The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-28
Cigarette in Havana.

The principal cigarette factory is, as is
well known, the factory of NJ. Susini
La HOnOradez"- Honoradez" signi-
flying, in Spanish, honesty, the motto of
the house. 1t consists of series of IL
regular buildings, covering an area in
space about equal to that occupied by
the usual Broadway block. On the
upper floor of the principal building we
md lot OF. tobacco, which has just ar
rived and is being prepared for inspec-
ton, the first requisite being to remove
from it any leaves that are either dead or
in any way injured. The tobacco lies
loosely scattered over an immense
wooden tray, which is kept continually
moving, by means of machinery, from
one end of a table to the other. Around
this table are seated some twelve or
fourteen Cuban workmen, all good
judges of tobacco. Each one throws
aside such leaves as he deems unfit for
use, while the slow but yet continual
motion given to the tray brings each
imperfection successfully before the eyes
OF all. The next step is to free the to-
oacco from any particles Of sand and
earth that may adhere to 1t. This is
done by moving the tray by machinery
until 1t is over large bin, into which
the tobacco is allowed to fall, being
subjected in its passage to a powerful
current of air induced by means of an
fan, likewise worked by machinery
One step more, and very simple one
that Of drying and the tobacco is ready
for change of form. The tobacco is
dried by simply exposing it on the roof,
for few hours, to the heat of the sun.
For cigarettes it can scarcely be too dry,
or for cigars too damp. A Cuban would
not think of smoking other than
damp cigar. In the factories one sees
the workmen smoking cigars they have
Just rolled, and no native could under
stand why one should smoke dry cigars
in which so much of the natural flavor
has been lost.
Thus far the process has been entirely
one OF the cleansing or OF freeing from
impurities. The next step is that of
cutting the leaves into fine particles in
order to adapt the tobacco for cigar
cites. The scattered leaves are col
lected and subjected to powerful ny
draulic pressure, from which they come
out looking for all the world like pile
Of snutf-colored brick. The nodded
tobacco next goes to the cutting machine,
falling from thence INTO a sieve, the
meshes Of which pass only such pieces
as have been reduced to the proper size.
The remainder is passed into hopper,
and thence goes for second cutting.
One step more, and the tobacco will be
issued to the "rollers." Some half
dozen Chinese enter the room, each
carrying with him small vessel CON
tanning an aromatic liquid, with which
the loose tobacco is carefully sprinkled
The preparation of this liquid is not
known. 1t is doubtless the desire to
keep it secret that leads to the prefer
ence of Chinese over native labor
Before following the tobacco further
let US look at the remaining portion of
the cigarette, the wrapper. The orig
inal envelope for the tobacco was doubt
less composed of leaves, the followers
of Columbus carrying back to Spain ac
counts of the strange custom existing
among the natives of Salvador, the
smoking of tobacco wrapped in the
leaves of the palm, which was doubtless
the primitive cigarette In France to
this day new straws are much used, but
generally paper has become the popular
envelope. This paper must be especial
ly manufactured. Most of it comes
from Barcelona, where the making of
cigarette paper constitutes an important
industry. All of that used at the :" Hon |
oradez' factory, after inspection, is
carefully stamped with the name
Susini." by unrolling any of this
brand of cigarettes this mark can be
readily seen, and serves as the readiest !
means of detecting counterfeits. A por-
ton of the paper is sprinkled with vari- |
GUS preparations to give to it the flavor
of tea, licoriCe, or such other taste as
may suit certain customers. This eX-
plains the variation IN the color Of the |
wrapper, which is sometimes straw
color, sometimes brown, but usually