The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-27
Hnvrna's cigar Factories

| III,
one is at once struck by the admirable cool
Wild Wild passes through AID thronRglfe Rlfeef It, ana &
although there are over 800 men, women
and boys at work, the air is as fresh and
cool as on mountain top. On the ground
| floor Is long warehouse, where over Q, 600
bales OF tobacco are stored. Besides this
| stock, the proprietorhas a warehouse in tue
| city, where there are 1000 bales. This is
all tobacco Of the crop Of 1879, and, as the
present crop is almost an entire failure, the
manufacturers are making only enough
cigars to fill their orders. They prefer to
keep as much on hand as possible, expect
ing higher prices very soon. The average
value Of a bale Of tobacco is about $76.
Some Of the very findest kinds Of wrappings
cost rs much as $400 bale. Insurance is
very high: the rate being one and half per
cent upon the stock at the factory and one
per cent upon that warehoused. At some
factories the rate is even higher, on account
Of the wooden lining of the buildings.
it is distributed to the pickcrs, who take
the bundles, sort them, stretch the leaves,
remove the strong fibre that runs down the
middle of the leaf and place the leaves :nat
are to serve as Wrappers upon one side.
For this work they receive ten cents gold
for every ten bundles. The filings, or
pieces of leaf that are too small for wrap
pers, are then carried up to the second floor,
where they are spread out and separated
into five different classes, according to the
strength of, the flavor and the fncncss of the
leaf. Five shafts run down to the floor
beneath, and each shaft Is fed with tobacco
of different class. These shafts deposit
the tobacco in the room where The cigar
makers are ut work, and each man, when
he wants moro tobacco. takes a square piece
of canvas about the size OF large pocket
handkerchief to tho attendant, who fills it
from the proper Shaft Besides these five
kinds Of Rllings there is q still finer quality,
composed of the pieces cut off the wrappers
Of the best cigars, and used to fill the cigars
that are to command the higest price in the
market. Meantime the wrappers are hand
cd over to skilful operators who carefully
sort them accol ing to their ffncness and
color This is the most important part of
the whole process, as the profits of cigar
making depend upon the nice jugdncnt
shown by the men who separate tho wrap
pcrs and who give the cigar-makers the
kind suited to their filings. Should fine
wrapper be used for nm inferior cigar it
would be clear waste, and If fine cigar be
wrapped IN a rough leaf 1t Wonld be thrown
out by the man who separates the cigars.
The room In which the cigars are made is
large, lofty apartment, with a stone floor.
The cigarmakcr sit in rows at benches,
which are divided of by low partitions, to
prevent the tobacco Or cigars of two adjoin-
ing makers becoming mixed. A little
board, black with tobacco juice, lies on the
bench Upon this the cigars are rolled.
The cigarmaker takes from his heap Of fill
| ings enough tobacco to make a cigar. This
he fashions into shape, and then, taking a
leaf from his heap OF wrappers, he folds 1t
carefully round The Filings, beginning at
the small end, trimming It with a sharp
knife, and cutting II square off at the other
end. Thenhe takes small piece Of grease,
smears 1t on tho wrapper, and thus closes
the smaller end Of the cigar. Many cigar
makers give the end a twist In their mouths,
and this is especially the cese with the neg
roey engaged in this department. Each
operator has a little mould marked with tho
size OF cigar he is making, and the Cigar
must measure exactly the proper length
marke nthemOlild, and must pass through
a hole bored In 1t. AS soon as. fifty. cigars
are tntshed they are tied In q bundle, and a
slip OF paper marked with tie number Of
tile maker is stuck under The string. Wher,
lt'aeltlme for paying comes the ;proprietot