The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-01-17
SECRETS or CIGAR MAKING.
Experts Expiain what the Thinranre that
Smokers PuH-Au Addrcs ~ the
United Cigar Manufacturers
ALRUcintiOn.


Experts ExpIain what the ThinEanre that
Smokers PuT-Au Addrcs ~ the
United Cigar Mnnutaciurers'
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, word
concerning the unsuspGcting smoker.
First, it may be stated that tobacco is a
substance OF such tender nature that it
will readily absorb foul as it does moist
air. and tobacco, exposed for Il short
time only to impure air in cases Of sick
ness in the family, will, if made into
cigars, disseminate the disease to other
places. The workman, whose family in
many cases consist Of from four to eight
children, besides himself and wife, Occu
pies in most instances room and a bed
room. All Of them have to sleep in this
limited space, 20 small, in fact, that it can
be spanned by the outstretched arm.
About one hundred pounds OF moist or
drying, in all cases strongly vaporing,
tobaccs is constantly kept in these rooms.
During the working thereof this tobacco
is shaken up, and the lungs Of the occu-
pants inhale its dust and vapor. To-
bacco and its waste lie scattered all over
the floor Of the apartments, and the child
which isnot 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 the room where the cigars are
made. 1t can not possibly be avoided
that filth finds its way into the cigars
made here, which are subsequently pulled
with the greatest relish by the smoking
population. Should not a smoker have
a right to demand the same cleanliness
in cigar factory which every one
expects to find in the store of Il butcher,
baker, or grocer, particularly III such
places of business where 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
| flavor of the tobacco hides all faint.
We who know that these are positive
facts, would under no circumstances
smoke these cigars the attempt to do 30
would turn our stomachs. Cigars made
in these factories are mainly sold in
groceries, apothecary stores and also i'll
large and well furnished cigar stores,
whose owners do not manufacture for
themselves.
We now come TO another branch Of
the modern" SO-caled improved y
way of manufacturing cigars. Almost
everyone who smokes has made trial O
the cigar advertised in conspicicuou'
manner as Warranted Havana filled
five cents cigers." Suppose the smoker
: is not accustomed to imported llavanas
/! he will say of such five cent cigar tha
, it can't be called an extra fine one bu
t then, he says, it isn't very expensive, ant
: for little money have smoked genuine
t Havana tobacco. Just this is the pOin
!, we want to come to. The inner filling
Z of these cigars consist of tobacco Gu
y short by machinery, which makes it tn
e so called scraps. These scraps, accordiu
e to the large Iettcred placards and Label:
have been cut from Havana tobacco
Leaty filings can easily be recognize
IS by most anybody>engaged in our bu
= iness; but these scraps, shorter than al
G solutely necessary for work, can not |
n Judged of, even by experts. We giN
e the reader the assurance that it is Il
intention of the makers to deceive cvel
d one with this short stuff. We al
0 assure the public that the llaval
a flavor" results only from the fact tn
e about one.eighth OF the filling is tax,
II from the refuse products OF Cuba, seve
e eighth of the contents being grown wit
e in the domains of Uncle Sam. A chem
e who understands his business, will, for
.e small compensation, prepare the Ilava
n flavor needed in the manufacture of the
2. cigars. The cost price to the manuia
r. turer for cigars of this kind is from 5
le to $40 per thousand. They are sold
=. retailers at $50, netting the former
n profit larger than the imagination OF t
lie most infatuated smoker would reac
X Why, then, would you pay five cents
ut one of these cigars, when it Isn't wor
1T more than half that amount? Is it ?,
m sible that such impositions can SO heart
a be supported by the public?
in The demand of smokers for dark, p'
q. sibly black.cigars, seems AT first to
te come an insumOuntable obstacle
in cigar manufacturers. As nature dc
he noe produce dark or black tobacco, che
TX istry must again be called on for I
of relief. Wrappers are now coiorsd eeto
rt manufacture, and the finished clga
even the lightest ones, are changed to
On beautiful brown or black by dn apple
nd tion of the chemical compound to th'
ne surface. That such processes are nee
lie sary we would not blame the manuit
,e. turor. but the smoker himself. L
,is manufacturer is obliged to find means
ds suit his customers. All that can be e
Q. pccted of him is the confession that
n art;tiaial colorinp has been used.