Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-04
BRIDGEPORT.
New Trade Developed Among the Boys
News Notes and Personals.

A New Trade Developed Among the Boys
News Notes and Personals.
Your reporter dropped into the furniture
and undertaking establishment of W. j..
8ratton yesterday, to learn through the
proprietor whether or not any one had been
70 unfortunate as to die during the proceed
ing day. Mr.. Brstton was absent, but his
son Willie was at the desk busily engaged
in counting and asserting cigar box full
of tobacco tags which he had poured out on
the desk before him. This tobacco tag bust
ness was new wrinkle on your scribe, and
he commenced asking questions for intorma-
ton, and learned that nearly all the boys
in town were saving all the tags they could
get, their object being to get as many as
possible. The tags are used as o kind OF
currency among the juveniles, the value OF
a variety being calculated by its scarcity.
The Climax grade" is the most common
and tags OF that variety are used as the
,mallest representative of value. The
New Wrinkle" tag is the
scsrcest and brings the highest
price in the market; one tag OF that variety
having been sold for 800 Of common varie-
ties. Lorilards "Catawba' is scarce also
ind brings big price Railroad Piug"
used TO be very plentiful, but it seems to be
taking back seat to make room for eli
max" *. of L." boot" and "Amalga-
mated" and Jack" "Gisnt" and Bullion
are all scarce while big Gun" brings a
price almost equal to New Wrinkle" q
"Nobby" tag sold yesterday for a peck Of
hickory nuts big Ten" is also quite
scarce and can be sold for high price.
Burt NJ Connaughey is acknowledged as
the magnste in the tag brokerage business,
be doing a regularly organized business
and having 1000 tags capital to back him.
Jimmie Medill has one of the finest assort-
Uents in town and has spent much time and
labor perfecting his cabinet. In numbers
he is not quite up TO some others, bat his
variety is greater. Nearly all the boys
have at least few tags in stock and use
them in making wagers, and purchasing
anything their play fellows may have to sell
Willie Bratton sold Master John
Hoolaban a good specimen of q
scarce variety the other day for 500
common ones. The assortments include
all colors, shapes and sizes, from the large
plain *. of L." to the little "Amalgams.
led" and NV. R. T." These collections Of
tsgs, if carefully watched, will plainly show
how any particular brand Of tobacco is TAX
ing among the chewers. Just now Lori
la1 Climax" seems to be in the lead,
while New Wrinkle" "Cstawba" and
Railroad" seem 10 be on the decline. If
Bloch Bros. Mail Pouch" had tag it
would undoubtedly be far in the lead among
our boys and the tag value" would drop
away down. 1t seems almost miraculous
how the boys collect so many tags and get
so many different varieties. These collec-
tons show, also, how general the use OF to-
bacco is and in what enormous quantities
it is consumed. The boys keep on the look
out for any new brand which appears on
the market and gobble the tags as fast as
possible and sell them at high prices before
they become common. Some of the boys
have even sent away to other paris of the
country for tags of kind of tobacco not
sold in this town or vicinity.
Mics Laura Ferguson, OF Reading Pa,
Who has been visiting Miss Minnie Alexan
der, returned to her home yesterday.
X. l. Boreman and wife are visiting in
Csptipa.
Will Tieman, Esq, Of thisp'a:e, and Miss
Eleanor Harrison. Of Cadiz, will be mar
ried at the brides residence on Tuesday
next. A number Of onr society folks vii
attend the wedding.
Gilmore Upton, an Infant son of Fra
and Maggie Upton, was buried in Bridge
port cemetery yesterday.
There was a large crowd of Wheeling
folks over at the Mammoth rink on Frida!
night.
Rev. Keller has moved to Bellaire wher'
be wss appointed by the late Barnesvill'
conference. Rev. Winters, of East Liver
pool will fill the vacancy caused by his re
movsl.
RI. Baggs & Sons are having culver