The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-10-22
Tricks Of the Tobacco Trade.

Many apocryphal stories are told of
the way plug tobacco is doctored and
adulterated, but, sifted down, the truth
is fully expressed in the words of a
prominent manufacturer:
Nothing ever goes into tobacco Us
Geleterious or injurious to the human
constitution as the tobacco itself"
Nevertheless, skilled wOrkmen COM
mand extraordinarily high salaries for
the deXterity with which they will take
cheap or damaged lot of tobacco, and
so disguise 1t in wrapper as to de-
ceive even an old tar.
An average plug tobacco manufacture
ing establishment works about two
hundred hands. The tobacco is sorted
into four grades, from which are pro-
duced as many rs seventy-hve different
brands-the pencil of the artist and the
skill of the photographer being literally
brought into reQuisiton for ornamental
designs to catch the toothless old man
as well as the precociouS boy. While
the Government requires every package
to bear the stencil mark of the manu-
facturer, it would be supposed that
none but straight goods would be put
up; but it is with tobacco as with
whisky-always fair demand for the
stuff, be it ever so vile. Licorice, oils,
molasses, glucose and similar sweets
are literally used by some manufacture
ers, and, while it is certainly cheat,
it is as well a harmless one. For exam
pie: On August 20, Virginia-plug was
quoted at 4(G4} cents, Government tax
added l6 cents; yet the manufactured
product was quoted as low as II cents.
Evidently the work-up of these plugs
had the tobacco-chewer by the lug.
But in line-eut tobacco and cigars is
where the greatest deception is prac-
ticed. A Western manufacturer SAYS
that there is no end to the adulteratiOn
OF tine-cut goods. Machinery has been
so improved that, as he says, with one
pound of tobacco liquor, obtained by
boiling down stems and refuse leaf, one
pound OF rag weed and one pound of
slippery elm bark, five dollars worth of
tine-cut chewing tobacco can be pro-
duced. The suggestion of slippery elm
bark was new one, and the inquiry
was pursued farther. He said it was
nicely shaved and mixed with tobacco;
that it had pleasant, sweet taste, held
the tobacco together, and made the
iulu ldSb u lOLP Illll6. HIS DARK
costs about four cents a pound, and
when third of it is made to replace
tobacco that costs as high as seventy
five cents pound, one can easily see
the enormous profit resulting. A gen.
tleman who knows says that nearly all
the slippery elm trees in Ohio, Indiana
and Michigan have been denuded of
their bark, yet leading wholesale
druggist aifirms that 5000 pounds of
slippery elm bark would, for the legiti-
mate druggist and medicinal trade,
glut the entire market of the United
States.
In cigars, cheroots, cigarettes and
smoking tobacco is probably where the
public gets robbed the worst. The cum
ming devices are so many that even
good judges are imposed upon. 1t used
to be boast among gentlemen that
they could select fine brand of cigars,
and OF course they smoked no other.
The other day an old smoker, whose
devotion to the weed cost him So every
week, admitted that he couldn't tell
Havana filled from Connecticut filed.
The dishonest article, however, is the
product OF the big manufactures, for
the small country manufacturer cannot
afford the machinery nor conceal the
lotions and decoctions that are brought
into requisition by his Weather com
petitor. 1t is quite safe to assume that
about the purest-no, not purest, for if
there is one thing impure, it is tobacco
the honestest cigar is the handmade
cigar OF the local manufacturer. -Bos-
ton Herald.