Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-28
VOL. L. NEW SERIES. VOL. XIII.
From the Boston Commercial Bulletin.
Consuming the Weed.

From the Boston Commercial Bulletin.
Consuming the Weed.
SMOKING, CHEWING AND DIPPING KING
OF SMOKERS GREAT TOBACCO USERS, ANCIENT
AND MODERN.
Connecticut tobacco is now largely used
for cigar wrapper. Indeed large quantities
of it are exported to Cuba for that purpose,
the Cubans having found it fully equal TO
their o%n. Manya prime Havana Is sold
over the cigar dealers counter, to-day.
with Connecticut jacket on and nobody is
poorer for it. In 1875, S9,SlS cases of Gu
ban tobacco were imported into the United
States for the manufacture of cigars.
1t may be stated, however, that although
we are beginning to manufacture cigars on a
large scale, we have not ceased to import
them. The statistics are not at hand to
show the imports of the last two years. but
in 1872 We received from Cuba 229, 81, ,5i5
cigars, and in 1873 about 231. 600, 600. In the
former year We also received 19,3i3,7O1 ci-
garettes, and in the latter year $4,000, 000.
This is not great quantity, however. con-
sidering the extent of the country, and the
large population. Cnba smoked, herself, II
couple of years ago. l,6755, 600, 600 cigars, to
say nothing of cheroots and cigarettes.
Large quantities of fcigars are manutac
tured in Europe, particularly in Spain and
North Germany. Cigars are shipped from
Hamburg and Bremen to every part of the
habitable globe. The Hamburgers them
selves smoke 80, 900 cigars day. Seville.
in Spain, has also large cigar manufactures
and a cigar OF the Seville brand is regarded as
a great luxury in England.
NATIONAL PEcuLIARITIEs.
Tobacco is used in variety of ways The
average American chews. while at work, and
smokes his cigar after meals The lsraelite
betrays his Eastern origin by his preference
| for well seasoned, cool-smoking meershaum;
the German, in the hurry and hustle of Amer
lean life has no leisure for the calm, quiet.
smoke from fancy painted porcelain bowl
and curiously carved wooden stem, and so
| burns his tobacco in the form of cigar ; the
the Irishman clings to the custom of his
native land, and will not be separated from
his dudeen the Scotchman likes u
Glasgow Guilty, or, in lieu of 1t, pinch OF
snuff Rob Roy brand the Englishman
chews navy, and smokes fine cut, or cigars,
whichever comes handiest In Cuba and in
| Central and South America the cigar and the
cigarette prevail. Pipe smoking is popu lar
in Ireland, snuffing in Scotland and smoking,
chewing. and snuffing in England. The
French smoke pipes and cigarettes ;the Span
| ish, and Portuguese, cigars, and cigarettes
the Dutch and Germans, both cigars and
pipes The Russian is pipe smoker, and
| the Turk takes his chibouque filled with aro-
matte Turkish, and his coffee together
Nearly all the Asiatics smoke pipes with
monstrous bowls, and long, flexible stems.
| The women of Eastern countries smoke as
| well as the men. Old women in Germany,
England. Scotland, and Ireland smoke pipes
and drink tea. In the Southern States ofthe
| American Union snuff is used by women, be-
| cause they say it whitens their teeth, and
brightens their eyes. They practice what is
called the custom of snuff dipping. This
| curtom prevails to great extent among the
female operatives in the large manufacturing
cities of New England. Nothing can be said
| in IFS favor, and much could be said against 1t
but as this article has been prepared, rather
with a view to furnishing information than to
| indulgency in criticism, futher comment on
the custom is torborne.
THE king OF SMOKERS"
year or two ago there died in Rotterdam
q certain Mynheer Van klaes. to whom is
certainly due the title of the King OF the
Smokers. To gain this distinction in the
great nation of puffers, must require almost
superhuman powers and a love for the Indian
weed that passes understanding. But Van
klaes was ever superior to the emergency.
1t took no effort on his part to gain the
smoky crown and wear it while he lived. He
did not even die young, as We might have
| anticipated from his INN oderate use of the
weed. but both enjoyed life and smoking
until he had passed his eighty-tirst birth
day.
