The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-14

SeventyIOur lnOuSauu Woie ooio' 'iAo
probably one million per month would be
fair average for the sales of the year,
They are now sold at nine dollars per
thousand, so that sales of our cigar man.
ufacturers amounted, during the yearls64
to about one hundred and eight thousand
dollars for stogies alone. In addition to
this, there were sales of other grades OF
cigars amounting to probably one fourth
more -..-..-
THE MANUFACTURERS.
There are sixteen establishments in
this city for the manufacture Of common
cigars, though the larger part of the trade
is confined to four or five Those en-
gagged in the business at present, are
Messrs Robert Atchison, Godfried Mayer,
C.. II. g. G.. Dieters, A. c. F. Eberling,
Robert Ford, Robert Gibson, L. Grady,
Charles Hanke, ID. Kreiter, VIM. Laugh
lin. NJ Marsh, c. Rolf, Schneider Bro,
Fl Vaas, H. Wheeler and VIM. Winder,
OF these, Mr.. ROBERT GIBSON has been
longest in the business here; having com
menced more than thirty years ago MIR.
MARSH has been in the tobacco business
i'll Wheeling about thirty years, and Nh.
LAUGHLIN has spent nearly quarter OF
a century in the manufacture OF cigars III
this city The profits Of the trade are
small, and fortunes are not suddenly ac-
quired. 1t demands patient and steady
industry to make the tobacco business
Weld more than a comfortable living to
those engaged in its pursuit.
THE CULTURE OF TOBACCO.
As we have said, the tobacco manutac-
tured into cigars in this city is grown in
Kentucky 1t may be, a subject of in
quiry with some why the tobacco growni in
West Virginia or Ohio is not also used.
In reply to this, the tobacconists say that
the Ohio tobacco is too light and fiimsy
for manufacturing purposes, owing
mainly to the peculiarities of tie soil
and climate in the region where it is
produced The West Virginia tobacco is
superior in quality to that grown i'll
Ohio, but is nevertheless inferior to the
Kentucky growth and unfit for cigars,
1t is thought, however that its deficiency
could be completely overcome were more
skill employed in its culture Samples
of tobacco grown by skilful and expert
enced planters in West Virginia have
fully equalled the best Kentucky tObac-
co in color, body, flavor and all the re-
quisites for good common cigars. There
is indeed nothing to hinder West! Virgin-
ia tobacco, when properly cultivated
and'cured. from commanding as high q
price as any American growth, and it is
to he hoped, for the wealth of the State,
that more attention he paid to its cult
walton.
THE USE or TOBACCO.
Tobacco is indigenous to American soil.
1t was used by the Indians before the dis
covery of this continent by Europeans
and still occupies an important place in
their estimation and in their ceremonies
Its soothing effect is still invoked by
the warriors when they smoke the pipe of
peace" 1t was first introduced in England
by Sir WALTER RALEIGH, the gay cavalier
of the times of good Queen Bess," and
the fashionable circles OF the English
court, after many Qualms and much nau-
sea, succeeded in following the example
RALEIGH had set, and tobacco soon came
into general use. The enemies of the
pipe then We're as bitter in their opposi-
ton to its use as are the reformers of
more mo derndays and King JAMES, whose
royal nostrils were offended by the pun
gent smoke, published pamphlet, full
of kingly errors, against smoking. But,
despite the imperial disploasure, the use
of tobacco continued to increase until
it extended from palace to hut over
both continents aud wherever civilized
man has trod 1t is still vigorously de-
nounced as prejudicial to health, para
lying to the brain, and poisonous, and
doubtless all these things are true of its
ercessife use, But the apologists for the
habit point to hale, hearty and vigorous
old men who have been habitual con-
consumers of tobacco from boyhood and
see in them refutation of the arguments
employed against their favorite and fra
grant weed" 1t is not our intention to
enter into the merits of the controversy;
we have only designed to speak of the
manufacture of cigars as branch of the
industry OF the citizens of Wheeling
and TO show that the trade which coins
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
annually from smoky is mot to he
sneezed at