Nail City Stogie (H. Seamon & Son)

- from Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, January 30, 1892, p. 8

NAIL CITY STOGIE

A BOOMING FACTORY

A Sample of the Way Some Industries have Grown in Wheeling Lately.

As has been frequently remarked in the INTELLIGENCER there is not the slightest reason why citizens should feel blue or even anxious as to the industrial and commercial prosperity of the town. In almost every department of business progress is to be noted every day. Yesterday a reporter was shown through a manufacturing establishment, the growth of which is a fair example of what business capacity, enterprise and fair dealing will do for a firm, aided by the facilities that Wheeling affords as a manufacturing point.

The factory was the establishment of H. Seamon & Son, on Water street, near Twelfth. The Nail City Stogie, Cigar and Tobacco works has long been familiar by name to the residents of a wide section of the country, and the goods produced by the house have a deserved reputation for quality, as the house has always had for square dealing.

In the past season, so great had been the growth of the business that it became absolutely necessary to have largely increased facilities. After casting around for a site for an enlarged factory it was decided to make the additional room by adding to the old factory two stories. This work has recently been completely, and it makes an imposing looking as well as a commodious factory. There are now, with the roomy and well ventilated basement, six stories devoted to the business of the factory. The factory building is 65 by 21 feet, so that it will be seen that an enormous floor space is occupied. The firm has now a weekly output of about 150,000 cigars and stogies, or 600,000 a month. With fhe facilities obtained by the increase of room it will be possible to make a million a month. An outsider visiting the factory would be surprised at the apparently enormous quantities of stogies piled on the shelves to dry properly. They are, however, only the product of a few days, piled there to dry properly before being shipped. This is one of the reasons the product has obtained so wide a popularity. No goods are allowed to be packed until they have been properly dried, nor is any stock permitted to go into cigars or stogies until it has been cured for the proper time. In this way the firm assures that every stogie made will be just right when put on the market.

Henry Seamon has been conducting the business until the name of the Nail City works since 1853, and is one of the oldest manufacturers in the city. In 1890 his son Andrew entered the firm, which then became H. Seamon & Son. Since that time the product of the factory has risen from 2,500,000 to what it is now. When the reporter was there yesterday orders were being filled to go to all quarters of the United States, and it is only a question of time when a still further increase of facilities will be an absolute necessity. This is a striking example of what is possible to accomplish by attention to business, competent management and honest dealing. The establishment is a credit to the city.

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