The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-01-21
My " Friendly Cigar"

! Cigar and cigarette smoking is very
common in Cuba and the Central Ameri-
can States, where the pipe is only used ex
cept by the poorer classes. Stephens
says: II am sorry to say that, generally,
the ladies of Central America, not ex-
1 cepting Guatemala, smoke-married la
dies, puros, or all tobacco; and unmar-
rled, cigars; or tobacco wrapped in paper
or straw. Every gentleman carries in his
pocket silver case, with long string of
cotton, steel and flint, and one of the Off
ees of galIantry is to strike light; by
DONG it well he may kindle a flame in
lady's heart; at all events, to do it bung-
lingly would be ill-bred. / will not eX-
press my sentiments on smoking as Gus
tom for the sex. l have recollections of
beauteous lips profaned. Nevertheless,
even in this, Ihave seen lady show her
! prettiness and refinement, barely touching
the straw with her lips. as it were; kiss
ing IT gently and taking it away. When a
gentleman asks lady for light, she al
ways removes the cigar from her lips"
The ''puros," mentioned in the above, is,
as IFS name implies, a cigar entirely form
ed of tobacco. The papelotos is wrapped
in paper, and sometimes in the thin, dry
leaf of maize. The Spaniards have pro-
verb to this effect; ga paper cigarette, a
Slsico VI lltSIl WdlcI, anu Tue Mss Vi pTeI-
| ty girl, will sustain man for day with
out eating" When first manufactured in
| this country, the filters were of Havana
leaf, while the wrapper was either Ken
lucky or Maryland leaf. Afterwards,
when Connecticut seed leaf began to be
cultivated, Havana filters were used, while
the wrapper was of American tobacco, as
the Connecticut seed leaf was then called.
At this time the tobacco was not cured,
and was, therefore, made up without
sweating. The first discovery of the Dene-
fit of sweat leaf is thus described by an
old cigar manufacturer of Connecticut:
g Having a lot OF leaf to work up, we put
it in one heap, where most of it remained
during the winter, and late in the spring;
on removing the lower part, we noticed
that the leaf had a peculiar odOr, and no
darker in color than When put in the heap.
When smoked, this leaf had a better flavor,
aud was less bitter and rank of flavor than
the other. The idea occurred that the
leaf had undergone some change by re-
manning in bulk, and we thought that it
must have heated which induced us to
try the experiment by boxing it another
season." At this time the finest cigars
were imported, but only small quantity
were used when compared with the vast
trade at present in manufactured and i'm
ported cigars.
In England cigars were formerly CLASH
fled into white (Tobaca BlancO) made from
the Havana and Virginia leaf; and black
(Tobaca Negro), made from Brazilian to-
bacco. Havana cigars are, without doubt,
the finest made. In flavor they are unri-
vailed, while their general good burning
quality makes them the general favOrite of
all lovers of fine cigars. The Havana ci-
gar is well suited to all tastes, as all flavors
may be had-from the mildest to the
strongest. The leaf burns freely and
purely. and leaves fine, white, firm ash
one of the best signs of good cigar.
Fairholt says: "The Havana cigars have
been justly famed as the finest made. The
best tobacco leaves for their fabrication
grow in the Island of Cuba; and the
primest were formerly reserved for the
King of Spain, who used them as presents
tor his officials. The finest leaves are
carefully culled for the cover or outside,
in which are rolled the smaller or torn
leaves. The expectation of leaves unman-
ufactured was once forbidden, nor could
the planter manufacture for himself; he
was compelled TO give up his growth to
the Government commissioner, who al
lowed him its value and manufactured
them in the royal warehouse. The Ha-
vana cigars vary in size and thickness. |
One particularly large and fine kind is TO
be obtained from the priests-such being
made from the picked leaves which are
presented tot church, and manufactured
by the monks themselves. smaller kind
of excellent cigars is made for the use of
ladies; they are termed Queens. Straw
cigars are also made here for ladies' use,
the straw being inserted as a mOuth-piece.
A few years ago they were the only ones
smoked i'll London, but are now seldom
seen. Spanish cigars are those which are
made in the Kings factory at Seville lei !
garros sevillanos); they are generally sold
in altados, or bundles containing tiftv-On =
The Virginia leaf is only used, and the dit |
ference in make between these and havana
cigars is that the outer leaf or covering of
the Havana cigar is wound from right to |
left-that of the Seville cigar from left TO |
right CheroOts are peculiar in their man |
ufacture-not made by hand, but wound
on a wire-both ends being cut fiat"
They are made from Manila and Maryland |
tobacco, and are used in the Philippine |
Islands, France and Germany. Inglis, in |
his Rambles in the Footsteps of Don |
Ouixotte,' says of the Spaniards: "The |
people generally make their cigars at the |
time they smoke, by wrapping up some
tobacco in thin paper, but the inner leaf
of Indian corn is preferred" From each |
variety of cigar leaf cigars are manufac-
tured gaining reputation in proportion |
to the general quality of the leaf of which |
they were made.-E. r. Billings, IN Amer |
lean Grocer.