The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-08
Histo,r,y .of Tobncco.

a new nEsIOTy OIL tODaCCo uHu lis dssOClI-
tions has just been published, from arevieW
Of which we CLEAN some interesting facts.
Tobacco, 1t seems, was not Introduced into
Europe until 1860. Jean sNicot, Lord OF
Viliemafn, Master of the Requests OF the
French Kings household, and Ambassador
to the Portuguese Court, purchased while
at Lisbon some tobacco seed from a Flemish
merchant, who had ATTAINED 1t in Florida,
and on his return to France, in 1851, he pre-
scented to Catharine de Medicis few Of the
plants obtained from this seed. England
did not learn the, Use Of tobacco until four
or five years later, and it seems doubtful
whether the honor usually. accorded to Sir
Walter Raleigh OF introducing II to his
countrymen Is well deserved. The, first
English smoker appears to have been Ralph
Lane, who was sent out by Raleigh, ,as Gov
ernor Of Virginia, and returned 70, England
In 1886. s' '.A.%!'.sZs
Mr. Fairholt, the author OF the book we
have referred to, does not attempt to settle
the vexed question as to the ,evil. or bene-
fetal effect Of tobacco upon the constitu-
ton. He records, however, the historical
fact that the smokers are winning the day,
and having passed through persecution are
now becoming aggressive. The use OF to-
bacco is spreading rather than decreasing.
1t is curious fact, by the way, that those
inveterate smokers, the Turks and Persians,
at first declared smoking to ben SIN against
their holy religion, and to render the Gus
tom ridiculous, Turk who had been
found smoking was conducted through the
streets Of Constantinople with pipe trans
fixed through his nose. The traveller SAN
dys saw an unfortunate so treated in the
year 1910. .,s,
OF course Mr.. Fairholt gives us the names
OF the celebrated men who have recorded
their liking or distaste for tobacco. The
numbers are very equally divided. Among
the haters Of the weed are included James
l., Louis XIV, Taylor the waterproof, Penn
the Quaker, Cowper, Goethe, BaZac, and
Dumas. Among the lovers figure promi-
nently Frederick 7. OF Prussia, Hobbies Of
Malmcsbury, Dean, Aldrich, Sir Isaac New
ton, DR.. Parr, Robert Hall, Charles Lamb,
Scott, Campbell, and Byron. To these last
may be added BuIwer Lytton, if his we'll
known apostrophe to tobacco in "What
Will He Do With it?" is to be taken as in
dicative of his personal opinion.
The largest pipe in existence is the Kiln
prepared at the docks for the burning OF
damaged tobacco, which goes by the name
OF " Her Majesty's tobacco pipe.' Between
it and the dainty cigarette OF the trench or
Spanish dandy are ranged an infinite va
riety of smoking apparatus. The Spanlards
have proverb that ga paper cigarette, a
glass Of fresh water, and the kiss OF pretty
girl, will sustain a man for day without
eating" On the other hand, some OF the
German pipes will contain an ounce OF to-
bacco at time. -
Upon the subject Of chewing and snuff
IT,. P,,n h,1f hnp l,
as entertaining. All the property OF the
weed is certainly monopolized by the smo-
ker. In the dedication of the book the all.
thor says that his first remembrances are OF
fathers tobacco-warehouse, where lie used
to roll in the tobacco leaf as country chill.
dren in bayfield,, and to play at hide and
seek in the empty barrels. He possesses,
therefore, unusual qualifications for the
office of historiographer OF tobacco, and he
seems to have produced very entertaining
volume. -