During the long vista of smoky years in
which he revelled in his pipe, Van hlaes con-
sumed four tons of tobacco, well wetted down
| by 500, 600 quarts of ale, which he drank,
/ i. Ill,
er national beverages dear to every Dutch
heart. that he took in copious draughts as a
| matter of course.
| In Mynheers house was sumptuOus
apartment entirely devoted to pipes and to-
bacco. Every variety of the fragrant weed
| grown on earth's surface was to be found
there, in the plug cut up. or shredded Ci-
gars. cigarettes, and cigarillas were grouped
about IL tasteful display. But above all.
Mynheer's pipes first rivetted the visitors
eve. In this choice collection every branch
or variety of the pipe family had its repesent-
ative one could trace the whole evolution OF
the race. from the clumsy bowl and thick
steam of Sir Walter Raigh's clay to the
lovely carved meerschaum from Trebizond
In his temple of tobacco the veteran would
| sit putting prodigious volumes of smoke from
his well-flled pipe, only pausing now and
then to wet his thirsty life with drink OF ale.
1t is said that his last heeting breath was
borne from his liieless body on cloud ofira-
grant smoke.
THE RULING PASSION.
A few hours before his death Van kales
called for q notary to make his will Putting
vigorously and after taking a pull at his
Schiedam, Mynheer gave precise directions
for the performance of his obsequies. In
the first place his coffin was to be thorough
ly lined with the tops, bottoms, and sides
of boxes that had contained his fayorite ci-
gars then bladder of the finest dry-cut
Dutch golden leaf was to be placed at his
feet. Most important of all. his fayorite pipe
must be laid by his side. firm conviction
that his soul was not going to dwell in those
latitudes where fire is always sure to be close
at hand, caused Mynheer to direct his execu-
tor to place box Of matches by his side,
and with great foresight he also desired that
a flint and steel should be added, as by some
Unforeseen occurrence the matches might
dampen before they would be wanted
Having thus attended to his personal wants
in the next world, Van Klaes desired that
the smokers in the neighborhood should be
invited to his funeral, each one to be present.
ed with ten pounds of tobacco, and two
pipes stamped with the name and arms of
Van klaes, together with the date OF donors
demise. These guests were to be admonish-
ed to keep their pipes lighted during service.
and to scatter ashes on the coffin as it was
being consigned to mother earth.
The poor of the vicinity who observed
these instructions faithfully were to be pre-
sented on each anniversary of Mynheers
death with ten pounds of tobacco, and
firkin OF ale apiece. After these items were
arranged to his liking, Mynheer smoked his
last breath constant to the last, and certain
ly deserving to be immortalized as the great
est smoker since the flood"
The first civilized smoker worthy OF note
seems to have been Sir Walter Raleigh.
There seems to be grave doubts as to whether,
as is claimed, the honor OF introducing to-
bacco rather the custom Of smoking' into
England. really belongs to Raleigh. The
learned Camden, who lived at the period,
names Ralph Lane, one of the early govern
ors OF Virginia, as the Original English
smoker. BE tnat as At may, it was Raleigh
himself the fashion, who first made smoking
popular. although he was one ofthe courtiers
of the punctillious Virgin Queen"
Popular tradition still knows him as the
man who introduced tobacco into England,
connecting with him the incident OF the fright
ened servant who doluged him with beer while
he was smoking believing his ml ster to be on
fire. Raleigh was devoted smoker himself
and stood on no ceremony to take pull at
his pipe.
Aubrey, contemporary author whom We
quoted last week, says that 'SIr W alter Raj
eigh standing in a stand at Sir Robet Poy ntz
parke at Acton, tooke a pipe OF tobacco which
made the ladies quite II till he had donne. "
He was also a consistent smoker and If he
did not scruple to smoke the ladies out, he
yet faithful to the end, to his beloved weed
smoked out the last hours of his own event
} ful life. Aubrey says, "He tooke pipe of
tobacco a little before he went to the scafiOld
which some female persons were seandalized
at but | think twas well and properly donne
, to settle his spirits"
, In fact. Aubrey, too. had Il leaning toward
, tobacco, for he tells us that he invariably
''tooke pipe" after dinner to aid diges-
ton.