The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-30
THIS STATE
MAY LEAD
Want Her First in Tobacco
Exhibit at St. Louis.
PLAN THAT is PROPOSED
Wish to Exhibit the Weed in All Stages,
from the Plant in the Soil to the
Finished ProductA Heavy
Outlay.

To have Virginia, the pioneer in the In
dustry assume the lead In the great ex-
hibit OF American tobacco at the st. Louis
Exposition next year Is the dream OF the
tobacconists of Richmond and OF the
State at large
At this moment there is quietly being
pushed plan of no inconalderable pro-
portion. which will result. II 1t is carried
through, as there seems to be no reason
to doubt, In placing the Old Dominion at
the head OF that section OF the agricultu-
raj display devoted to the weed This
plan. In brief, comprises complete and
thorough exposition of the handling Of
tobacco, from the plant actually In the
soil to the manufactured product issuing
from the machine 1t will represent an
outlay Of from $4,000 to $4,000, portion
of which expense will be borne by the
State and by the exposition.
DESIGN JUST PROPOSED.
1t will be recalled that at a meeting
held in this city few weeks ago rep
resentatives from nearly twenty OF the
markets in the State discussed the adj.
visibility OF having an exhibit. and finally
appointed a permanent committee. Win
Mr.. w. w. Morton, OF this city, as Its
chairman They nominated man to
take charge of the tobacco interests Mt
ST Louis. and the name OF this gentleman
is now before the Virginia commissioners.
Meanwhile. however, the committee has
been pushing It's tWOlk, anu lIleIe
Just been submitted certain definite de-
signs for the proposed exhibit. Since the
meeting at which the nomination was
made. and az result of the presentation
Of the designs. the proposition has grown
vastly In proportion. 1t Is now OF very
striking interest to all tobacco men and
to the business portion of the community
at large III.
Speaking OF the matter yesterday. Mr.
Morton stated that It had been suggested
and the suggestion will be carried out
that Virginia. the pioneer State in the
tobacco industry. take the lead at ST.
Louis. The fame of the Old Dominion
rs a tobacco-raislng State extends
throughout the world, and when foreign
ere seek American tobacco they turn to
Virginia for her bright and dark leaf
The raising of, tobacco began here In the
oIden time, when the land was young, and
from that day to this the fra grant weed
has been the chief staple product of the
State What is now North and South
Carolina bright tobacco was once known
as Virginia tobacco. and while the West
will exploit the manufacture of the weed
Virginia will step In to claim the credit
for the natural leaf.
FROM FIELD TO FACTORY
In pursuance OF this Idea there has been
submitted definite and beautiful de-
sign of the character as suggested above.
There will be lighthouses In st. Louis. and
in them, spreading their wide leaves for
the benefit of the visitors. will be grow
Ing tobacco plants. Starting at this point
the exhibit Will carry the spectator
through the various evolutions4 of the
weed, leading up to the moment when
It comes forth ready for the market.
There will be the huge, round hogsheads
of tobacco. the stuff as 1t appears In the
warehouses and in the barns In the stem
merry, in the rehandling plant and finally
in the mandatory. There will proba bly,
be some negro specimen workers there.
Such an exhibit would be incomplete with
out few old Virginia darkies. who have
from time immemorial worked in the to-
bacco factory.
I. An exhibit OF this character would ap-
peal to all classes of tobacco men-farm-
ers. leaf dealers, warehonsemen and man
ufacturers alike, The cost would be be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000. including trans
lportation charge. which will be borne by
the State, and the cost of erecting de-
vices at st. Louis, which will be betrayed
by the Exposition Company. The chief
loss to tobacco men would be In the stuff
they would send out to make up the ex-
hbilt. OF course, after 1t stood the wear
and tear of the exposition the tobacco
could be used no more.
IS VERY HOPEFUL.
Mr.. Morton is very hopeful of the pros
poets for the exhibit. He is confident that
1T will be made. and he feels with many
others that the advertisement will prove
OF vast benefit to Virginia Once aroused
to a realization Of the Importance of the
matter, It is believed that the tobacco
men will respond literally to the call