American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-11-12
GENTLEMEN
A Il 4 r f Q U E S T E D
NOT TO SPIT
0 N T II E S T 0 v Il.

ON sTovE.
And here, as we'll as at any other point
ofmy journey, I may as we'll say what
l have to say on the subject of the obi
Gus practice of tobacco chewing, and
its concomitant and still more odious
practice of splitting, so disgustingly
prevalent In the southern and western
States, ard to minor extent in the
northern. Before l saw with my own
eyes the extent and prevalence of this
filthiness, / imagined that the accounts
given by preceding travellers were ex-
aggerations and caricaturcs, intended
to raise an ill-natured laugh; but OBJ
servation speedily convinced me that
all 1 had previously read upon the SUBJ
.iect fell short of the truth, and that it
would be difficult to exaggerate the
extent of the vice, and the callousness
with which it is regarded even by peo-
pie of education and refinement. Amer
leans who have travelled in Europe do
not seem to be annoyed that stranger
should take notice of the practice and
be offended by it; but custom so dulls
even their perceptions of its offensive
ness that they consider the fault finders
as somewhat squoamish and over SEN
sitiye. Once, at Washington, ] found
myself the centre Of group Of mem
bers of Congress, two Of whom were
among the most expert and profuse
spitters q was going to write expecto-
rators, but the word is not strong en-.
ough, whom it was ever my fortune to
meet, when the conversation having
turned upon the military prowess and
skill Of several gentlemen who had dis
tingushed themselves in the Mexican
war, | was suddenly asked by one Of
them-who cleared his mouth for the
purpose of one of the most portentous
floods Of tobacco juice / ever saw-who
was the greatest general in America?
The reply was General Spit. swell"
said the senator, 81 calculate you are
about right; and though you, as Brit.
isher, may say so, | should advise you
not to put the observation into print,
as some of our citizens might take it as
personal" On another occasion an
eminent lawyer, who had filled some of
the highest Offices Of the State, a man
to whom ancient and modern literature
we're equally familiar, who had studied
European as we'll as American politics,
whose mind seemed to have run thro'
the whole circle Of human knowledge;
and who could converse eloquently on
any subject, though while he spoke the
tobacco juice oozed out Of the corners
of his mouth, and ran down upon his
shirt front and waistcoat, took large
cake of tobacco from side pocket,
and courteouSly offered mo u chew
The cake, / should think, weighed
about half pound. [ asked him if
he had ever calculated how many gal.
Ions of spit such cake represented?
"Well," said he, putting the cake back
into his pocket, set is q disgusting hab.
it. | quite agree with you. / have
made several attempts to break myself
Of it, but in vain. l cannot think, nor
work, without it; and, although know
it Injuries my stomach, and is in other
respects bad for mo, am the slave of
the habit, and will, I fear, be so to the
ond Of my days" Even in the pres.
ence Of ladies, the chewers and spitters
do not relent; and ladies seem almost
if not quite, as indifferent to the prac-
tico as the other sex. In theatres and
lecture rooms are constantly to be scon
inscriptions requesting gentlemen not