Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-05-27

President Of Amherst College, discIoses some Of
the mysteries Of the tobacco trade, which ought TO
be known by those who consume the article:
RICHMOND, Va, April H. lS47.
Mn EDIToR IL write this letter expressly for
the comfort Of those who use tobacco especially
such as chew it. / am in region from which
much OF this precious substance originates; and in
my wanderngs about the city have stumbled up
on some facts, which trust may give relish to
It's masticaon.
In passing along one Of the streets saw on both
sides Of it very large buildings, in which was
stored vast number of hogsheads, literally
ing an acre or two of surface. found them filled
with leaf tobacco, aud here the process Of nspec-
ton was going OIL. One head of each hogshead
was knocked out, part Of the hoops oosened, and
the hogshead then lifted up, leaving cylinder Of
tobacco say five feet high aud three four feet in
diameter ready for inspection. Upon expressing
my surprise at the quantity here exhibited, was
told that there in the city several other places
Of a similar kind; and one gentleman said that he
presumed some twenty or thirty acres were ihon
groanng under hogsheads Of tobacco. In view Of
these facts, how confident may the user Of tobacco
be- that however dgent he aud others may be in
deyouring the precious weed the supply is mex
hausiible. This is my first inference to comfort
my friends.
This accidental debut of mine led me next into
some OF those manufactures where the leaf tobacco
is converted into that proper for chewing. In the
largest of them found $50 negroes at work with
perhaps 40 or 80 powerful presses. But the roll
ling up of the tobacco into cylindrical Masses for
pressing into those four sided masses, called junk,
| believe, interested me most Here found per-
haps 20 or so negroes Of all sizes, standing at the
tables aud engaged in this work, while ever aud
anon they united their clear, strong voices in sing
ing hymn. This room should be kept quite
warm, even in summer and | could see the sweat
starting from the sable faces before me, as they
piled their task Il is necessary that the leaves OF
the tobacco should be kept moist. that it may roll
aud press well. They therefore previously pass
ed through solution of loaf sugar and quOrice !;
but sometimes this may be insufficient, and then
the sweat that rolls down the aborers face, falling
upon his work, will assist in making up The moist
ure. But il the hands are still too dry, avn told
on good authority that the negroes spit upon them
| and as most all the workmen chew tobacco they
have an abundance Of saliva to spare for this pur-
pose, and Of Just the right kind, too, to communi-
cate an agreeable flavor. ] cannot say that my
self saw the perspralon or the spitile thus used
but assure you, re der, that.my authority is
| good for saying that they thus used. My Sec
ond inference for the comfort Of my friends is,
therefore, that not only may they be sure of an
exhaustess supply of tobacco. but also that 1t will
not lack strong and rich fauOr. For the per-
spiraiion of the colored man is known to be pecu-
larry pungeni and testify that it loses Of
its power in this climate and in warm tobacco fac
tories that this aroma may always be calculated
upon 10 spice tobacco
Some unreasonaby fastidious chewers Of tobacco
may feel little nervous when they think Of the
origin OF the delicious favor Of their fayorite weed
But the principles Of chemistry show them that
they need not be squeamsh on this point For Of
} what consequence is ii from what the ele
mentary principles of compound proceed Su
gar is sugar, alcohol is alcohol, from whatever sub
stance manufactured. And so the bewitchng fla
of tobacco is the same thing, whether produced
from the plant itself, or from quorce, from ne
groe's perspraton saliva. II is well knewn tina
, wine merchants and brewers act on this principle
when they prepare wine and beer out-of everything
almost. except grapes and good hops; and not man!
years since, it is said that a snuff merchant in Lon
r don prepared snuff that took the precedence in h'
market, by grating into pieces OF old collins tina
S had been disinterred by the underwriters In short
this subject be full OF consolation to those wit
use tobacco aud shall expect that they will yot
me gold medal for my discoveries.