Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-18
How Plug Tobacco is Made

How Plug Tobacco Is Made
An Eastern paper gives the follow
ing interesting account OF the manu-
faeture of this form of tobacco: The
tobacco is first stemmad, when it is
taken into another building, where,
at the top story, the apparatus is
placed for the sweetening. spicing,
etc. consisting of large copper ket-
ties containing syrup in one, granu-
lated sugar and water in another,
while o. third has sweetened syrup,
which has within it cloves, allspice,
and vsrious other spices of aromatic
nature which are used for different
grades OF tobacco. Another tank
has q solution of licorice and water,
and various ingredients, such as are
necessary to give the proper taste
and color to the tobacco. The to-
bacco is here taken, after having
been stemmed and dipped into the
solution, which may contain one,
two or more of the various ingred-
tents in use, according to what the
tobacco is to be when finished. This
solution is hot. After having been
dipped, it is passed through pair
of squeeze rolls, which only allow a
certain amount of solution to be
held by the leaf. This is process
number two, and is what is techni-
cally called sweetening. It is then
taken from the rolls, put in large
baskets and run into the dry rooms,
which are fitted up with large
amount of steam pipes. The to-
bacco is hung in such q way that
the air has a free circulation about
it, and it is here completely dried,
every particle Of moisture being
taken out that is possible. This is
process number three, Of drying out.
1t is then taken to what is called the
job-room, where the favoring is put
on it, and it is put into proper con-
dition for stamping. Here great
care must be- taken to prevent it
from getting too moist or too dry,
and as tobacco is such an absorbant
of moisture, it often occurs that one
department of the factory will be
entirely stopped bscause the tobacco
in another is too moist, by reason
perhaps of q change in the weather.
The tobacco having now been put in
proper condition, which is process
number four, it is then taken into
another room, which is called the
I" lump.room;" there it is shaped
and wrapper put about the bundle,
when it is ready to go to the formers.
The wrapping and shaping requires
a great deal Of dexterity, as well as
experience. The tobacco here, after
being wrapped by the man at the
bench, passes over to another bench,
where the inspectors are working.
These men arc so accurate in this,
that nine times out of ten, by taking
the bundle in their hand, they will
discover the difference of one quar-
ter OF an ounce and throw the pack
age back for the man to put in more
or white off some, so that each plug
may have the same weight, whether
it be ones. twos, threes, fivss or
sevens to the pound. In this room,
what is to make q plug OF tobacco
looks like small bundle of clothes
in a leaf of tobacco; it has something
of the shape, but very little of the
appearance Of, q compressed plug or
head of tobacco. After having been |
examined and weighed, which is
process number five, it is taken to
the lower floor, where it is priced,
which is the pressure that gives the
smooth shape and uniform color.
It is now in uniform sized Jumps
ready for the packing boxes. This
prizlrg consists in packing each one
of these Jumps into an iron frame or
former, which lies upon an iron
plate having on it projections that
tit into the former. These are then
packed fifteen or twenty high in
hydraulic press, and tho pressure
gradually pumped on, so as to dis
tribute it evenly, and left for some
little time. When taken out the
follower is first removed, then the
former is laid over a box and the
plugs of tobacco are driven through
into the box beneath, by piece OF
wood. The tobacco, when it'll taken
from the box, is smooth, glossy, and
looks great deal nicer, than it
seems to us, it might taste. The
boxes are wheeled up in front OF
small press, where the packing box
is put into tho former. The boxes
vary, of course. in size and capacity.
If it is to be a fifty-pound box, it
will be ten or twelve inches square
and nearly as deep. The packer
puts in three or five inches OF tobac-
CO in depth, then fills the box with
former and let's on the pressure;
this congresses little at time, so
that the box, when packed, has al