The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-12
BY WILLIAM r. sANeoRN.

BY WILLIAM r. SANeoRN.
LANCASTER, Pa, April 12.-This
historic old city Is noted for being the
center Of a section in which are
grown two famous crops-tobacco and
whiskers. The whiskers are peren-
NAL; 1t is crop which grows on Ma.
lures seed bed, and is never har-
vested.
With tobacco it is far different.
The seed beds are prepared with great
care, and just now the seed is worth
SIG per pound, as grown at the gov
eminent experiment farm at Ephrata
in.this county. Slauter a good heavy
bodied seed leaf filler, is the predomi-
mating type at this time. This has
been true for four or five years. Slau-
ter Is known as the native leaf" here,
has been carefully developed and is
true to type. 1t is not only recognized
as good filler and free burner, but
is largely used as a wrapper on stog-
les; this, however, is not stogie
manufacturing center.
We have said that Lancaster Is an
ancient town, and 1t is. 1t was the
capital of the United States for one
day. September 81, 1777. The soldiers
monument standing on the former site
of the old court house marks the
spot on which met the continental
congress.
The old farm home of President
James Buchanan Is but one mile from
the city on the Marietta turnpike. 1t
contains the original furniture and is
open to visitore. Eighteen miles to
I,n Il nxrf@
be seen the birthplace and boyhood
home Of Robert Fulton. Other nota-
bles who were born or lived in Lam
caster include: George Ross, signer
OF the Declaration Of Independence;
General John F. Reynolds, of Civil
War fame. William Barton, designer
of the United States Seal; Tom Paine;
Thomas Milling, governor of Pennsyl-
vania. and Edward Shipper, once
mayor of Philadelphia and founder
Of Princeton College. Thaddeus Stew
ems lies buried in the Cemetery for
all Colors and Creeds." endowed by
him.
The Oldest Tobacco Shop.
It Is claimed, and we believe with
good reason, that the oldest tobacco
shop in the United States is located
has been owned and operated by the
same family since 1870. This is the
ii. c. Demuth Store at ia East King
street. The founder of this business
was Christopher Demuth, the paternal
great grandfather of the present own
er. In his day snuff was the most i'm
portant article of sale, and the records
show that Mr.. Demuth manufactured
both snuff and cigars in that early
day. He began business under the
rule of King George III, and was in
business at the time OF the Boston
Tea Party" the Declaration Of In
dependence, the Revolutionary War.
and during greater part Of the Sec
ond war with Great Britain, for he
continued the business for A years.
His son, Jacob Demuth, succeeded
and operated the business for % years.
Among the great historical events &C.
curing during his administration
where the southern Indian wars, the
beginning of the anti-slavery move
ment, the laying of the corner stone
of the Bunker hill monument. the an
nexation Of Texas, and the beginning
of our trouble with Mexico.>> Emanuel
+. Demuth was the third to succeed
to the business, which he continued
until 1864, then sold to his brother
Henry c. Demuth, who conducted 1t
UP to the time Of his death. The
present owner, H. c. Demuth, man
pretty we'll along in life, dates his
ownership from 1911.
This is a unique record and would
be so in any line Of trade, but that
a little tobacco shop should have been
handed down for nearly $50 years,
from father to son, is fact worthy OF
note in connection with our story up
on tobacco at this time.
1t is known, of course, that tobacco
has been grown commercially In Amer
lea since 1915, or more than 300 years.
1t is presumed that the Indians grew
tobacco in this district long prior to
its culture In Virginia. We do know,
however, that Lancaster has been the
center Of the tobacco industry in Penn
sylvania for a long time. In 1860,
about $4,000 cases were grown here,
and by 1879 the production had reach
ed $4,000 cases. We do not find
that this record has been exceeded
from that date on, but it may posi-
bly, have been. The acreage and pro-
duction has varied very greatly from
year to year. 1t is matter of record
that John 8. Gable was the first regu-
lar packer here. He began packing in
1880 and continued the business until
1881, the date of his death. The rec
ords for 1884 show that there were
at that time more than 100 men or
firms engaged in the leaf packing in
dustry in this county, the most Of
them doing business in Lancaster. The
county had population Of more than
Sc, 900 in 1890, and Lancaster was for
years the largest seed leaf tobacco
shipping point in the United States,
outside Of New York City.
Tho Present Status.
Conditions in Lancaster county are
very much the same as with our
friends in the tobacco growing dis
tricts of Ohio. This means that the
growers are dissatisfied with the
prices that have been paid for the 1918
crop, owing to this fact the Lancaster
county Tobacco Growers association
organized a Growers Packing assoc
citation here in January. A public
meeting was held in the court house