The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-16
ST. PAUL IMPORTS MORE HA-
VANA THAN ANY WESTERN
CITY SAVE CHICAGO.
LARGEST INVOICE EVER
RECEIVED IS ON THE WAY
Amount to Be Received by Two Firms
Alone Will Aggregate at Least 1900
Bales, Which VIII Produce More
Than 12,5oo,ooo cisars-Rapid
Growth of the Industry.

bacco ever received at st. Paul will
reach the city within few days. Col
lector John Peterson, Of the custom
house, was advised from New York
yesterday Of the shipment Of $50 bales
Of Havana leaf that had just arrived
from Cuba by the steamer MORO Cas-
tie. The Tobacco is consigned to
Kuhles & Stock, and was purchased In
Cuba by Henry F. Stock, of that firm,
during a recent visit to the island.
The average bale of Havana tobacco,
weighing about 125 pounds. the in
voice amounts to more than 100000
pounds, and the importers give its
value as nearly 100000. The duty to
be paid will make handsome item in
Mr.. Petersons accounts. Havana leaf
for wrappers is dutiable at $1.85 per
pound, while filters pay IS cents
pound. While the total duty cannot be
determined till the tobacco has been
appraised at the custom house, 1t will
amount to many thousands of dollars.
Mr.. Stock said last evening that the
present invoice constituted the greater
part, but not the whole of his pur-
chases in Havana. The total will reach
about 1000 bales, all of which will be
received in st. Paul before the end
of the year.
John Hart, Of Hart & Murphy, an
other large cigar manufacturing house,
has also returned from Cuba during
the last week. after completing pur-
chases of a larger quantity of Havana
leaf than his house has ever before
bought at one time. Mr.. Hart said yes
terday that his investment would
amount to at least 500 bales.
Quality of Tobacco Higher.
"The quality of tobacco offered this
year at Havana" continued Mr.. Hart,
Srr1, hn 1N1n
recovering from the injuries received
during the war, and are producing
more and better leaf than ever. Prices
are firm, but ready money buys a lit
tie better grade, think, than in for
mer years.
Eyes, st. Paul is becoming one of
the largest cigar manufacturing CEN;
tiers in the country" continued the
manufacturer "You can readily esti-
made here every year when I tell you
that a bale Of Havana leaf will pro-
duce, on the average, 1000 cigars. 1t
makes difference, Of course, whether
the cigar is all Havana, or is only
Havana filler with a Sumatra wrap
per. But my recent purchase in Cuba
will turn out nearly 100000 cigars.
We make a much larger number of
cigars in the course of year, but,
like every other house, we use do
nestle tobacco for the cheaper
grades"
Growth of Local Cigar Industry.
The two firms mentioned above are
the largest importers of Havana to-
bacco in ST. Paul, but there are
number of other houses that import
vast quantity of leaf in the course Of
q tWelVemonth. The fact that this
years invoices are the largest in the
history of the local custom house,
points to the rapid growth Of the cigar
industry in this city. All the manu-
facturers report their business as I'M
usually heavy, some Of the factories
having orders ahead that will keep
them rushed with work throughout
the winter
'Tt is an interesting fact" remarked
Henry F. Stock, that st. Paul now
imports more Havana leaf than any
other city in the West except Chicago.
make this statement on the authority
Of the customs officials at New York.
Our city has outstripped st. Louis as
a cigar manufacturing headquarters,
and, in leaving st. Louis behind, has
also left host Of other cities famous
for the quantity and quality of their
cigars. st. Paul makes just as good
Havana cigars as can be produced
anywhere in the Northern states. A
very large part of the Northwest OBJ
tains it's supply Of cigars here.
Havana Cleaned Up.
"My recent visit to Cuba was the
most enjoyable of many I have made
to the island. Everywhere 1 saw the
results of the American occupation.
Havana has been changed from one
of the filthiest to one of the cleanest
cities in the world. There was not
single case of yellow fever there while
| was in the city. In all parts of the
island that I visited I was impressed
with the fact that the government of
the young Cuban republic is making
brave effort to keep up to the stand
ard of improvement set by the Ameri-
can soldiers, engineers and department
heads during the temporary stay Of
our country's representatives.
In answer to an inquiry, Mr.. Stock
said that the American tobacco buyer
in Cuba does not confine his work to
Havana, but makes many of his pur-
chases directly from the planters.
Havana is, Of course, the great
CENTER" said he, "but manufacturers
from the United States generally visit
many of the larger plantations in diff
ferent parts of the island. On the to-
bacco farms they can often obtain bet
ter bargains than at the capital.
"In Havana the buyer finds immense
warehouses, where he can select from
| a great variety of grades. He buys
from the bale, never from the sample.
Every bale is opened for the careful
buyer, and he makes a personal in
spection of the goods he is purchasing
This work is therefore the most i'm
| portant part of the manufacturers
business, for on it depends the quality
of his product