National Republican., 1881-08-29
SOME TOBACCO TALK.
ALL ABOUT SMOKERS AND SMOKING.
The Culture and Trade Of Tobacco in This Country
The Amount InYested-The Clgar-Its In
rention-The CIgnrette--Plpes
by the Thousands.
II was the Hon. S. S. Cox who wrote !.


it appears to be equally as well appreciated by the
inyetcrate smokers-in proportion as the taste is
cultivated-whethcr grown upon the sunny slopes
Of the tropics, the colder hills of New England, or
the fertile fields Of Virginia and Kentucky There
seems to be an irresistible fascination and subtitle
influence about the pipe and cigar which is to
those not given to its use perfectly nexplcablc
Who can follow the flights of fancy which centre
around the leecy wreaths of smoke, as they grace
fully curl upward7 What visions of boundless
wealth fill
THE EYE OF THE IDLE SMOKER
and howho pictures the splendid landed estates,
wel-fllcd warehouses, and the unlimited list OF
stocks and bonds to his credit If he is lover,
what rosy dreams Of home and bliss I'LL his SOUL
with delight MS he tosses dun care to the winds In
rings ofsmoke. This is Il nation of smokers, and
the habit extends from the dignifed Senator and
divine down to the humblest boot. black who
gathers his supply from the refuse of the streets
The highest ambition of the average American
boy Is TO reach the age when he can with impunty
enjoy the forbidden fruit, andalmost cvef mother
has to listen at one time to the wcll-prepared ex-
PLANTATION ofa seemngindispositon OF her usually
robust boy, which could be much better explained
by certain Investments with the nearest tobacco
mist.
THE TOBACCO CULTURE AND TRADE
of this country has attained gigantic proportions,
and the thousands OF dollars disspated each year
statement of the amount expended each year for
this luxury would be impossible, but some relative
idea may be obtained from the amount of revenue
collected by the Government during the fiscal year
ending June 3O 1880 The total amount from
tobacco in all forms was s3s,S ,li0Os. There was
collected from cigars and cheroots Sli,J22,0SSSS
from cigarettes, s7l5 22739. These figures show an
increase over the previous year. This increase is
accounted for by the the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue by the revival Of business and better
wnges to laborers, thus giving them the means to
purchase with. Suppose the S3s,S7O,ll0.oS
HAD BEES INVESTED IN BREAD
| at five cents per loaf over seven million loaves
could have been purchased Just think of the
number OF hungry, starving children that might be
fed by such basketfu of the staT of lifc But the
smoker eXclnms: "Think of the hours of delight
(which you deprive us, and what does II matter
whether one IS hungry and happy. or fed and un-
| happyP There are over two hundred tobacco
stores in this District to say nothing of the cigar
counters in hotels, the drug. grocery, and sta
| tionery stores. There are no large manufactures
| here, but there are number of small ones which
turn out "After Dinnes,' "Twc Marys," "All
the Rage" Three Beats" Bon Tons" Cochran
| Growlers," and Little Dancers" every one of
which is warranted to excel the best Yarns"
"Conchas,' "Figaros," or "El Boleras' ever
produced that's, If one does not know any better.
| THE CIGAR IS MODERN INVENTION,
and first made its appearance about 1912. The
cigarette is also modern, and first appeared in Cuba
where 1t was intended for the use of ladies and
children. There is one brand Of them in use now
against which the rising generation must be
warned. It is called the Old Judge" and a jury
should be empaneled at once to rule the "old
Judge" out of court and out of existence for they
are said to contain opium-in very small quanu-
ties 1t is true, but the persons who persist in smok
| ing them will in time experience all the horrors
| tyl foil 4 81 asN,
of Havana there are 125 manufacturers of cigars.
