The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-07-11
HAVANA CIGARS.
How the Favorite Weeds Are Manufact-
ured-Some Interesting Items of InfOr-
nation.

ured-some Interesting Items of Infor-
nation.
MIR. F. H. Meyer. formerly a cigar
maker in Havana, gives considerable
interesting information concerning Ha-
vana cigars and how they are made.
Mobile, although so near to Havana, is
very different in her cigar-making meth
DDS. and Mr.. Meyers statements will
doubtless be read with interest.
ANY person may become a manu-
facturer in Havana after obtaining Ii
cense from the Government. Each man.
ufacturer has trade mark, OF as many
trademarks as he wishes, but he alone
is entitled to use them. Small manu-
facturers have no brand or trademark,
but work for the other manufacturers.
When brand is placed upon the mar
ket Unusually goes for very small price,
but as it increases in popular favor the
price rises rapidly. Immense profits
are made by the owners of well-known
brands. If manufacturer of . we'll
known brand desires to retire he can
dispose of the brand at considerable
price. Sometimes, however, he prefers
to furnish poor class of cigars at high
prices until the brand falls into disre
pute and no one wants the cigars.
.'The manufacture is chiefly carried
on in Havana, and the manufacturers
are Spaniards or Creoles. The cigar
makers are of all classes, Creoles,
Spaniards, colored people, and negroes.
Many of the latter are slaves. but there
is not much profit in their labor, as a
good slave cigar-maker costs from $70C
to $1,000, and he must be fed and
clothed. Sometimes he is i'll, Of course.
and at other times he runs away and his
master never sees him again. As o
class. the cigar-makers form the
toughest and most miserable of the
whole population. Their behavior is
regulated by the good or the poor yield
of the tobacco crop. If the yield is
good and abundant, there is hardly a
way to manage the men properly, as a
great want of workmen is felt. II. on
the other hand. the crop is poor. there
are plenty of hands, and with the re-
duction of wages they become tractable.
In flush time, the manufacturer who
offers the largest advance of wages
obtains the greatest number of hands.
The system of making advances is also
of great damage to the manufacturer,
as he loses large sums in that way. The
cigar-makers who can not or will not
repay are thrown into prison. Some
times so many men are thus locked up
that the scarcity of hands is severely
felt by the manufacturers. Another
nuisance consists in having to
pay off the hands three times day,
at breakfast, dinner, and night.
"The most renowned manufacturers
chiefly make their cigars smaller than
the standard sizes. The cigar-maker,
when at work, has before him the
wooden model of the cigar he is ex,
pected to make. He has also fla
piece of wood with hole in it, through
which the cigar can be drawn. In
making a cigar the workman takes two
or three pieces of leaf and places them
flat in his left hand; he then takes as
many smaller pieces as may be required,
rolls them all together in the hand, and
finally applies the wrapper. His CHIEF
aim is to cover the veins or place them
dill Du Ouc SfuC. Iy cuCSOSS III dCuiON-
ing this the good operator can be recog-
nized. The heads of the cigars are not
fastened with gum or any other similar
sticky substance. but simply by wheat
bread. This bread the workman car
ries with him. The taste can hardly be
noticed in the cigars. The most skill
full hands use nothing at all to fasten
the ends, but secure them by many
twistings that wind into each other.
This requires more time, however, and
is chiefly practiced with fine cigars.
..The smoker would hardly enjoy his
cigar if he were to see it in process of
manufacture. Should you see the dirty
legro working amid the uncleanliness
If many of the factories, where much
tobacco is lying on the ground and fire..
Iuently coming in contact with the
pittle and naked feet Of the workmen,
fou would feel a strong desire to let the
igar alone.
'sAll persons employed in factory
moke as much as they want. In the
Sening the workman takes at least six
,igars home with him, and these SO
saken are not the worst. as you may
imagine. None of them consider It
Itealing to take cigars or tobacco with
them. Although large thefts often
occur. the police do not interfere. If
the proprietor makes complaint, he
must not forget to mention that he does
lot expect to have any of the stolen
FOODS returned, but only desires the
discovery of the thief In case he
hould wish to recover the goods the
Expense would amount to two or three
ines the value of them. The working
ours are twelve hours a day. winter
md summer. Every fifty cigars made
py workman are bound together. the
inest cigars being placed on the out
side. with the veins On the inside. The
number of bundles depends upon how
many cigars man can make in q day.
The average is 200 to $50. ~ otite
Register.