The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-07-14
BUSTING CITY
OWES LIFE TO
TOBACCO KING
Reynolds Advanced Ideas
Built WinSton-SaIem
From Small Town.
ONCE PEDDLED PLUG
Father of Tragedy Victim
AmaSSed Fortune of
Hundred Millions.
ONCE PEDDLED PLUG
By United Press


WINSTON SALEM, N. c., July
14.-Richard J. Reynolds, father OF
z. Smith Reynolds, whose death
has focused attention on the Reyn-
olds family, built from a plug OF
North Carolina tobacco one Of the
country's great fortunes.
The family originated in the
Piedmont section of Virginia. Rich
ard j. Reynolds father-Smith's
grandfather-used TO "peddle plug
tobacco" there, old residents of
Winston Salem relate.
There still are people in this
region who remember When young
Richard Reynolds came down out
of Virginia, selling plug tobacco,
and finally established himself in
the little village Of Salem. 1T was
largely a religious colony in its
early days and had not attained
it's distinguished hyphenated name
of today.
Reynolds established little plant
for the preparation of plug tobacco.
Negroes did much of the work. 1t
took only a few of them at first.
But the business grew. Reynolds
began cutting up the plug for pipe
smoking. Year after .~ear he eX-
banded
Introduces Timed Tobacco
Then, in the early part Of the
present century, he had an idea.
The country was given a timed
tobacco. It's introduction is reputed
to have marked the institution OF
modern advertising sales methods
into the tobacco business.
The impetus given pipe smoking
by the advertising of this tobacco
had great returns for Reynolds
Soon his factory was expanding over
much of Winston-S Salem and the
banks were beginning to bulge with
Reynolds money.
Then, about 1912, he is credited
with having conceived the need for
a cigaret of low price. A special Gig
aret resulted. To this he applied
the same extensive advertising
methods which had brought sue
cess to the tobacco.
He applied one more idea. The
Reynolds factories were to concen-
trate on the one cigaret on guam
tity production basis.
People here contend that mere
was the beginning of the present
era of cigaret smoking and that the
American Tobacco Company took
REYNOLDS idea and amplified it.
Cigarets by Millions
REYNOLDS cigarets today are
turned out by the millions. 1t is
said here that, despite the depres-
sion, the income of the Reynolds
Tobacco Company has increased at
a rate Of approximately $2,OOO,OOO
a year since 1929.
All the Reynolds tobacco indus
tries are concentrated in Winston
Salem. Almost in the business sec
ton. one finds block after block
of warehouses and factories with
the Reynolds label and all busy.
The aroma of good tobacco hangs
over the city. 1t can be detected
for miles when the wind is in the
right direction.
1t is estimated that today $4,000
people are dependent upon the pay
rolls of the Reynolds industry in
Winston-Salem, out of population
of some $4,000.
Reynolds is credited with be-
nevolent attitude toward his en-
ployes. Large numbers of pension
ers draw their regular pay checks
from the company. Negroes and
whites are treated alike in that re-
gard.
Intricate modern machinery has
been developed.
Largest in Country
Today the village which was but a
tiny place when Reynolds came here
with his plug tobacco is said to be
the largest tobacco center in the
country.
While he was pioneering in to-
bacco, Reynolds also was establish
ing a dynasty on the outskirts OF
winston Salem. Clustered around
Reynolda, the Reynolds home, are
the homes of others of the relation
ship. The officials of the tobacco
company reside here. They are a
democratic lot.
Every one knows them. Will
Reynolds, a brother of Richard, and
well-known sportsman, is Mr.. Will
to the townspeople. James Dunn
a brother of Mrs. Reynolds, is Uncle
jim"
Reynolds died about 1918, leaving
an estate Of more than 00000,000
His will gave each Of his children
an income of $4,000 a year, pro-
vided that for each dollar his sons
earned, two dollars should be added
and placed the rest of the fortune
after numerous small requests, in
trust to be divided equally among
the children as they attained the
age Of %.
There were four children-MrS
Charles Babcock and Mrs. Henry
Walker Bagley of New York and
Philadelphia Richard j. Reynolds
Jr., and Smith. the youngest.
ATTACK TRAM 'lINI0N'