Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-18
CHANGES IN CIGARS.
The Wrappers Receiving the
Most AtienIiOn-Ameriean
Growers Careless.
New York Sun.

The judges of a really good cigar arc
very few indeed. The average smoker
buys cigar through his eyes. Now,
here is one, taking it from glitter
ing show case, "that sells for five
cents. You will notice that it is rich,
dark, glossy and handsome. 1t has no
quality, but a smoker is satisfied with
it because it looks well, and, stuck in
his mouth, it serves the purpose Of a
twenty-five cent cigar. l remember
when it was fashionable to smoke
light colored cigars, Claro or Colorado
as they are known in the trade, and
now everybody wants dark, eolory
goods. This has led to the use Of
coloring extracts, and Havana tobacco
extract is now staple article of
merchandise in the trade. In shapes
the cigar manufacturers are controlled
by mold makers, who, in order tc
stimulate their business, are as mex.
orable in their seasons changes as are
the makers of hatters blocks. Cigars
are put into wooden molds before the
wrapper is put on, and, according tC
the mold, the cigar is turned out t.
be thick or thin, dumpy, pointed al
end, or entirely round. Smokers, as
| said before, are attracted by appear
ance, and some shapes become very
popular and have a great run; Others
don't take at all, and then the mold
makers get up another shape. AS fol
quality, it is simply a matter of taste
Some men actually prefer the taste o.
a nickel cigar, just as an Irishman vii
cling to his clay pipe and "niggel
head" But il is curious fact that
if smoker once inhales the flavor of
a fine cigar he loses all taste for a
cheaper article.
"Yes; people are gradually becominl
educated in the matter of taste, anC
there would soon be no market fol
nickle cigars, if the ranks of smokers
we're not constantly recruited from
boy cigarette smokers. Last year the
consumption Of cigarettes was $4,000,
900 less 10 this country than the yeal
before. This shows that recruits have
been added to the ranks Of cigar
smokers. Perhaps you don't know
that New York has become the largest
manufacturing center of the cigar
making industry in the world. FoI
seven months of this year, ending
July 30, there were AL 100000 cigars
made in New York City. These, at
$6 per thousand, yielded very hand.
some revenue to the government.
The cigar industry is controlled by
foreigners, and all have made money
Cigar makers come principally from
Germany; many are from Bohemia
and few are from Belgium, Holland
and England. German cigar makers
are coming over in large numbers, and
are settling in New York at the rate
Of 1000 year. They all find employ
ment atremunerative wages. A good
workman gets 81 80 por 1000 for
making cigars, and he can turn out
from 500 to 700 cigars day.
Tobacco is a peculiar plant. Every
leaf differs. The more tender the leaf
the fuer the quality. No machinery
has yet been perfected to supplant the
skilliul manipulation of the human
hand, although tere have been nu
merOus.attempts to make cigars by m;
chinery. The essential parts of a
cigar are the filler and binder, which
is called bunch, and tho wrapper
| The wrapper Is not the thirtieth par
OF cigar, and yet it is the part which
limparts favor to the whole, A baC
wrapper will spoil the filler and binde
while a good Wrapper put on a poo
bunch will make very good smoke
The introduction Of new tobacco OF
the Island of Sumatra into thii
market has lately caused great fut.
ter in the trade. The tobacco is growr
under the direction OF wealthy
Dutch syndicate at Amsterdam, which
employs coolies to raise tohlcco OF
| their possessions in the East Indies
The tobacco has only been il
this market for two years
Yet it is gaining favor SC
rapidly that the importations OF it hav,
increased at the rate of 100 per cent
year. In 1874 the total tobacco
product of the island of Sumatra
was only S,463 pounds. Last month
| l47 ,224 pounds alone we're brought tt
New York. The Sumatra leafs curet
so we'll and so glossy and handsome il
appearance that cigar makers eagerly
take it. Its quality is very poor, bu
since four pounds of it will cover 400C
cigars, where twelve pounds Of seed o.
domestic are ordinarily used it is mucl
cheaper to use Sumatra tobacco wher,
appearance only is considered, not
withstanding its duty of thirty fv,
cents a pound and ten per cent ad val
orem. Cigar manufacturers say tina
American growers of tobacco hav
become very careless in the cultivation
of their tobacco crops, 1t requires
one year of curing before the crop i
ready for the market, and the 1880 an;
1881 crops have been found so poo
that in self defense the handsome
Sumatran stranger has been givel
the preference. Lately the Tariff
Commission, while at Long Branch
heard arguments for the suppression
of this imported tobacco by placinl
on an additional City per cent or on
hundred per cent ad v&lorem duty
Cigar manufacturers aver that the,
prefer to use Pennsylvania or Con
! necticut tobacco, if they can get it q
for use In cigars. The native leaf
they say, has the quality, but it i
poorly cured and of bad color. TIL
sorting of colors in Sumatra tobacc
is graded with the most perfect nicety
: There are, for instance, thirty thre
shades OF brown, comprising dark
red. yellow and middle browns, an,
light and dark fallow. 1t is this mic
arrangement Of colors which cause
the Sumatra tobacco to be preferred
: and it is said that American grower
might take a valuable lesson from th
care and skill which characterize tn
Coolie labor"