The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-01-18
SECRETS OF CIGAR MAKING.
Experts Explain what the Things are that
smoke RS Rum-An Adarea by The
Unified Cigar Manufacturers'

United Cigar 3Ianufaeturers'
Association.
1t is probably well known that the
greater number of cigars manufactured
OF late years has been made in so-called
tenement house factories. Now, a word
concerning the unsuspecting smoker.
First, 1t may be stated that tobacco is a
substance OF such tender nature that il
will readily absorb foul as it does moist
air and tobacco, exposed for a short
time only to impure cir, IN cases of sick
ness in the family, will, if made into
cigarh, Disseminate the disease to other
places. The workman, whose family in
many cases consist Of from fouc to eight
children, besideo himself and wife, occu-
pies IN most instances a room and bed
room. All of them have to sleep in this
limited space, so small, in fact, that it can
be spanned Wy tire outstretched arms.
Abo.t one hundred pounds of moist or
drying, in all cases strongly vaporing,
tobacco is constantly kept in these rooms
During the working thereof this tobacco
is shaken up, and the lungs of the occu-
pants tnhale its dust and yapor. To-
baccp and 'ts waste lie scattered all over
the soOr of the apartments, ana the child
which is not yet able to walk is compelled
TO roll about on, and among these wastes,
which are not thrown away, but again
worked into cigars. Births and deaths
occur in the midst of this laboratory.
All housework, such as cooking, washing
ironing and cleaning of children has to
be done in tie room where the cigars are
made. II can not possibly be avoided
that filth finds its way into the cigars
made here, which are subsequently pulled
L L.,
population. Should not q smoker have
a right 10 demand the same cleanliness
| in a cigar factory which every one
expects to find in the store of butcher,
! baker, or grocer, particularly in such
| places of business whare articles to be
used as food are bought? The poor weed
/ which these so called factories offer to a
| smoker will not only ruin his health, but
| he would scarcely be willing to exchange
| his good money for such an impure
| article were he informed OF the matter
/ which Is worked into them-the strong
| AavOr OF the tobacco hides all faint
! We, who know that these are positive
/ iacts, would under no circumstances
/ smoke these cigars the attempt to de &c
/ would turn our stomachs. Cigars made
| in these factories are mainly sold il
| groceries, apothecaTy stores, and also IN
! large aud well furnished cigar stores
whose owners do not manufacture fol
| themselves.
We now come 10 another branch o
the "modern so-called improved
way of manufacturing cigars. Almost
everyone who smokes has made a trial o
/ the cigar advertised in a conspicicuoJ
/ manner as Warranted Havana filleC
| five cents cigers." Suppose the smoker
Is not accustomed To imported Havanas
he will say of such five cent cigar thai
it can't be called an extra fine one but
/ then, he says, it isn't very expensive, anC
for little money l have smoked genuine
| Havana tobacco. Just this is the point
we want to come te. The inner Filings
of these cigars consist of tobacco GU
short by machinery, which makes it the
20 called scraps. These scraps, according
TO the large lettered placards and labels
| have been cut from Havana tobacco
| Leaiy filings can easily be recognized
by most anybody engaged in our bus
| iness but these scraps, shorter than alb
| sOlutely necessary for work, can not bt
judged of, even by experts. We give
| the reader the assurance that II Is the
intention of the makers TO deceive every
one with this short stuff. We alsC
assure the public that the " Havana
flavor" results only from the fact that
about one-eighth OF the filling IS taker
from the refuse products Of Cuba, seven
eighth of the contents being grown with
in the domains of Uncle Sam. A chemist
who understands his business, will, for /
small compensation, prepare the Havana
flavor needed in the manufacture of these
cigars. The cost price to the manuiac
turer for cigars of this kind Is from SlC
to $50 per thousand. They are sold Il
retailers at $50, netting the former
profit larger than the imagination of the
most infatuated smoker would reach
Why. then, weuld you pay five cents 10
one of these cigars, when 1t isn't wortl
more than half that amount? Is it pos
sible that such impositions can 50 heartl!
be supported by the public?
The demand of smokers for dark, pos
| sibly black cigars, seems at first to be
come an insurmountable obstacle L
! cigar manufacturers. As nature doe
NOT produce dark or black tobacco, chem
| istry must again be called on for th'
! relief. Wrappers are now cOlOred befor
| manufacture, and the finished cigars
| even the lightest ones, are changed to
| beautiful brown or black by an applica
ton OF the chemical compound to thei
| surface. That such processes are neces
sary we would not blame the manufac
| turer but the smoker himself. Tn
| manufacturer is obliged to find means t.
suit his customers. All that can be ex
pected of him is the confession that al
| artificial coloring has been used.