The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-18
COURTESY AMONG SMOKERS.
They Should All Garry Matches and Thus
Avoid COntassion.

They Should All Garry Matches and Thus
Avoid COntasion.
New York Sun.
A dapper young man rose from one of the
settees on the veranda of the Brighton Beach
Hotel, and drawing cigar from his pocket APP
preached a gray-bearded man with polite re-
quest for a light The old gentleman pulled
away at his cigar sererey and after an ex-
haustive examination of his pockets said:
The fact that have not got match grieves
me, but have no doubt that you can get light
at the cigar stand. If you do not know its loca-
ton, shall take pleasure in guiding you to it,"
THANK you, sir replied the young man,
flushing angrily. elf were so unfortunate az
to occasion you any trouble, should never for
give myself"
A well-known physician of this city, who had
overheard the conversation between the men,
rubbed his hands gleefuly and said
THAT old man is just one mass OF good,
sound common sense. One of the greatest evils
that smokers subject to is the mistaken idea
that courtesy compels them to let every Tom,
Dick and Harry handle their cigars. l know
men who would risk their lives at a moments
notice to oblige a friend, but who havn't suffi-
Gent moral courage to keep their cigars inviolate.
Suppose my cigar is half three-Quarters
smoked up do you suppose am going to let
stranger handle it and then return it to my
mouth! man of sense or thought won't ask
expect it."
Suppose gentleman asked you for light,
and upon your refusing should ask you for YOUR
reasons, what would you sayF
He would have occasion to make any
such request because [ should hand him one of
the matches which always carry, as much for
the benefit Of other persons as for myself.
should consider such request, under any cir
cumstanceS, piece of impertinence, because
claim the humble American privilege of doing
what please with what belongs to me. If |
began explaining my action it would be a long
and perhaps interesting explanation, and I'll bet
that by the time / got through the man would
never again ask anybody for light, and never
again return a cigar to his mouth if any stranger
had handled it. just consider for moment
the number OF poisonous substances that are
handled every day not only by mechanics and
laborers, but by scientists, and chemists, and
clerks and physicians drug clerk is engaged
In compromising prescription. The last in
gredent he used is deadly poison. He runs
out for something and. meeting you on the way,
asks you for light. You hand him your cigar,
and when he returns 1t to you it is unfit for you
to put into your mouth. The tobacco has alb
sorbed bad flavor or the smallest imagna BILE
speck of poison clings to the moistened part.
Before your cigar is smoked up you begin to feel
uncomfortable, and the more You smoke the
worse you feel You vote the cigar beastly one,
and throw it away. Of course 1t never occurs to
you to sit down and think how many men have
handled that cigar after you began smoking it.
Il have seen a physician stop surgical opera
ton and light cigar and have seen that same
cigar used III lighting other cigars brass fin
lSher on MS way nome from WOrk DOfrOWS your
cigar He returns it to you with small
quantity of brass dust adhering to it. This
dust works its way into your mouth, which is a
trifie sore already. The consequence is that
your mouth is poisoned, and it may take months
to repair the evil. A friend of mine
cut his finger one day. Before the cut healed
some sort of poison was deposited in it, The
hand became stiff and swollen, and finally began
to puff up as though It was inflated with air.
He came to me, and after / had prescribed for
NO oft off hon I ha6 i1,ct
fresh cigar. In the street my friend asked me
for light. l handed him my cigar. When he
returned it to me l threw It away. and drawing
a fresh cigar from my pocket, lit it with match.
My friend looked at me in astonishment, and
said he was sorry l considered it necessary to
throw my cigar away. | told him | did that to
teach him that he had no more right to handle
my cigar with his injured hand than eper has
to kiss a healthy baby. Of course. he saw what
! meant right off, and was always very careful
after that. If had acted as a great many men
would consider it right to act, he would have
gone around handling cigars promiscuously. and
perhaps have caused great deal of misery
''Some men would consider it an insult if You
were to refuse them the privilege of handling
your cigar"
Il know that, and those are the men above all
others to whom you must deny that privilege.
One breezy Sunday | was strolling across High
Bridge when two rough specimens of humanity
stepped III front of me. One of them had
short piece of cigarette and the other held the
butt end Of cigar between his fingers. | hand
ed one of them a match and passed on. Pretty
soon they came running after me.
THAT match went out, said one
II handed him another, and had gone on q
short distance when they overlook me again.
SOY, boss, said the rough one, there amt
no use taikn or ben proud Yer got no more
chance of maxim a match burn than yer has in
indin gold. Lets have yer seegyar.'
Il declined to comply with this request
81 LOCKER here, old man said the fellow,
stepping in front of me. 4 consider yer man
ners insutin', an if yer don't let go yer grip
of that ere seegyar Ill be sorter obeeged to take
it away. Am | sayin' right, Bill or amt II
The other loafer signifed his Willingness to
swear to his companions statement.
II looked about me, but could sec nobody Oh the
bridge except slim young man in check clothing
about two hundred feet away. Then / looked
at the dirty fellows before me and concluded to
surrender my cigar. and punish them by throw
ing it away when it was returned to me. l
accordingly handed it over The fellow calmly
threw away the stump he held IN his hand and
placed my cigar between his lips Then he
laughed and said:
That's for insultin' gentleman