The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-05-12
Ti,c Cigarette.

the narcotic fumes Of tobacco hsv,
been ipdnged in by millions ~ the hu
msn family. The usc Of tobacco H.
iucontesl ably, among the most deplo
rahlc vices into which man can fall
II constitutes an important stlplc uI
pr,ductiln. particularly in our owr
country, and is quoted crude aud man
ulac,urcd, alike. among our most
valuable commodities Little by little
in the lapse of time, the cigar has en-
croaChcd upon the use ot the pipe, AID
may ultim itc'y sIp'r"edc It. In tr,p-
iral countries. the cigar, 10 turn, has a
frmilable rival in the c'grreiie--that
delicate, graceful li,ilc envelope, which
in Spain unl her old colonies Is not
lisdainei even by the lips and fingers
OF the fair.
S,rapii lily has tho cnnsnmrtioo of
cig,rcitS increased. within the lat
i"cade. that many large cstai lishmen;s.
involving u hcavy outlay of capital have
been started for their exclusive manu-
facturc. A. an example Of this new
and interesting sido-brauch Of indus.
try, wc may, without further partcu-
iarizing, mention very curious and
celebrated concern now active at lla-
vanr, it's transactions being based
upon the main idct OF perfect fair
dealing in material, treatment, prices,
etc. UoHrd iJE -honesty,-isa n sound
Ing word III the old Cas,iian tongue.
The concern to which we now rc,cr
was established about twelve gears
ago, on slender capital, and has now
reached such an extent of resources
and efficiency that il turps cut NIsc
million Of cigeretts per day. 1t cm-
ploys 300 hands Inside, and , 200 out.
side Of the central concern, ana anon.
them are 30 little orphan apprentices.
most Of these people are Chinese
| They all wear sort of Uniform, con-
sistln. of blouse or sack, u pair of
striped pantaloons. and cap on which
are the marks of their position in the
works, from the foreman down e. the
latest apprentice, an nil are gradually
instructed, step hy step, in every pro.
cess most recently known 10 science,
assisted by the latest improvements 10
machinery.
The tobacco used in the Havana
factory comes chiefly from the small
plantations in tho western part Of
Cuba When brought in, the first
process i to place it on a sicve-,ab!e,
set in motion by machinery. This
sits away all the sand and other for
cign bodies from the leaf twelve skiful
worsmnn staniing on either side of the
table TO snatch away all hai leaves or
stems from the mass, rs il travels along
by the pressure of the mechanism. 1t
Is next thrown upon huge ventllIator,
which wiuuows OF the dust, aud after
that it is sprcG in thin layers on out
side terraces, who're the tropical sun
can have full play upon il, and dry it
thoroughly. 1t is then taken inside
and dropped into huge casks, where it
is subjected to intense hydraulic pres
sure, after which it is conveyed By an
almost impcrccp,iblo motion, effected
by means OF series Of screws, beneath
Il huge ily-w heel set with sharp blades,
that chop IL to pieces. Then ii is
again ventilated. winnowed. and sub
jectod to the action OF finer cutting
apparatus, until il is reduced to the
desired tenuity, after which it is spread
out in the lower floor Of the building.
and bcsprinked with an aromatic
liquid, the composition OF which is
q secret of the manufacture China
mon alone are emplpved at this last
stage, because their Ignorance is re-
gardcd as guarantee that the secret
will not be betrayed.
The tobacco being once more par
italy dried, now requires only y its paper
envelopes For these the material
comes from Spain, and the iavunesc
cigarette maker imports $4,000 bales
OF it per apuum. The paper is passed
beneath press, which stamps il iudel
ibv, aud is then submitted TO mechan-
cal sissors, which clip OF hundreds OF
wrappers at u stroke.
The final process consists of the
folding aod packing, and these are
to hundreds of bands. some
permanently employed, some working
in their owo rooms outside, some N
mates Of charitable institutions, and
even of tho prisons. In one saloon IL
visitor saw three hundred convicts,
black aud white, hard at work rolin,
the cigarettes delicately between their
fingers,
Every workman gets certain quan.
tity OF tobacco and wrappers, aud
must deliver round OF 5000 cigar,
ettcs from ii, with perhapes 90 over,
which be is allowed to keep for his own
use. For this amount of work he gets
from the overseor metal check, en-
titling him to the payment OF one
dollar, at sight, on presentation TO the
cashier or foreman. Everything, OF
course, is strictly comptrolled and
checked, with all the bid of scientific
arrangement and apparatus.
There is somo smoking tobacco for
pipes, pressed aud put up in tablets, by
the same concern, but to no extent
comparable with the cigarettes. Tho
articles once packet are adorned with
all sorts Of gilded and colored papers
and fancy devices, the concern keeping
its own photographic and printing ap.
paratus for that purpose. TO such
perfection, indeed. have the proprie-
80, ..o..,I ,b;. ...l ...l.... ii