The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-07-24
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Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter,
Edgertoo, Wisconsin,.
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.

NUl DUN
The month of July has brought two of
the heaviest rain falls ever recorded in
the southern sections of the state. The
storm of Friday last, covering the great
er share of the tobacco belt, brought
nearly four inches of water, and such
tremendous downpour caused the flood
ing of great many tobacco fields and
on low grounds and settles has un-
doubtedly drowned out the plants. La
other fields that were under water for
few hours the plants have been covered
with mud resulting probably in the loss
of manysof the lower leaves. The dam
age done to the tobacco fields by these
unusual rains must in the aggregate
amount to curtailing the acreage mater
tally. Level or low lands are the plots
generally selected by growers for their
tobacco fields, and hence the crop is
more susceptible to damage from heavy
rains than others, though all farm
crops were more or less injured. The
oldest growers cannot recall season of
such excessive rain falls or a storm that
brought the amount of water that fell on
Friday last. The soil now contains
moisture enough to carry the early set
fields through to maturity.
Xxx
The big trust goes right along gobbl-
ing up subsidiary concerns wherever
something desirable is found, just the
same as though nothing had happened
on Wall street recently. Its latest alb
sorption is made by the American Stogie
Co., an organization with S1,976,OOO COM
mon and S976,0O0 of preferred stock, in
purchasing the controlling interest in
the United States Cigar Co., corpora
ton formed two years ago for the pur
pose of controlling the independent sto-
gle business. The former company has
just effected permanent organization.
The list of officers contains the names of
a number of men closely connected with
the Consolidated Tobacco Go. and its
allied interests, which have transferred
to the American Stogie Co. their stogie
and toby manufacturing business. 1t is
estimated that the output of the ,stogie
combination will be 7OO,00O,O0O annually
Whenever anything develops in the to-
bacco manufacturing field with an out
put sufficient to become interesting COM
petition, the big trust stands ready to-
absorb it, and the price doesn't make
much difference either.
*x*
There is trouble ahead for at least one
of the tobacco trusts. At Trenton, N. j.,
last week an order was issued to show
cause why receiver should not be ap-
pointed for the Universal Tobacco Co.,
made returnable Aug. Sd. The assets of
the company are given as 81, ,135, ,01O, and
the liabilities S862,745. 1t is charged
that the company is mismanaged by w.
H. Butler, it's president, in the interest
of himself and his brother, George P.
Butler. 1t is also charged that Butler
is using his opportunities for the benefit
of the Commonwealth Tobacco Co. in
which he is interested. That having
unnecessarily created a large floating
debt from the company to himself and
brother, he has sought to have issued
negotiable bonds by the company with
which to pay this Indebtedness, receiv-
ing bonds of the par value of 500 for
each S75 of indebtedness. The stock of
this company, which has long had
trouble in floating its securities, is quot
ed anywhere from 3 to cents a share.
~
The shade grown tobacco raised last
season in an experimental way by S. B.
Heddles and F. S. Baines has all been
sold at prices that have returned a profit
after the expenses of erecting the tents,
growing and handling the crop have
been paid. Both these gentlemen are so
we'll satisfied with their experience that
the same area will be raised under cover
again this season, which at the present
time promises fine crop. Mr.. Heddles
lost good portion of his canvas in the
recent storm, which has been replaced.
***
A decision has been handed out in the
case of the Ell. S. Chapman Co., exten-
sive TOBACCO growers of Suffield, Ct,
against the Syracuse Cigar and Tobacco
Co. In August, 1901, the Chapman Co.
sold its growing crop of tobacco to the
Syracuse Co., which agreed to pay 23c-
per pound in the bundle and bound
contract to that effect by the payment
of $4,000. When the crop was ready for
delivery, the Syracuse Co. refused to ac-
cept it and in January, 1902, the Chap
man Co. sold the crop by auction for
1515c per pound. The Syracuse Co. in
stituted suit to recover the $4,000 and
was in turn sued by the Chapman Co.
to recover the difference between 151s
and 23c per pound, the contract price.
According to the decision just handed
fbo ~ hoe Loor