The Republican journal., 1882-10-19

majority of our party. After writing our
names, places of residence, and occupa-
tions in a book, kept for that purpose,
our cicerOHe requested us to follow him,
and we began our tour of inspection.
We first entered the part of the factory
where boxes and barrels are made for
packing the cigarettes. The work is all
done by machinery, Of the mostimproved
kind. The boX-shooks, having been saw
ed and planed to the proper dimensions,
are passed through a machine which
tongues and grooves (diagonally) the
ends, 50 that in a few seconds the box is
complete, The barrel slaves pass through
two machines. The first planes them on
both sides; the second bends the stave
into shape, planes the edges and grooves
the ends. The heads are sawed and
groOVed in another machine. From this
department we entered another, where
the manufactured tobacco is put up in
packages. From a large bin filled with
the granulated weed a portion is scraped
out and thrown into scale. weighed,
then placed IN a press, and by a turn of
the lever, pressed into hard, smooth
cake. 1t is afterWard taken from the
press and placed between iron plates,
like book covers, and these being tightly
screwed together the tobacco is laid aside
till it becomes hard and dry. 1t then re
cciyes i covering Of thin white paper,
over which is placed a coating of tin foul,
and finally an ornamental. wrapper, when
it is ready for sale.
And now we proceed to explore the
whole Of the immense establishment, as
cending and descending stairwayS, and
going from one department to the other,
50 that it is quite impossible to clearly
trace our wanderings will endeayor,
however, to give some idea of the various
processes the tobacco undergoes, from the
time when it is seen in the leaf until it
appears III neat packages Of cigarettes,
to be boxed or barrelled for shipment
The leaf is first thoroughly dried in the
sun, a process that 50 improves the to-
bacco that it is not likely to be suppressed
ed by any artificial mode Of drying 1t is
then placed in a sort Of trough with Il
perforated zinc bottom and is carefully
picked over, and pushed along toward a
Sluice leading into the room below Here
it is submitted TO hydraulic pressure and
made into cakes Of twenty pounds weight
1t is then placed into another machine,
and rut ny revolving knife. AS the to-
Uacco il cut it is carried into an upper
room 10y chain of tin buckets, fastened
upon Il belt (on the principle of chain
pump) and is again cut before it is ready
for use.
Having witnessed the preparation Of
the tobacco, We Will now enter the print
inc and lithographing department.
The first machine We notice is cutting
rice paper into the proper dimensions for
Wrappers and at a table near by these
wrappers are eApeltly put up i'll neat
packages. In one machine sheets of
c0iorcd paper We're being pressed, or
stamped, with various devices, after which
they were printed at another press for
wrappers for the packages Of cigarettes.
Another press was throwing off litho-
graphic sheets Of twelve colors 4 few
steps above the presses is the printing
department, with its familiar stands,
cases, and cabinets Of type Here all the
printing Of the establishment is done, and
weekly newspaper printed. The spec
linens Of printing and lithographing sub
mitted TO our inspection could hardly be
cNcelled for neatness and beauty. Illus
tlated calenders, embracing a View Of the
Moro. and a large collection of photo
graphs for fancy wrappers, were shown
us. The photographs are taken in the
establishment.
The WORKINGS are nearly all coolies,
and are some three hundred in number
They eat and sleep on the premises We
went through the dormitory, where there
are rows OF neat cots, in tiers of two and
three, each cot having at the head the
name and number OF its occupant. We
next visited the mess rooms, in one of
which were rows Of boxes, like postottice
boxes for holding the clothes, etc, of the
employees, each box having on it name
ana number. as On the cots.
III another room some hundred or more
Workmen were rolling cigarettes. Here
each man had a little space divided off in
the lows Of benches, also named and num-
hcred On his left are heap Of cigaret-
ties, on his right several layers of wrap
pcrs, with the ends touched with paste
With the left hand he grasps anumber of
cigarettes, taps them with the right hand
to bring them into place, counts them with
one quick glance, throws aside what are
over. or adds what is required to make up
the twenty five. places them in the wrap
per, rolls them up, taps them on the top.
and 50 goes on to q fresh bundle. While
at work their heads keep n0dding, and
many also keep their feet in constant mo-
ton. Standing behind these coolies, one
might well be puzzled as u their sex.
Their pigtails are done up into waterfalls,
and dressed rs woman dresses her hair.
Beside, they are Very et1cminatc looking,
and have little Or no beard heard of
one visitor who reported that the factory
employed only women!
We next visited the rooms where the
wrappers We're ASSORTED for distribution ::
where the cigarettes II anufactured each
day are stacked up, ana where they are
packed in barrels and boxes for shipment
As many as 10000 packages are manu-
tactured IN a day The cigarettes are
mostly rolled outside of the factory. One
thousand conVicts are thus employed, and
many soldiers and others occupy their
leisure moments by rolling cigarettes.
The factory furnishes the wrappers and
tobacco for 4 certain number Of cigarettes
When completed they are brought to the
ldCtflt I, ltttlH tu uutt NtlSlleN. anu Il
medal given, which entities the bearer to
receive a dollar from the cashier. Alto
gether the factory furnishes employment
to 23OO persons. Steam is used as a
motive power, and an electric battery
charges wires leading all over the vast
establishment for telegraphic communi-
cation.
Having completed our tour of inspect
ION, and returned to the starting point,
we were asked to write in the visitors
book, opposite our names, such remarks
as we saw fit; and our party cheerfully
added their testimony to that Of many
others as to the extent and completeness
OF this wonderful establishment.
We were presented, on leaving, with a
package Of cigarettes having our names
printed on the wrapper, with the com
pllments Of the factory, (Odscqni0 De IL
HoR'WdcE), and 4 neatly printed volume,
272 pages. containing opinions of the
English, French, Spanish and German
press, printed in the different languages ::
Photographic illustrations Of the factory,
and list Of visitors, making an interest
mo mementN