Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-02-21
SMOKING AND SMOKERS IN SPAIN.

As took my seat in n "tsrst:class''
oar and left Toledo, gentleman in
tho aane compartment asked mo, els
smoking disagreeablo to you p :.
It was Tho first time that such q
=. question had been put 10 me in Spain.
l,had heard il proposed to a lady
some days before; but generally no
ono pretends to ask the privilege OF
smoking in the cars, or the parlor, o.,
anywhere. Every body smokes, eve
rywbere. It is not intcrdictcd in an,
department of any railway carriage.
a.. Occasionally, in some hotels, notice
"a r"lo posted in tho dining room,
"Smoking not allowed" But nobody
heedsit An attempt to enforce it
would probably lead to tho. sudden
departure Of all Spanish guests from
the house. At tho largest and best
hotel in Madrid, sixty or seventy per-
sons, ladies and gentlemen, woro at
dinner, Gable d'hote,) and in the
midst Of dinner, between tho courses,
gentlomen lighted their cigarettes,
smoked them, and resumed their ca;
ing. Yet the NOTICE forbidding smo-
king was in full view, or was until the
clouds of smoke obscured it. In tho
reading rooms of the hotels, often
times small and unvcntilated, nine ou.
Of ten are smoking all tho time, and
the thought never occurs to ono OF
them that this may be IL nuisance TO
others. I am told (lbough 1 never
saw i) that ut tho theaters in Spain,
ia tile midst Of tho play, tho audience
. sm0ke IN their seats, aud if any man.
agers attain to such moderate height
of civilization as to publish rule
restraining tho odious habit, tho dons
Of Spain pay no sort OF attention to
il. All attempts at reform end only
in smoke.
asked AnastuEio if smoking is al.
lowed in the churches of Spain? 90
no, no." he answered, with u pious
horror; "it was shocking 10 think of
such q desccratiou." "Tben;" said 1,
"when 1 como to Spain 10 live will
20. little church for myself, for no.
where else in this country can a maj,
fud refuge from this inlolerable nui-
saucc."
'Ah; yes," he replied; "but perhaps
the lncense will make smoke quite
as disAgreeablc as the american weed
This Was a double hil, NJ it rec in.
ded me Of my Protestant aversion TO
incel,se in churches, ana also of the
fact that tho weed, and the habit of
using it, came from my part of the
world. .-
By this time tho compartment was
80 denscly filed with smoke that l
oponcd tho window and put out my
head for breath, asa signal of distress.
in the hope, but valn, Of cnlisting the
sympalhies Of the smokers, and indn
: cling them to lorego their pleasures
while recovered. But what man
with heart and head smuke-dricd ever
had compassion for tho woakness OF
his neishbor! detected grim smil ,s
Of satisfaction on tho dark' fac.s OF
my fellow-travelers, wh, puhcd away
tho more vigorously rs they looked on
my woe begons face.
Perhaps by advertising reward
for the discovery. it might be possible
to fnd q man in Spain who does not
smoke. Yet str"nI TO say, the cul--
: ture Of tobacco in Spain is forbidden
By law. Tho soil and climate are IA.
yorAble, and it's cultivation has been a:
great success. But by that kind Of
stupid Legislation or decrce peculiar
to Spain, and constantly reminding
one Of tho Chinese, tho mother. coun-
try, Spain. i. prohibited from raising
tobacco in order that Tho daughter
Cuba, may rave ihe monopoly. The
right of Importation is sold to contrac.
tors, who make q great 6usineas. OF
it., In the middle OF the fifteenth
century the Spauiards began to ges
tobacco from America, and they have
been getting moro and more of it ever
since In 1860 they smoked: seven
: millions Of cigars, aud cigars are not
4 the thing thoy usually smOke. They
have their tobacco rolled mp in little
! bits, 6f Paper, and those they carry Il,
their pockets, With matches. f0Hen
they carry the tobacco. and the papor
;s separately aud dbaks a. cigarerfewhen
4 : they want IL making one, while sno
king anotiers These Interesting man.
! ;ufastares, aro notspecaliay to- Spain
thsy are. .commoan s.i 81. our. otHn.c conntrss
but DOT so:general, {; The weed Is psed
=. = oniy: Tor smo oking and spng.ng In spsis
saadot lealp That il; ;is theyeas s}at al
: kabit, the ;yiiest!of the naiiy viii
babits ssIgsnde dered .by tobac Geo, Ismbrs
soifsnairssi ssinstbe Hhited States fhaI
. IN my other spdrt of the world Heri