Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-08-16

''Obn' said no, +" really see that you do
not take snuff then, and am therefore a. lib
eriy TO understand, that, when you ask what
! habit can be more ridiculous than snuff akng,
which you did this morning, you speak your
candid sentiments, and actually look upon ta-
KING snuh as one Of the most ridiculous Gus
! toms now eXtant?"
We ASSURED him that such was precisely the
| case.
AYE" said he, $50 feared, and have
called on purpose to convince you that you are
wrong, and 10 assure you there is net a more
laudable custom now in pra actice."
We SAID 1t was subject which occupied .
good deal OF our attention lately; aud that We
! could not lind one CONNIE nda BILE trait in it. il
| appeared to US TO be a dirty, dsa greeable dis
gps,ing practice; one which was much more
honorsd IN the breach than in the observ-
| ancc.
Aye" said he, "it appears to you 40; but
do YOU practice It, and L u engage that. in
twelve months, you will not find any thing dir
| ty or dsdgreeable in it.
| We observed that we were very we'll satisfied
with our present opinion of the pra actc=, and
should not wish TO convince ourselves 10 tho
contrary, at the expense Of probably becoming
! habitual snuff takers, and rendering ourselves
! dIsagreeabe 10 our friends and acquaintance,
| by the aroma OF tobacco, which must be car
| red upon the breath.
"There is not more social thi' in the
| world" he said, "than u snuff hox," taking q
! large pinch from his null, and again putting it
| towards us; "thercs not a thing that makes
men sooner acquainted, or so we'll keeps up q
| spIrit Of conversation"
| We observed that might be the case, but We
were seldom at loss for conversation without
| It.
Int ma ho ha. I'll
| that 1t IS an ancient, honorable and patriotic
practice, aud one that ought 10 be observed
| by all good citizens. l have taken snuff now
these forty years, and | would not give u2 the
| practice for any consideration. I've often
! gained friends By ii, but never lost any; and
We sometimes got us much by pinch or
two OF snuff as several shillings would aot pay
| for.
bat how" we asked, edo you make it out
to be an ancient, honorable and patriotic prac-
tIce?''
As to antiquity" said he, eve certainly
| cannot trace 1t with any certainty to tho
Patrarcks. although it is by no means improb-
able that they may have used it.
We asked pardon for nterrupting him, but
submitted that as tobacco was the produce Of
tins country, aud America was not known 50
! long as the time lie spoke OF, it seemed 10 us
rather Improbable that the patrarchs should
take snuff.
mt at ALL" said he, "not at all; for al
'heugh we do not know Of tobacco either hay-
ing been gto"n IN, or Imported INTO ASIA yet
ihe!e aIe many plants and aromatic woods
there, of winch good snuff might be made; and
as, IN al! probability, the patriarchs had noses
II IS most likely they would lind oh some mode
oI ndugmg them. Bat, leaving that as
matter ~ doubt, have Shakespeare au-
thorly, and thli ls pretty good IN matters Of
history, for saying that in Eng and, as i4r back
as The reign of Richard IL. If the beaux DID
not take sruH, they had an equivalent IN ,hc
shape OF pcriunie boxes, which they eie.naiy
applied 10 Tie nose. - Therefore, il they did not
use The same sor. Of sEuT which is taken IN
these days, We lind that 50 far back there MAS
Il 5 'DSiiiGtc used until moro excellent should
be Produced. lac practice is honour able, bc
cause hoLourab!c parsonage adopt !: and It 10
much to the advantage of us that We have the
honour OF io.iowng the example set us by such
Persohagcs. Because great man haPpencd
TO have Il sore ncck, all the men Ia tl,s cUun-
Try ad1picd high collars to their shirts, as II
ihey were all IN The doctors list; and most
iiNeiy 1t Is owing 10 some other great man fin
G!nS II convenient to cover hIs handy legs or
spindle shanks with ,row scrs, that we uow-s
days scarcely ever see pair ofbreeches. Now
smut, Bonaparte took snuff; aad m order TO
coGnlen'ncc the custom, IN England most Of
The diplomatic gentlemen from abroad are pre-
sehted with snuH boxes. Ii Is useless to emu
inerdie all the great examples that are set u;
lei 1t suffice thut 1t Is honcurable for US 10 fol-
10" them. The custom Is patriotic, because
1t encourages trade, and improves the revenue.
There is nothing pays higher duty than to-
bdcco; and If the use of ii we're 10 be dscon-
tlnued here, as 1t appears to be in China.
through the bad taste of the emperor; the rev.
enue would lose considerably. Then, how
many persons supported by the manufacture
ana sale oi the article! The benefits are felt
even down TO the washerw oman. Why,
would hold n wager, that dirty six tunes AZ
macy handkerchiefs in The week as you do.
and my washerwoman is So much the gamer;
besides wear perhaps three times as many
out IN the year, and thereby the manufacturer
Is beDeiitied'
We took the liberty OF asking what the ex-
pense oi this patriotic liabit oi his might DO to
hIm.
"Why," said he, ga mere nothing. First;
here's this mu!! cost me seven dollars, but that
Will most likely last me my lifetime; then
there s the smut \ take, or give away, about
two ounces IN the week, which at nInepence
the ounce, is but eighteen pence; then ] dniy
about eight pocket bandk kefchieis, which cost
a penny piece, aud IN the course oi the year
l may probably wear out about six or eight.
WHICH cost me seven shlngs a piece; thcn
purchase about four or SIX Tonquin beans
ia the year, which only cost sxpence each.
The expense to an individual is u nero moth
ing
When the gentleman departed, we set about
making calculation Of his snuff taking ex-
penscs, and fHd it to stand thus, per annum -
C 9. d.
Interest upon cost Of box o 8
Two ounces per week, Is Cd Is
Washing pocket handkereh,efs I IA 8
purch sp of n..y do 0 Ia m