The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-07-22
TOBACCO AS A MoNoPoLY:

How the PaternRI GOverntnent OF
France Manufactures the tNeod-An
Unpleasant establishment on the
Quai d'orsRy.
Every one knows that the monopoly
of manufacturing tobacco by the State
was suggested to Napoleon III. by the
gorgeous appearance of 8 lady at one
of the court balls. Her diamonds, IN
fact. excited much admiration and not
a little envy. ''Who is she ?" asked
the emperor, and the answer was, "The
wife of a retired tobacco manufacturer.
From that evening free trade in To-
bacco was doomed IN France, nor has 9
republican form of government cared
to do away with a most prohtabie
source of revenue. At the same time
il must be confessed that the produce
of the regie is, for the most part,
"cheap and nasty" A visit which I
have Just paid to the manufactoTy on
the Quai dOrsay, one of the fifteen
which exists in France, has confirmed
me in this belief, though I came away
with the impression that tobacco and
no other leaf was, whether good or
bad, exclusively used. The first thing
which strikes q visitor on entering the
establishment is the rank overpowering
smell of nicotine which pervades the
whole place-a smell, moreover, which
is utterly indeserlbable 10 those who
do not know il. In the lower rooms
half naked men, brown with the juice
of the plant, were engaged IN wetting
the leaves and packing them IN great
stacks for the purpose of fermentation
which goes on for eighteen months
Close by. under a shed In an open
ward is the powerful steam engine, of
English make, which gives rotary power
to all the machines on the promises
A large part of the machine Work rs
devoted TO the making of snuff, ana
this I was shown in all the varlous
stages of its fabrication. Here, nndS
II is composed OF various tobaccoss
such as Virginia, Hungarian ana
French. together with all contraband
tobacco-some of il very suspicious
looking stuff-seized by the custom
house officers. This mixture Is pro
portionately divided, and makes total
of 100 parts. The snuff makers are i
was informed, the least healthy OF All
the persons employed in the estEDLsh-
ment It may be stated that the
number is 1900, Of whom 1,oOO are
women and girls. Up stairs ere rooms
devoted 70 the sorting of the leaves py
experienced hands, who can tell at once
If the tobacco be of foreign on OF hons
Growth. though I must confess that "
me IL looked much the same. In addition
e. tbe various snuff cutting and pound
ing machines, long gallery Is nlled
with implements, also worked Dy sseaiiis
which neatly splice the compressed
leaves in the pipe tobaccos Known -
MARYLAND" and ''CaPorai, the les1eE
being considerably coarser, Dut' ,,I,.IN ~ -
sid purer than the former. zap
,,-a1 - indeed. Ia the favorite kind with
wba4 nv Guide called "tes VrGs8 Jts-
o,leltrs When saltea and dried these
tobaeeos are, after being Weignedg COM
pressed into paper packets by hyorsnlle
Dresstire. fastened and then re-Hsi8 8heu5
apv overweight or the opposite Deine
Al once detected, and the packet con
demn,sd on the spot. This IS enurely
done nv women. and the quickness and
deftuess which they display IN making
up" is really astonishing. during the
Iast two wears there has been very
great demspd for cigaFettes-so great
indaed- that Il has occasionally been
Greater than the supply. Consequently
there are many rooms filed with gitis
with strings OF stamped Paper-cat Dy
machines 10 another room-Deiore tiieiiiS
and each. with the sid OF q gum Dotlie
and an ingenious little instf fulnsl.
Turns out 900 70 / 800 cigarettes ohl .
The manufacture of cigar y oeTtsini
not a pleasing operation The woman
/ takes a handful Of coarse-looking To-
/ baeoo. gives il q rel with her hands,
rolls q trimmed leaf round IT. tonches
/ the and with brown paste 70 make
everything secure. and the result Il
| = cigar. which Is then made OF the re-
| ouired length by an instrument Ike 9
| turnip-cutter. Some Of these cigars
csst e. little as two or three haltpence.
/ and few government brands are sold 81
3 pence apiece. The reRie provides
/ tobacco suited 70 every TASTE therefore
q whole depaFtment Is devoted % tne
/ pFoceas Of twisting rolls into what =
/ known in Englend as pigtaii. cestlnedl
for the most part, TO be cheWed py
l sailors and the population OF seaport
[ towns. though ] was shown mllae.
| Kind. which was made expressly for and
| smoked in several departments: Ihs
Government factory Is certainly
curious, but not by any means . pleas
ilnt sight, aud II any parent Eiaees :
cure his son Of the ''pernielons h.slt =
smoking" he oonld certainly hot 9e
better than take him % sec the es.aD
hshment on the Quai dOrsay. Al
| confirmed SMOKER hoEeVer, Sos,,
advise not to 20. as be would PEooa.oi'
be dieusted without being cured
Paris Letter.