Richmond ahead of every other
city in the worli with the sole exception
Of Darvil!e. which holds the palm. The
showing is n most excellent one. and
reject, credit unon the trade.
The loose tobacco sales since the sea son
opened In September run over 100000
pounds. Between October 1st and the few
DAYS beeore Christmas. when the last
sale OF the year was held. $4,000 rounds
more had been sold What was offered
in September would swell the total be-
rond the 4.G0n.GC0 max The loose trade
has been remarkable for several things.
Tobacco has poured into the town as 1t
never did before In the history OF the
trade. and some remarkable scenes have
been witnessed Prices have held up re-
markedly well under the circumstances.
that Is with reference to dark tobacco.
and It Is this with which Richmond IS
chiefly concerned Bright tobacco. which.
on the loose 'lno~s. IS sold here In but
small quantities. has gone down A well
known tohaccon's describes the stu
alton e-arhtrally
AT the close Of last wear" he says.
"brirht tobacco had gone up. up. up.
unti' II was soor:rg high a kite:
at the close Of this ye,r II has come
down. down down until II has struck
hard against the bottom
With the warehoueamen ire year has
been successful one. Srortoe ranorts
that during the three mon l1s e~ding
With Decer>her It has sold more tobo eco
than It dd during the entire preceding
season The leaf mon repnrt IKE cordi-
tons One man says he hae solo "0c0O
Wounds md hrs had the hes. year In the
history of his firm Manufacturers also
continued receiv'ne orders STRAIGHT
through the holiday season. The ma
foritv OF them are in good shape and
look hopefully toward the future.
Mr. CARRTNGTON's STATEMENT
The following statement from MT.
Darlington. president of he Richmond
Tobacco Trade. sums IN admirably the
conditions prevailing on the market:
In reviewing the tobacco trade for the
charges especially in ono imp rtont ~ r
Ter where we had been led to Relieve th"t
our unchangirg methods were cardi-al
virtues. II is little to be wondered a: frat
conditions We're hard to keep IN wi h
and while the whole tobacco word was
more or less affected by these c anS' s.
vet the Richmond trade seemed tt have
accepted the rsults with pNfos ply
born OF experience. and adapting thon-
selves to circumstances. fave ali dore
apparently a good years work.
Low prices ard bad seasons. resulting
IN two consecutive short crors. togeth
with n good demand. brought abo"t alb
normally high prices for flue and SUI
cured tobaccns. especially on the lowe
grades which sold at strongly advaoci 6
nrices until oil went into corsumPti n
On dark rgs al. active demand was cre-
ated by the presence of an order fer a
reggie" contract that has been gere~'l'y
entirely supplied by the west. It's.
with very large order obtained by
our export factories for tobacco brought
about BY conditions In South Africa Dur
irg the Beer war practically took up all
he dark Tugs In sight.
Ow'rg 10 Che small stocks bought bv
dealers in tie bright sections. our mo"',st
id not receive It's usual quota OF file
cured tobacco in hogsheade: howvr
there were some old accumu'a ions viii h
went to make UP a fair supply aid or
citv had an unusually large number Of
visitors. who boueht IF e Y
and a fair figures they no doubt an
oreciatins the fact that our merchants
we're carving most of the cid stock that
was on the market The warehouses bo't
loose and storage have had a very pros
porous year.
BRIGHT OUTLOOK
The conditions confronting the trade n
general for the ensuing year. taking on
optimistic view are frauellt with may
t'7inrs for which our trade should be
thankful.
In the manufacturing tvncs OF five md
sun cured there were large crops # b tn
grown. and the planters harvested an IN
usually heavy bodied ripe crop of tobac-
90. In bright tobacco the Yield has al !
"eadv been shown to be beyond the cal
ru'ations of most tobacco men. Prices |
INT; some time in November. since which |
tine there has been q sharp declire. the
cause OF which is the subject Of much |
Whatever may be the ca 50
the result offers the dealers who have |
already bought an opportunity to lew r
heir averages and to those who have |
not obtained their stocks a chance t. |
secure a good line Of tobacco at very |
rea Sorah'a rrices.
BRIGHT TOBACCO CROP
Our commission merchants have bright |
future in the fact that dealers have |
bought larger stocks than usual of the |
t,est crop of bright tobacco that has
grown for years. and with our many ia |
orahle conditions as a place to have to- |
sacco for sale. no doubt shippers will be |
liberal in their consignments. |
The facts that justify faith in the fu-
:ure Of our market can be briefly summed |
AZ In pointing out the most consnicuous
'e@tures of our trade. Here we have thu.
CT all the largest corpora
ions. with the largest stemmeries in the
"orld. which will naturally be supplied |
efa hJy with foh hr0nobt To bje.