The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1856-06-07
H,t.,y Of the rebaeeo Plant.

n,aut with the vicisitudcs attending its intro
duction aulongst civilized men, will not be void
of interest to those addicted to its use..
In the year 1859, one Hernando de Toledo,
Spanish adventurer. introduced the plant into
Spain, and sent aspcrton to one Jean Nicot,
then ambasssdore at Lisbon, from Francis the
! Cd, and he transmitted, or carried either the
| seed or the Plant to Catherine de Medici.
1t was then considered Of the wonders Of
the new world. and supposed to possess very
| extraordinary virtues; indeed, miraculous cura-
tive properties were attributed to it. This is
| the first authentic account of the introduction
OF this plant into Europe. Subsequently A. D.
1859, the Cardinal, Santa Croce, returning
from hiss Nunciatnre in Spain and Portugal TO
as sass;sa ssisssr VIII 1'n 1ooasso; . xs
which its introduction WIS hailed, from perusaF
of the Poetry it inspired. The Holy Cardinal
who introduced it, was compared to his prede-
cessor, who brought home the wood Of the true
Cross.
"ITerh of immortal fame!
(Which hither first with Santa Croce came,
'When he, his time of nunciature expired,
"Back from the Court of Portugal retired
"E'en as his predecessor, great and good,
Brought home tho cross" etc.
This sacred % plant was introduced into
England by Sir Walter Raleigh, on his return
from America, and many amusing anecdotes
arc told thereof James lst wrote Philippe
against it, entitled Counter blast to Tobacco"
in which the royal anthor informs his loving
subjects that it ''is custom loathsome to the
eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain,
dangerous to the lungs, and in the black stink
ing fumes thereof, resembling the smoke OF the
horrible Stygian pit that is bottomless." In
the year 1904 he enleavored, by means of
heavy mposts to abolish its use in this country,
and, in 1919. commanded that no planter in
Virginia should cultivate more than one hun
dred pounds In 1924, Pope URBAN the
.f,AI -L.l ,f fiaY
against all who took snnff in the Church; and
ten years afterwards smoking vas prohibited in
Russla, under the penalty Of having the nose
cut off In 1858, the Council of the Canton OF
Appenzle, cited smokers before them, whom
they punished by fine and Imprisonment anu
they ordered all innkeepers to inform against
those they found smoking in their houses In
1867, public regulations were formed, divided
according to the ten commandments, in which
the prohibition OF smoking stands under the
command against adultery. This prohibition
was renewed in 1876, and the Tribunal OF the
lnquistion instructed to put it in execution.
Pope Innocent the XIIth, in 1890, excom-
munieated all found chewing or taking snuff, in
the Church of ST. Peters at Rome. Numerous
instanccs subsequent to this period might be
cited gnesssfea the Blue -Lasrs" of cnr
own times to show with what perseyerng
constancy the devotees Of "the weed" have
carried on the warfare against their opponents,
and all the Edcts of Kings, well as the
Illuminating thuuders Of the Church, ended in
smoke.
LIVELY PLAcE-The story is familiar of
the man who took passage in fatboat from
Pittsburg to New Orleans. He passed many
dreary, listlcss days on his way down the Ohio
and Mississippi, and seemed to be Responding
for want Of excitement. Specifically he was
quiet and inofensive; practically, he good
natured and kindly disposed. In the course of
time, the craft upon which he was passenger
put into Napoleon, in the State of Arkansas
for groceries. At the moment there was
general fight extending all along the front of
the town, which at that time consisted Of a
single@honse.
The unhappy passenger, after 6dgeting about
and jerking his feet up and down, as if he were
walking hot bricks turned TO a used-up'
spectator aud Observed
Stranger is this free fght?"
The reply prompt and to the point. .
ut ar, and ifyou wish to go in, don't stand
on ceremony"
The wayfarer did go in, and in less time than
we can relate the circumstances, he was liter
ally chawed mp. Cropping his way down to the
fat, his hair gone, his eyes closed, his lips
swollen, and his face generally mapped out, he
sat himself down OH chicken coop and soilo-
qulzed thus:
$50 this is Napoleon, is it?-upon my
word it's lively place, and the only one at
which have had any fun since left home"
One day last week, two gentlemen in Wash
ington city who returning home drunk
from champagne dinner, happened,'in trying
to regain their hotel, to blunder into room
where steam engine had worked into q tolera-
bile rage. "Chu-chu chu! phiz-zs" went the
machine, while great drum whzzed around
most furiousy Whats that?,", exclaimed
one of the gentlemen. IA steamboat" said
the other. 'To lie sure it s," said the first:
didn't know that?" boy, what boat is
ths?" "'The Phoenix" said the boy, speaking
in two syllables Whats the passage, boy!"
"One-6fty" said the knowing imp "Well,
here's the money" said the gentlemen; SHOW
us our berti,s." walk aft" said the boy.
The gentleman walked aft the boy walked
forward, ard is perhaps still doing so, with
cool three dollars in his pocket.
Written on hearing OF the duel between burr
ant Hamilton:
"Oh, A-ron Burri what hast thou done! :.
Thou hast killed dead the great Hamils~"!
/ You eetted behind bunch of thistles, 49,
/ And ehooted him dead with horses pistols!
A Us1ouE SIcs-Iu one of the rural dis-
trcts, q small grocery store bea1 . sign WIFE
the following inscription:
..Hot cofey tee ginger and spruce bear
| nies donuts billed Eggs pigs feetes
! aud sarsiges sold here.