Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-02-16
I.W. BRUNT HOME
FROM The EAST
Secretary of American Drug & Press
Association Back From an Ex-
tensive Business Trip
Through the East
VISITED FORMER DECORAHIAN
IN WEST VIRGINIA
Says Coal Was Selling There at S1.75
a Ton at the Mines and With
But Few Buyers

Mr.. /. w. Brunt, secretary of the
American Drug & Press Association
returned home last Wednesday
evening after an extensive trip
throughout the East.
On January 10Th, Mr. B. B. Morss
and Mr.. Brunt left for various cities
to investigate the advisability of put
ting IN different lines of goods that
might be profitably handled by the
American Drug & Press Association.
After looking over the Chicago mar
kets they went to Kalamazoo, a town
with the famous slogan kalamazoo
Direct to YOU" In and around Kala-
mazoo there are about twenty differ
ent paper companies putting out
stationery in boxes, tablets, ETC., and
the products these companies are Of
fering were carefully considered in
making up the line of stationery the
American Drug & Press Association
IS about to put out.
From Kalamazoo they proceeded
to Akron, Ohio, the famous rubber
market of the world. Here they con-
ferred with a number of companies
manufacturing rubber gloves, hot
water bottles and other items handl-
ed by the drug stores. From Akron
they left for New York City and
from that point on to Springfield,
Massachusetts, another great paper
manufacturing center, where they
made further investigations for their
stationery lines. Springfield, is FAM
GUS for the immense quantity of high
Grade envelopes it puts out Frrm
opfingneId they returned to Rev
York looking up various sundry lines
such as combs, brushes, hair nets,
etc, conferring with the largest inn
porters of the country. From New
York, Mr.. Morss returned home by
way of Milwaukee where he made
further Investigations regarding a
brand of candy the Association is
about to adopt.
Mr.. Brunt had business in Wash
ington, ID. C. and while there visited
the Capitol and listened to the over
flow of oratory that was taking place
both in the House and i'm the Senate.
He reports the sentiment is rapidly
changing in favor of Mr.. Wilson, as
was evidenced at a theatre attend
ed by Mr.. Wilson recently. Flom
Washington, Mr.. Brunt stopped off
at Huntington, West Virginia, to
spend Sunday with our good friend
DIR. Swezey. Huntington is a progress
sive and rapidly growing town. 1t
has doubled its population within the
last ten years and as Mr.. Brunt
thinks destined to become one of the
largest cities on the Ohio river. 1t
is the outlet of West Virginia's coal
fields, among them the famous Poca-
hontas mines. On account of natural
gas, oil, coal, etc, it has many ad-
vantages. Natural gas is selling at
1Sc per thousand feet and little other
fuel is used in the residences. Only
the larger buildings are heated by
steam. Huntington is becoming one
of the famous tobacco markets IN the
country, and the auctioning off of
various lots of tobacco was exceed
ingly interesting, says Mr.. Brunt.
Very little of what the auctioneer
said could be understood by the Wis
itors but the buyers never missed
word and were on the job for every
lot that seemed to be going at bar
gain. Tobacco that day was bringing
from &c to 29c per pound, which was
on an average about one-siXth the
price it brought year ago. This
slump in the market is exceedingly
/. discouraging to the tobacco raisers,
but should be welcomed by the smok
ers and the boys that feel they are
Obliged to have chew occasionally.
II would seem to the unsophistlcated
that cigars, cigarettes and. chewing
tobacco are selling far in excess of
the. actual value, considering the
Hprice of raw material is bringing.
g Coal was also selling in Hunting
4on at bargain prices. Mr.. Brunt was
Informed that good West Virginia
coal was selling as low as $1.75 per
ron at the mines, and few buyers. A
number of mines have closed down
for lack of market.
Many rumors of ihe famous Moon
Shine Of West Virginia were heard,
10, Mr.. b.unt rid not come It. aci-
nal contact with this article. II was
stated that a good connection might
be made at around $500 to $o.CU
4 per quart.
Huntington has China factory,
\ which puts out the highest grade OF
Il China made in the U. S. 1t also has
0one of the finest glass factories IN
d this country. They have Comme'-
Acia, Club second to none and every
y tranger is invited to invest in real
xestate at a @ery high figure. Of oil
Vthe towns visited, Huntington was
Lie only one that seemed TO be going
Vahead and that was not experiencing
4any i'll effect from the general de-
preston. The large number OF build
ings under construction absorbed all
the surplus labor from any OF the
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