The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-05-24
bLOOMsBOKG Pa, FRIDAY. MAY o. 1878.
Cigar Ends.

PROBABLY lew people in this country are
aware that the usually wasted substance a
cigar-end, il utilized in Germany to large
extent, and with even beneficial results.
We can imagine many readers wonder.
ing what can be the object of collecting
these small ends and will, therefore, brief
ly explain that they are sold for the purpose
lof being made into snuff, and that the pro.
ceeds of such sales are devoted to charitable
purposes. There is in Berlin society called
the 'Verein der Sammler Won Cigarren ABB
schnitten,' or the Society OF Collectors of Ci-
gar cuttings, which has been in existence
some ten years and has done much good.
Every Christmas the proceeds of the cigar.
ends collected by this society and its friends
are applied to the purchase of clothes for
some poor orphan children.
In 1870 about thirty children were clothed
by this society each child being provided
with shirt, a pair of good leather boots, a
pair OF woolen stockings, a warm dress and
pocket handkerchief In addition to this.
large, well-decorated Christmas.tree is Civ
home with good supply of fruit and sweet
meats, Altogether more than two hundred
poor orphan children have been clothed by
this society simply by the proceeds of such
small things as cigar ends.
The success of the Society at Berlin has
induced further enterprise in the same drec-
ton, and it is now proposed to erect build
ing to be called the 'Deutches Reichs. Wal
senhaus' Imperial German Orphan Home),
where orphans who are left unprovided for
may be properly cared for, clothed and in
structed. The site proposed for this insti-
tuition is at Lahr, in Baden, where there are
number of snuff manufactures, and it Is
therefore well adapted to the scheme, which
we can only hope may be successfully car
ried out.
The system Of collection, which is EXTEND
ed over large part of Germany, is general
y undertaken by one or two ladies or gentle
men in each town, who collect now aud then
from their smoking friends the ends which
they have been saving up. These collectors
either sehd on the cigar ends to the central
society or sell them on the spot and transmit
the proceeds. This latter plan when it can
be worked, is preferable, saving expenses
in packing. 1t is propose that the number
of childr, II which each town shall have the
privilege of sending to the home shall be
regulated according to the amount which
they have contributed to the society.
To insure the success of this Institution
it will be absolutely necessary for all to unite
and work together; each one must not leave
it for his neighbor, thinking that one more
or less can make no difference. To show
however, what might be accomplished by q
thorough unity in this matter, let us say that
there at least some ten millions of smokers
in Germany or to be much within the
mark, we will take only five million smok-
ers who will give themselves the trouble, il
such it is, of saving up their cigar ends and
assuming that the cigar ends of each person
during one week are worth only quarter
pfennig (ten pfennig equal one penny Eng
lish), we have a total revenue for the year
of six hundred and fifty thousand marks, oi
thirty-two thousand five hundred pounds.
Now, these these thirty-two thousand fiv,
hundred pounds, which, as a rule,are thrown
away and wasted, can be used to provide
| home for at least thirteen thousand poor or
phan children. Further, if the FIVE million
smokers would contribute. but once a yea
the value of only single cigar, say in Ger
many one penny, this would make an addi
tonal five hundred thousand marks, or TWEEN
tyfive thousand pounds, which would cloth
another ten thousand children.
Now we ask, is it not worth while to b
careful in small things and to save these us
ually wasted cigar ends, when we see wha
great things might result? We can onI
conclude by wishing success to this remark
able institution, which has taken for il
motto tho most appropriate words, Vie
Wenig machen Elm Niel : or in the words
the old Scottish proverb, Many little max,
mickle. = Uambers journal.