James E. Homans, editor

“ The concern is called to-day, from its founder, the Paul J. Sorg Tobacco Company, and is a branch of the great Continental Tobacco Company. The size to which the business had grown during his lifetime may be estimated from the fact that its international revenue payments for thirty-five years were stated in terms of millions of dollars. Aside from his business, Paul J. Sorg grew to be the loading spirit of Middletown in every branch of local enterprise, and the town as it stands to-day is a living monument to his memory. ”

“ But his mind was already working in other directions and foreseeing the enormous demand in the great and growing West for tobacco, and being next door to what he foresaw was to become the largest tobacco-growing district in the world, he formed at the early age of twenty-four a partnership with John Aver for the manufacture of plug tobacco. His aim was to produce in immense quantities at the lowest possible price the cheaper grades of home-grown tobacco. The enterprise finally grew to be the largest in Ohio, and exceeded only in size by one other in the United States. ”

“ He not only built up the community directly by the erection of public buildings, but he was always on the lookout to offer prompt and powerful inducements to manufacturing coneerns to settle in Middletown. ”