New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-22
Kingston a Big Centre
for Cigar Makers

man Smith I'm the cigar business at kinEs-
ton naturally attracted considerable at
tention and brought to that town other
companics and concerns interested in the
same business This is brief outline OF
how and when The present cigar manu-
featuring centre of Kingston was formed
The great American Tobacco plant which
occupies a large frontage on Broadway
in that city was at one time owned by
Mr.. Smith. The company bought his IN
terest in the plant some years ago. MI
Smith was q man who took personal m
terest in the welfare of his employees
lie was very careful to see that the con-
ditons under which they worked were
such as to make il possible for them TO
do their daily tasks in cheerful man
ner. lie spent considerable time and also
large sums in having the grounds about
the factory kept attractive. The factory
walls were usually covered with vines
On frequent occasions holiday outings
were given by Ex-Congressman Smith to
his employees so that they might have at
least some hours of wholesome enjoy
ment where the fields are green and tho
shade trees are tall and broad. Ex-Con-
gresham Smith died few months ago.
and his will provided that part OF his
fortune be used in caring for women TOO
enfeebled to work and who had no means
OF support. He bequeathed many thou
sand dollars 10 the founding OF home
for such women. and the building IL 10 he
erected in Kingston. II is 10 be not only
a memorial to him. but also splendid
shelter for those he sought TO aid In life.
Most of the employees in the Kingston
cigar factory are women.
Shirt making is also one OF the leading
industries Of Kingston. The grade OK
shirts manufactured is so popular that
there is hardly a store in New York city
or in other important cities of this coun-
try which do not bear the stamp or the
Kingston mills. As a place for making
shirts Kingston is almost as widely
known in wholesale trade centres as Is
Troy for the manufacture Of collars and
cuffs. one OF the big shirt making con-
Germs Of Kingston Is the New Columbia
Shirt COMPANY Another leading shlrt
manufacturing concern is the Milien
Aikenhead & Co another is the James II.
Fuller concern. and still another the
Charchian Shirt Company. There are al
present employed by James II. Fuller $40
ghir, makers and by the New Columbia
Shirt Company 20 hands. The majority
of employees Of those companies are
women too.
one might naturally infer from the fact
that the town is a lively cigar centre and
NJ thousands OF men y
shirts are made daily that the surround
Ing country was dotted with many large
and PROSPEROUS tobacco farms. and that
here and there were numerous mills
where print cloth such as used In making
shirts was manufactured But, strange
as il may Seem. there is no large tobacco
raising district near by nor are there one
or more print cloth mills The nearest
tobacco fields OF large size are in CON
necticui. near Hartford. and between
Kingston and Hartford are many, many
miles. The tobacco leaf used in the mills
Al Kingston H. first shipped 10 the whole
sale markets in New York and there as
sorted into various grades. and then
bought and shipped TO Kingston By the
purchasing agents 81 the cigar factory.
The goods used in making the shirts
manufactured In Kingston is also pur-
chased l,y the roll In the city Of New
York.
Kingston is bound to continue to he
large maker of mems shirts There u
every likelihood that ii VIII not only con
tinuo To occupy the prominent. place that
IL does IN this Industry. but sfso grow