The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-09
..SALEOFT
EGGPLANT B / 8 !. I I
Continental Seems to Have
Bought Williams Company.
INDICATIONS ARE STRONG
Mr.. Williams Returns. But Refuses to
Make Any Positive Statement.
Purchaser May Be the 8
r. SgE British American.

Il Every indication points to an ultimate
confirmation Of the rumor current In
Richmond to the effect that the r.. G.
Williams Tobacco Company, Of this city,
has passed into the hands Of the Con-
tincntal Tobacco Company or one OF the
allied concerns organicaly connected
with the Consolidated Tobacco Company
Of America. ,iiA Il AZ 33tt y fl4 r.
MIR. Williams returned to tho city yes
terday from New York, but like his as
to discuss the situation in any of its
lights He states vaguely that II there
is anything In the report the public.will
probably hear something more OF y t IN
a few days; IL not nothing more will be
heard Such remark, made under such
circumstances is taken to indicate ina.
whether or not an end has been reached,
arc certainly pending. 3 HI
h. 3TED ID aITlSlI-AAl IcRlC Can .sts8: n as
There is growing belief In certain
quarters Of the local market that the
real purchaser Of the Il. c. Williams
Company will be shown eventually to be
the British-A merncanl Tobacco Company,
an organization recently formed as q
center for the export business Of the
5icn= and tie Imperial Tobacco Company.
OF Great Britain. Mr.. ]. 3. Duke, presi-
dent Of the Consolida ted, Is likewise at
the head Of the British american.
B Tho big Richmond plant is perhaps
chiefly valuable for its great export bust
ness. For this reasonSit Is generally feit
that If 1t Is acquired by MT DUKE IT
hoe Id frJI
Of the new Britisr-American,s at least
IN plug and cut-plug tobacco. The Key
1nolds factory, III North Carolina, IS the
hea duuarters for the cigarette and srnoK-
ing export trade. It would seem to fol-s
low as a matter OF course that the great
{T,. e, Williams Company would be made
the foundation for the Plug trace sl.e3 =
great things for the Richmond market.
THAT the company has been purchased
~ something, however, either the Brit
Ish- American or the Continental, . IS a
thing now generally believed. II was
currently reported yesterday that the
firm is beginning to take an inventory
of Its stock In hand.
s,gnificance in this connection Is thht
For the first time In twenty-five or thirty
wears the company has failed to be rep
resented on the Richmond breaks. Both
on tuesday and on yesterday the - @
Williams Company had no buyer on the
market. On the other hand the Connr-
mental had two buyers there ana, re-
markablc to state, they bid against eA asn
other in this way keeping up the tone tone
: - RUMoRsS OF OTHERS.
Some OF the warehousemen are disposed
10 tnkc n rather pessimistic view of the
situation. The T. c.. Williams Co. was the
largest independent buyer In sun-cured
on the market, and its removal from
the breaks is expected by some to have
a very demoralizing effect others, nov.
ever. feel and probably feel rightly, t ~
the trust even If itjcapture everything
vii, he forced to keep prices up to a. Ger
tain point else tho farmers would stop
raising tobacco and nobody could stand
that least Of all the Consolidated Iopaccot
Company Z. !, :. =
The blue feeling expressed by these
warchousemen Is but nccentuated BY ad-
ditionnl rumors to tho effect that there
is strong likelihood Of one or two other
purchases hero by tho big trust, It 4 IS (
q matter of common report on Shockoeg
Slip that two certain large independent
firms Will within tho next two months
follow the direction tho !. G. Williams
Company. !.
WHAT Mr. WILCOX SAYS.
The New York correspondent of The
Times Dispatch secured from Mr.. ]. 4,
Wilcox, assistant secretary. Of the Amer ,
lean Tobacco Company, q positive denial
that his concern contemplated the PUT
chase of the Williams plant. Whatever
tho conviction organically. the American
Tobacco Company and the Continental
are operated ms different concerns, The
denial by Mr.. Wilcox Is taken to mean
lust what It states-that the American
Tobacco Company does not contemplate
n purchase of the sort. lie cnn say nos Z
thing OF the Continental or the British
The denial by the assistant
secretary Is as follows: lei Is al
AZ am completely at loss to account 4
Tor the rumor that the American Tobacco
Company contemplated the purchase of
he property OF the II. G. Williams Coma
many. There are no negotiations pending,
and this Is positively the first I have
heard Of the matter, II Mr.. T, 9, Will
lams, Jr., has been In the city, he has
certainly not called at the offices of our
company. You may deny absolutely and
upon my authority that any negotiations
Tor the purchase Of the, Virginia COM,
'any are pending. or that such purchase
las even been considered by lis. We have
not suggested such n purchase to tho T,
Z. Williams Company, nor have they
conveyed to lis any desire to sell, There
g positively nothing in the renort.
4aI fa ~ ~