The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-08
THE TOBACCO NUISANCE.

A0A AOooOOO ~ OAOAENH' "
As we write these words, the memory |
of the fumes of cigars Of all grades and
the odor of tobacco exhaled from all
sorts of pipes, from the villainous clay |
to the costly meerscbaum, assails US,
and even the memory is disgusting.
We go into a railroad Office for a ticket
and stand inhaling the blue and poi
soned air while the agent takes cigar
from his mouth, puffs leisurely the
wreath of smoke from his lips, and
hands. US a ticket which leaves the scent
of tobacco upon our gloves for an hour
after the conductor has relieved US of its
odorous presence. We step into the
street car for hurried ride up town,
and in defiance of the placard an
nouncing mo smoking allowed" a
man stands on the steps or by the driver
and puffs away, almost choking us with
pungent and unwelcome fumes. In
despair we pull the strap and alight,
only to encounter in the course of a
walk of three or four blocks from
dozen to twenty men each putting away
at pipe or cigar as vigorously as if he
were impelled by smoke. In addition
to this, skirts must not be allowed to
touch the sidewalk, lest they become
contaminated with amber stains. We
mount the long flight of tobacco-b -bespat-
tered stairs leading to a lawyers office
and transact our business, shuddering
meanwhile with disgust at the near
proximity of a spittoon overlooking
with tobacco juice, redolent of vile
odors, and garnished with divers and
sundry exhausted guilds and cigar
stumps. We drop into the sanctum of
cotemporary, and the same state of
affairs is visible; even the exchanges
that lie upon the floor and desk have a
smoky look and smell. We visit on
Sabbath a sanctuary, and the broad
cloth in the seats before, behind and
beside US is performed with the weed,
while some devout brethren before the
close of lengthy discourse upon the
beauties of the "far away home of the
SOUL" are not infrequently seen to take
plug (diminutive so as to be more
readily concealed) from the pocket and
solace themselves with nibble thereat.
But these, and all combined, are not q
circumstance to places held exclusive
to the voters and rulers Of the common.
wealth. Go to a courthouse or a public
hall after a political meeting, if you
would see the full enormity, the dis
gusting filthiness of the tobacco nui
} sance. Go, but in the pane of cleanli
ness take care of your skirts, and picl
, your steps, and at the risk of being
thought impolite protect your olfacto
ries with your handkerchief. Afte
glancing around for the space of half
minute, if you are not fully and firml,
convinced that men are not fit to worl
: alone your sense of the necessities of tn
: case will be extremely dull.
Mary Clemmer Ames, speaking G
/ this nuisance in the national House c
t Representatives, says in the Independ
ent:
. "The pale blue carpet is about as soiled as
stable floor" walked through it, when it va
, empty, the other morning, and was astonIshe,
I not at the number of the spittoons, but thf
D they had been rarely used, and that tobacC
: guilds stained the delicate tints of the carpe
- and that the piles of debris had been sweI
into the corners. nastier place would /
3 difficult TO imagine. Even the outside porticC
and steps are furnished with these detestab
n receptacles in vain, while the entire surface
= the steps of the great marble wings are di
. grace to the nation. The marble reeks wit
tobacco excrescences from beginning to en-
r and is discolored from top to bottom.
/ 1t is a farce, too serious to excit
d mirth, for men who chew and smok
l. away during a session not only the
n own best energies, but hundreds of do
Il lars in specie, to sit and spit and prat
of economy and reform. We shoul
e indeed hope that the events of the pa
t few months would be sufficient to col
If vince the veriest dullard that being alb
n to smoke daily an incredible number
l. cigars rather units than qualities ma
i to be President of a great nation, ar
that a national Congress whose men
bers, regardless of economy, cleanline
and good order, prate constantly of r
IF form, are not to be relied upon for r
1t suits that will work much of a revolt