﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  Virginia. 
  215 
  

  

  A. 
  M. 
  LYON 
  & 
  CO. 
  

  

  This 
  enterprise 
  was 
  established 
  in 
  1830 
  by 
  Mr. 
  William 
  

   Barrett, 
  who 
  was 
  succeeded 
  by 
  Mr. 
  John 
  K. 
  Childrey, 
  who 
  

   in 
  turn 
  was 
  succeeded 
  by 
  the 
  present 
  proprietors. 
  In 
  1883 
  

   the 
  old 
  factory 
  was 
  destroyed 
  by 
  fire, 
  and 
  immediately 
  re- 
  

   built. 
  The 
  new 
  building 
  is 
  four 
  stories 
  above 
  ground, 
  is 
  

   steam 
  heated 
  and 
  provided 
  with 
  every 
  appliance 
  for 
  the 
  

   manufacture 
  of 
  tobacco 
  on 
  the 
  largest 
  scale 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  

   economical 
  manner. 
  In 
  the 
  basement 
  are 
  located 
  the 
  en- 
  

   gine, 
  boiler, 
  etc. 
  Upon 
  the 
  ground 
  floor 
  is 
  the 
  office, 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  rear 
  of 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  press 
  room, 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  row 
  of 
  the 
  

   powerful 
  hydraulic 
  presses 
  which 
  convert 
  the 
  yielding 
  leaf 
  

   into 
  a 
  mass 
  almost 
  as 
  compact 
  as 
  stone. 
  In 
  the 
  second 
  story 
  

   is 
  the 
  twist 
  room, 
  where 
  a 
  large 
  force 
  are 
  busily 
  engaged 
  in 
  

   making 
  lumps, 
  twist, 
  etc., 
  and 
  here, 
  too, 
  is 
  the 
  lump 
  drying 
  

   room, 
  where 
  the 
  manufactured 
  tobacco 
  is 
  placed 
  preparatory 
  

   to 
  packing, 
  especially 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  exported, 
  as 
  the 
  least 
  

   particle 
  of 
  moisture 
  is 
  ruinous 
  to 
  goods 
  intended 
  for 
  ocean 
  

   transit. 
  Upon 
  the 
  third 
  floor 
  is 
  the 
  smoking 
  tobacco 
  de- 
  

   partment 
  with 
  its 
  great 
  cutters 
  for 
  transforming 
  the 
  golden 
  

   leaf 
  into 
  beautiful 
  granulated 
  for 
  pipe 
  and 
  cigarettes; 
  and 
  

   here, 
  too, 
  is 
  the 
  leaf 
  room, 
  where 
  skillful 
  hands 
  are 
  busy 
  

   assorting 
  and 
  manipulating 
  the 
  weed. 
  In 
  the 
  upper 
  story 
  

   the 
  leaf 
  is 
  shaken 
  out, 
  dried 
  (in 
  a 
  large 
  steam 
  room), 
  dipped 
  

   an(i 
  otherwise 
  manipulated, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  building 
  

   (which 
  commands 
  a 
  magnificent 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  and 
  sur- 
  

   roundings) 
  the 
  fine 
  sun-cured 
  tobaccos 
  are 
  exposed 
  in 
  fine 
  

   weather. 
  AH 
  grades 
  and 
  styles 
  of 
  bright 
  and 
  dark 
  chewing 
  

   are 
  turned 
  out 
  here, 
  the 
  capacity 
  being 
  about 
  2,000 
  pounds 
  

   per 
  day, 
  while 
  of 
  fine 
  smoking 
  about 
  one-half 
  this 
  amount 
  

   is 
  produced. 
  This 
  house 
  has 
  long 
  enjoyed 
  a 
  high 
  reputa- 
  

   tion 
  for 
  the 
  excellence 
  of 
  its 
  goods 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  the 
  cour- 
  

   tesy 
  and 
  integrity 
  of 
  its 
  members, 
  audits 
  wares 
  find 
  a 
  ready 
  

   sale, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  but 
  even 
  in 
  far 
  Australia, 
  

   where 
  Barrett's 
  Crown 
  and 
  Barrett's 
  Anchor 
  are 
  standard 
  

   brands. 
  The 
  firm 
  use 
  for 
  export 
  good 
  fine 
  Virginia 
  and 
  

   Carolina 
  leaf, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  fine 
  navies, 
  which 
  are 
  a 
  specialty, 
  

   white 
  Burley 
  is 
  principally 
  used. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  this 
  old 
  firm 
  it 
  is 
  scarcely 
  necessary 
  

   for 
  us 
  to 
  speak. 
  Wherever 
  American 
  tobacco 
  is 
  used 
  their 
  

   brands 
  are 
  favorably 
  known, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  trade 
  the 
  firm 
  are 
  

   not 
  less 
  favorably 
  known 
  as 
  experienced 
  tobacconists 
  and 
  

  

  