The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-04
Rolling and Wrapping
Smokers Goods a Great
Business in This City
BIG ENTERPRISES
IN VERY BIG TOWN
Many Such Doing Business Here
That Half the People Know
but Little About ginning
at the Bottom-Lecture on
Pride and Commercial
Loyalty.
DY FRANK s. wOODSON,
Industrial Editor.

DY FRANK 8. WOOOSON,
Industrial Editor.
1t has been said by some one that
half of Richmond does not know what
the other half is doing. and 1t might
nave been added that II the other half
did know there would probably be
more hurrahing over Richmonds
greatness as manufacturing and
trading centre than there is, and cer-
tainly less disposition on the part. OF
some Richmond people to KNOCK" the
old town and to make uncalled for
comparisons with some other cities.
This Ignorance on the part of the one
half may be due in a great measure to
the fact that a large majority of the
great enterprises here in manu-
featuring and mercantile way COM
menced as very small concerns and .
have grown to greatness in such
quiet way the average citizen mas
taken no note of that growth.
The Dny OF Small Things.
Take the Locomotive Works. for In
stance. That enterprise started long
time ago as a repair shop; the Cedar
Works as little barrel factory for
local business; each of the big stove
manufacturing establishments as
very small foundries. any of the big
woodworking factories as small car
penter shops or something similar, and
the same Is true even OF the mann
moth tobacco factories IN this city,
that they commenced in little one-
room "make-shif And so 1t Is with
the greater number OF the present big
Richmond enterprises. Those Of them
that sell their products all over the
country instead Of doing a local busi-
ness are almost unknown to home
folks. Said home folks know in
general way that they are here. 1t is
true. for they see the names on the
drays that haul the goods produced.
and they see the signs on the big
plants. but they have no idea OF tile
lmmensity of their business.
CiEnr-MakinE a Great Enterprise.
OF course, everybody knows Rich,
mopd Is 9. great tobacco market and
that@big faotortes-here turn out mit-
lions OF grounds Of chewing and smek-
Ing tobacco every year. Richmond has
always been that, for 1t is we'll au-
thenticated fact that the moccasin-s
shod redmen on the hills overlooking
the James were considerable dealers
In the seductive weed long before Col
onel Byrd named these hills Richmond,
and so any one in this city or IN Vir-
ginia or in the world. as for that mat
ter. thinks of tobacco whenever Rich
mond Is mentioned or OF Richmond
whenever tobacco Is mentioned. But
how many people in this city are
aware that their home town has bs-
come within the past few years neayty
as great as q. cigar and cheroot manu-
featuring point as 1t Is as q tobacco
emporium, and yet such is the fact.
Some day. at the close of the fiscal
half-year, perhaps. am going to the
books of the internal revenue officials
and get some cigar and oheroot and
cigarette figures that will astonish the
natives, and these added to the figures
showing the number of people en-
ployed at good wages in this mam-
moth branch of Richmond's Industrial
EFFORT Will be something immense.
What Live Young Men May Do.
What is known as the trust" manu-
features cigars and cheroots in this
city on q. very largo scale. and great
many of tho people OF Richmond who
think they know of the industry here
are Of the opinion that the trust Is
.lt," and all Of 1t when this business
Is considered. Far from 1t, There are
.'indeperdents" In the trade, and they
are making themselves felt in the
cigar and cheroot business. I went
through the plant of one of these
concerns the other day, and knowing
that 1t started q few years. ago IN a
very small way, I was surprised a.
ats growth and the present extensiya-
ness Of the establishment. refer to
the establishment of the Gordon Cigar
and Cheroot Company. Incorporated.S
| whose big factory Is on Nineteenth
| Street. and this concern and its his
| tory form an interesting illustration Of
| the way that tall oaks from little
acorns grow in this progressive city
| of Richmond.
Only fve years ago some young men
who had some experience In the cigar
| and tobacco business, and who hat
little capital to go upon, commenccd
| to make cheroots and cigars OF the
| cheroot class. and both OF superior
| merit, in a little room over drug
| store at Fifteenth and Main Streets.
At first they employed four or Ave
girls to roll the clgar-cheroots by
hand, and the young men took up the;
bulk OF their time in selling the prod-
uct from the little room which they
We're pleased to call the factory,
EARLY and Rapid Growth.
on the very start sthay put up y
frst-class cheroot. one that they knew
the smoker would want to use a seq
ond time when once he tried It, OF
course, with young hustlers at the
helm and good article to handle tha
business was bound to grow, and It did
grow so rapidly that in six months
more hands had to be employed and
by two rooms over the drug store had
to be utilized and then the entire upper
floor. IS
Larger Quarters Required.
Three years ago all of the upper
foor of the, drug store was not biz
enough to hold the business. and these
hustling young men had to lease tho
large building on Nineteenth Streass
which had long been known as tine g
'Spicer tobacco factory, and this build
Ing. was rearranged for the new par
Ilposas 1t, was to be put to.
Ia Here-the ground floor was made tnto
Soffl cesa. drying rooms and storage
rooms, UP son. the fourth story tho
stock for the cIgars and cigarettes "A
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