Tobacco companies certainly chartered and sometimes owned ships, there are some contemporary articles about that if you search around. This reads to me like the cards were warehoused following a voyage down from NYC and awaiting local pickup. It makes sense; there were no direct rail links to Manhattan from the mainland until July of 1909 when the Hudson Tubes opened and dozens of steamship companies were operating along the East Coast. Before that you had to float your load across the Hudson.
Last edited by toppcat; 08-06-2023 at 07:50 AM.
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