The Osceola times., 1882-06-10
CIGAR.MAKERs' TRICKS.
How the W ce d IL Favored, Colored aud
Adulterated.
New York Star.

inferior I'd the grades exposed for sale a
few seasons ago. There is no percepti-
BILE DECREASE in price, either TO dealer or
consumer. and one cannot readily un.
derstand why the brands now on the
market are SO poor. OF course the tax
is excessive on both home and imported
products: but then, in spite of such du-
ties. better cigars should be supplied for
the price. Ten years ago, even, com
Portable smoke could be procured In New
York for Is cents, far better one than
can now be had for almost double the
money. This was not owing to lessened
duties, but to the fact that there were
not SO many smokers, and that better
wrappers and filters were used III the
manufacture, and that cigar was sell
dom exposed for sale until 1t was thor
ouchly cured. Now, however, all ls
changed. and one-halt of the domestic
cigars are smoked before they have had
time to take on sweat
The speaker WAS an old cigar dealer,
and the above plain talk was addressed
10 the Star reporter, who had invested
in a cigar with foreign name that drew
as hard as canal boat As the weed
had been purchased over the dealers
counter; be felt in duty bound to say
something by wav of apology. by de-
grees the scribe led him TO speak about
tricks of the trade.
"The majority of cigars said the
dealer in smokers articles, ARE havored
now days. This expedient is retorted
to in order to conceal the inferior quail
ty of tobacco used in the manufacture.
4 decoction of opium and rum will i'm.
part delicious scent to the tobacco, and
also ciuse it to burn quickly. Tney are
hurtiul, however, as every one knows.
After smoking half dozen such alleged
Havanas in day, the brain and lungs
seemed disorJered, the tongue is burned
and swoolen, and tiny blisters appear in
the month. No matter how poor the to-
hacco. there would be no such injurious
f,s,..ia were il not for the drugs used i'll
it, manufacture. When a man gets
hold of a genuine Havana in the present
generation he experiences something
akin t. q foretas,e OF Paradise"
The statements made by the tobaccoist
proued an incentive for an inquiry into
the manufacture and importation of Gig
ars in the CITY of New York and the rev.
enue to the Government from that
source. During the past year, 61l,762
pounds of tobacco entered the port of
New York in legitimate manner, and
probably one-tenth as much more was
smuggled in. The amount ofduties paid
on importations of cigars WAS s2,573,l 3,l45.
About 5000 100000 domestic cigars were
turned ont, and probably l75,0O0,0O0
were smoked in the city. The emain-
der were sent out throughout the United
States to the trade. New York also made
about 275,000,000 cigarettes, of which
one-half were consumed by her cigarette
smoking young men and women. The
exact revenue to the Government could
not be ascertained, as the fiscal year
does not end unit, July. II is safe to
say, no sever, that the sum total aggre-
gates millions, as one firm alone paid
tax of $3l 500.
Imported cigars were never in greater
demand, 8 nd large wholesale dealer
in imported goods to the reporter. Hen
ry Clays and Reinas are still the favor
ties, and command all the prices from
$50 to $3.50 a thou and. A fair cigar can
be furnished for $l20a thousand, but if
a person desires good article, he must
of necessity pay higher figure. The
grades which are most in demand are
those that can be sold over the counter
at Is cents single, or two for - cents.
straight tens and three for quarter"
grades are usually domestic cigars bear
ing Spanish names. Kew West, fair ar
ticle, range from $15 to 1925 thousand.
There is no denying the fact that i'm
ported brands are inferior to the import
ations of ten yeas ago. There is so great
a demand for them that the quality
tobacco is not nearly so fine; and then
again, there are more machiHe.made
goods put on the market. Many OF the
manufacturers make their cigars at home
from imported tobacco; but If devoid Of
iiavoring the average smoker can discern
the fraud, for no matter how fine the to-
bscco, the cigar will not cure so evenly
as il does in the tropics"
While opium is probably used by
some manufacturers in the manufacture
Of cigars. We have never used grain Of
it," was the statement of large factory,
in conversation with the reporter. "lf
a customer orders say 10000 cigars of a
special brand and wishes them favored,
we put little Santa Cruz rum in the
bottom of the boxes and the flavor is
obtained. Last season we manufactured
81 ,6i7 AGO cigars and 5,l5S, $50 cigarettes.
and all without a particle Of opium. |
am opposed tothe tenement house cigar
and we sell none that are turned ont in
such places. They are not clean and are
composed of inferior tobacco"
I'VE are distributing about 1000. 600
cigars month";" said another manager.
This includes both domestic and i'm
ported goods but mainly the former. We
make two great specialties, a five cent
and a ten cent cigar, and can furnish as
good domestic cigar for SS5 thousand
as can be imported for $40 thousand.
The half-dime grades which are sold to
the trade at $40 a thousand, are most in
demand. One Of our brands, "No. ." is
selling at the rate Of 100000 a month.
We use no opium in any shape what.
ever The cheapest goods on the mar
ket are quoted at 81 thousand. They
are from Pennsylvania, made by farmers.
and in this city by apprintices from
adulterated goods. We verv seldom oct
hold OF an article that has been snug
gled. Dealers in such goods usually have
distributing agencies Of their own. and
are afraid to offer them to responsible
dealers"
The manufacture ofcigars in tenement
houses has become great industry in
New York. The cost Of production ia
from ! to s3 less per thousand, and the
cigar, if made frem a fair grade of tobac.
co, will smoke almost as we'll as those
turned out in first class factories. Asa
rule, however, the goods used are poor.
and no care is exercised in the wrap.
ping, ,Opium and poor liquor are freely