Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-10-20

up; but II Is with tobacco as with whisky
always fair demand for the stuff, be il
ever so vile. Licouce, oils, molasses glu.
cose, and similar sweets, are literally used
| by some manufacturers, and while il Il
certainly cheat, it is as well harmless
one. For example, on August 20, Vir.
glnia lug was quoted at 4 TO Il cents,
government tax added l6 cents, yet the
manufactured product was quoted as low
as II cents. Evidently the worzer-up OF
these lugs had the tobacco chewer by the
| lug.
But in tine-cut tobacco and cigars is
where the greatest deception LIZ practiced.
A western manufacturer says that there Is
no end TO the adulteration of fine-cut
goods. Machinery has been 50 improved
that, as he says, nth one pound OF to-
baccO 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 fine cut chewing to-
bacco can be produced. The suggestion
of slippery elm bark was a new one, and
the inquiry was pursued further. He said
II was Dicely shaved, and mixed with to-
bacco; that it had pleasant, sweet taste,
held the tobacco together, and made the
''quid' last long time. This bark costs
about four cents a pound, anu as ii sells as
high as seventYdve cents pound, one can
easily see the enormous profit resulting.
A gentleman who knows says that nearly
all the slippery elm trees in Ohio, Indiana,
and Michigan have been denuded of their
bark, yet a leading wholesale druggist IN
Chicago atiirms that 80, 900 pounds of
slppcry-elm bark would, for legitimate
druggist and medicinal trade, glut the en-
tire market of the United States.
In cigars, cE eroots, cigarettes, and smok-
ing tobacco Is probably where the public
get robbed the worst. The canning de-
vices are so many that even good judges
arc imposed upon. 1t used t be boast
among gentlemen that they coHld always
select u fine brand of cigars, and of course
they smoked no other. The other day an
old smoker, whose devotion 10 the weed
costs him five dollars every week, admitted
that he couldn't tell Havana filed from
Connecticut stuffed. Tie dishonest arti-
Gle, however, is the product of the big
manufactures, for the small country man
ufacturer cannot afford the machinery nor
conceal the lotions and decoctionS that are
brought into requsitlon by his wealthier
competitor. 1t is quite safe TO assume
that about the purest, no, not purest, for
if there is any one thing impure it is to-
bacco, the honestest cigar is the hand
made cigars of the local manufacturer.
And yet, one of these relates a sad tale of
how even he was led to be dishonest. he
had small store on the West Side, and
was joined in his labor by his wife, two
daughters and son, and an occa ional
"jour." BY buying close, manufacturing
square, he had built up a splendid local
trade. One day tramp jour. came along,
and he gave him work. He was the So
berest and stcadiest fellow he had e yer en-
ployed, and even his girls got to liking
him. lie was a good workman, and easily
persuaded his employer TO let HIM work
overtime of nights and Sundays. For
month or two the little manufacturing es-
tabhshment dotted on the new workman.
Rut all at once and without any apparent
cause the trade began TO fall off. First
one old customer and then another quit
purchasing, so that the manufacturer be-
came financially embarrassed. He went
to one OF his heaviest purchasers and asked
him why he had taken his trade elsewhere
The gentleman showed him why. Open
ing one Of the manufacturers boxes, he
showed him the usual handsome cigar,
but, tearing it open, it was found TO be
filed with mashed stems and brown paper
soaked In tobacco liquor. The manufac-
turer went home, watched his model jour.
and found that the work he was dong in
overtime was stealing his employers good
cigars and palming in their place his own
worthless ones, selling the good ones on
his own account.
This much can be said to the credit of
the tobacco dealer: His product is purely
a luxury, in no sense entering into the
medical or mechanical arts, and, beinA
luxury, no law, not even public opinion,
can restrain him from the practice of any
little cheat to enhance his profits. Which
brings up again the admission that in all
his cheats nothing is put into tobacco
more deleterious1o the human system than
the tobacco ITSELF