Havana has the reputation of producing the finest
| cigars In the world They burn
WITH CLEAR, STEADY LIGHT,
leaving q fine white or pearl -colored ash and are
usually Of rich brown color. All sorts of flavor
\ ing extracts arc used in preparing them, and
i sometimes the leafs stepped in wine before il is
made into cigars. Much attention is paid in Ha-
vGna to cigar etiquette, and the rules regarding it
are very rigid. Any one can ask for a light upon
| the streets Of that city, and IL Is no uncommon
sight to see dlngy, ragged negro boy step up to
the elegant fashionably atired swell with the re-
| quest for light When gentleman invites an
other to smoke he docs not pass his cigar-case to
him, but carefully selects the one he considers the
best and hands 1t to him. In Cuba, South America,
and Russia everybody smokes-men, women, and
| children-and In those and other countries there
ARE MANY CURIOUS CUSTOMS
| connected with IL. In Holland they have the
| bridegroom pipe, which the farmer of the palders
smokes on the day of his wedding, and then lays
1t on the shelf, to be taken down once year, when
the anniversary comes round. Among most In
dian tribes the pipe is symbOlical of peace, and
the calumet or peace pipe, is usually an imposing
affair, decorated with feathers and gay beads
| Some persons have mania for collecting rare
pipes, and often expend large sums of money in
that way. The Tobacco Leaf published recently a
very interesting description of collection made
by Mr., william Bragge of Birmingham England
He spont about thirty years making the collection
| and had
THOUSANDS OF VARIOUS KINDS
pipes from France Germany, Italy, Norway, and
| Japan, hooSahs from India, mud opium pipes from
China expensive pipes, cheap pipes, pretty pipes,
and ugly pipes. He made all sorts Of mysterious
journeys In the pursuit of these cherished Objects
The history of the growth of tobacco in this coun-
try is very interesting, and much has been written
upon the subject. At present the finest tobacco
fields are found In Kentucky, and the :" blue grass
region" not only boasts of its handsome men,
beautiful women, and fine horses, but also of its
unrlvaled tobacco fields. Connecticut, Maryland.
Florida and Virginia produce large quantities of
the aromatic herb. In the early history of the last
named State II was found to be the most profitable
crop, and the raising ofgrain was
ABANDONED IN ITS FAVOR.
At one time tho gardens and public squares and
even the streets of jamestown were planted with
tobacco II docs not exhaust the land, as some
other crops apt 70 do and there are plantations
in the State which have grown crop of this staple
every year since 1920. Tobacco grown in Connectl
cut isnot ofso fine quality as that grown in more
Southern States, and il Is used principally for
wrappers of cigars and chewing purposes, That
the leaf was known and used in America by the
abOrigines is evident from the pipes and other
relics found in mounds and other places 1t was
first raised in France in 1860, and in 1912 a box
ful of powdered leaves was sent to Catharlne de
Medic who had acquired a taste for 1t, In her
honor II called for time hsrJe de IA Jeine 1t
was for a time used rs medicinal plant, and very
wonderful cures were uscribed to It.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE CIGARS
are three for one dollar If man should smoke
us many each day of this class the old fisherman
of Peru, who boasted that he had smoked forty
cigarettes per day for fty years. 1t would require
the fortune ofan Astor or a Vanderbilt to bear the
demand made upon 1t. But there are very few
who are able to indulge in such luxury, and 1t
will be found that for every one of these fine cigars
smoked there will be five hundred Of the cheaper
kinds used This may be much better for the
pocket book of the individual but not so agreeable
to those who are constrained to bear the aroma.
An old colored woman once remarked she did
like the smell of cigar-it was so socable-like" !"
but if she had been forced to sit in close room
aud enjoy the united fragrance C) of half dozen
Of two for five" she would probably not consider
II quite so "socable-llke."
The Richmond aud Allegheny Railroad.
The case of the Richmond and Ale
ghany Railroad Company in the matter Of the ap.
picatiOn Of George b, Harrison, on the. part of
himself aud other stockholders for an injunc-
tlon to restrain said company from consolidating
NI.a ri 10 ~ 4