The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-03
The Weed Still Wears the
Crown, but Cotton
Divides Honors.
BIG COTTON MILLS;
OTHER INDUSTRIES.
Factories That Turn Out Clothing,
Hosiery, Furniture, Elevators,
Harness, Flour and Other
Things to Help Tobacco
Make Danville
Great. t
BY FRANK s. wooDsoN,
Industrial Editor.


BY FRANK s. wOODsON, tg
Industrial Editor.
DANV1LLE, VA. May 2.-Geography
and history give grown people as we'll
as children even more than book
knowledge of the different parts Of
the world, but tho best known States,
cities and towns are those that are
the most talked about In the CONNER
cial circles of the various subdivisions
Of this mundane sphere.
There Is probably. no town in ali
the Southland that Is known In M
many cities and centres OF trade az
Danville, the story OF this busy VIZ
gina city having been carried to
every part OF North America, Europe
Asia and Africa and all the isles OF the
sea by the rapidly flying birds of com.
merce. Bright tobacco goes direct
from Danville to every commercial
centre of every country In the world
where tobacco is used; cotton goods
go from the mammoth factories OF
Danyille to all foreign parts: elevators
made in Danville go all over the South
ern sections Of the United States and
to Cuba and the Philippines; wagons
and trucks made in Danville find their
| way beyond the waters; flour that has
been ground in the unsurpassed mills
Of Danville Is sold from the Potomac
| to Florida; overalls. working mems
shirts and other like apparel made un-
der union label in Danville are sold
| throughout the South and in Cuba, and
the same may be said OF Danville made
| furniture: the drGmmers from the
| wholesale stores Of Danville sing tho
praises OF their city in many States
the extended business Of the banking
| houses OF Danvllle in handling the
funds. checks. drafts. etc. of all these
worldwide traders put them in corr
respondence with bankers and business
men OF every tongue; hosiery and all
manner of knit goods manufactured In
Danville are sold in many parts of
the world, and electric railway experts
:, come to this city from all parts Of the
country to examine and try to copy
after what Is declared by numbers Of
them to be the best electric railway
system in the country.
These are some facts that have
gathered from the most reliable Of
sources during few days so1ourn
here, and want to tell all about It II
space will permit.
The Largest in the World.
It is true saying. that has been
repeated not less than 100000 times
within the past decade. that Danvills
is the largest bright loose leaf to-
bacco market In the world. This IS
one OF the old sayings, "chestnuts" Il
I. 100000 times more, 1t being q cast.
J iron fact backed up by the figures. and
} indeed 1t is being repeated In many
languages.
Danville has been a tobacco market
ever since 1t was laid OFF and incor-s
, porated as town In 1892, and until
. about a quarter OF century ago 1t
) was local market. the bulk of tho
weed marketed here being manufact-
ured into plug and twist In local fac
tories and the balance shipped never
!, further than Richmond or Petersburg.
Now all OF the weed that is not manu-
featured here Is shipped to factories
all over the United States and Canada
. and to every foreign land.
; Being located in the dead centre Of
what is known as the "Old Bright To-,
bacco Belt" comprising seven or eight
I Virginia counties and five or six IN
North Carolina, and the '.old belts
, brights being far preferable to all 9th
ers in the estimation Of the consum-
ers and Danville having superior IA.
Z ciities for handling the weed. and
!, more capital for that purpose than any
other known bright market, 1t Is but
, natural that 1t should have become the
largest market In the world.
J There is no market in the world that
has more and better warehouse facili-
). ties for displaying and selling this
Il
ter warehouses for storing the packed
l goods and none with more and larger
. factories for stemming, ordering and
: packing the leaf. There Is no market
with as good financial backing. and
!. there Is no bright market with as
many buyers, and certainly none With
as many world travellers. These Dan.
!, VILE people have "hoofed IT. all over
t Europe, they have traversed Cuba, they
, have visited Japan and China and
! South America. and even African and
l over half the leaf dealers here are as
i familiar with Canada as they are With
I Virginia.
. Tobacco Is the King.
All this travelling has been done ia
: Iintroduce Danvllle bright tobaccos ia
I the vide wide world, and the travellers
:. have succeeded and built up direct
!, trade with every commercial centre OF
! Importance In civilized territory.
? The Danville Tobacco Association
= made an exhibit a the jamestown
Z Exposition and walked away with a
$ medal. The association also made
$ splendid exhibit this year at the efo9r,9s
Il international Tobacco Exposition, held
in Royal horticultural Hall, Westn'in.
!. ster London. March Goth to 2sth. and
: information was received here yester1
) dan that Danville had captured tbs
a gold medal.
: The annual sales OF the loose leat
. direct from the farmers on this mar-
e ket varying according to crop condi.
: tions from a5,ooo.noO to 55,o0onoe
J, Ipounds, and twice the years totala
a have exceeded the last figure, This
3 sales for the tobacco year ending July
L 81, 1907, were Ss.04o,016 pounds foi
4 ss,esS.7s5.so, the average being $s.i1
I per per, hundred pounds. For the present
!. fscal year up to April slst the salea
have heen 3i,2sl,4aT pounds. whtcH
! brought ss,s2s,o15.5a, an average Of
i Sl1,46 The total sales for this 70,
r bacco Year@will run considerably soYssa
!, lo,Op0oOo pounds. and as will be obs
served the average price Is $2.S5 pei
hundred better than last year. 'Ehs
farmers who market their bright los