The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1886-12-25
A QUEER SOCIETY.
The Work OF a Cigar.-Ilp-
Saving Association.
Collecting and Dispcsing of Cigar Ends in
the Interests of Chari'

away. Since an internal stump "u'y
was placed on cigars, and their price has
advanced as consequence, he does not
generally dispose of the ends in this way
On the counter of nearly every place
where cigars are sold is q little machine
for cutting off the end before the smoker
places the cigar in his mouth. The tips
fall into receptacle, from which they are
collected at the cose of each day. In
some cases they are disposed of to per-
sons who smoke pipes, and in Others they
are sold to manufacturers of fine-cut or
granulated smoking tobacco.
Stockholm is the headquarters Oh
benevolent cigar-tip-saving association,
of which the King of Sweden is p'esl-
dent. All members of this society pro-
vide themselves with an apparatus for
cutting off the ends of cigars, with which
is combined a box for holding the frag-
ments. This is carried in the pocket
and can, if desired, be attached to or ma lie
part of cigar case. At convenient
times the contents of the little box are
emptied into suitable receptacle, kept
at home, and toward the end of the year
the entire collection of cigar-tips is for
warded to Stockholm. There they are
sold at auction and the proceeds en-
ployed in providing sumptuous banquet
for poor children At this banquet,
which usually occurs at Christmas or
New Years, there is an Illuminated tree
on which presents for the poor children
are placed. Branches of this association
have been established in Germany and
Great Britain during the past few years,
and the revenues of the society are now
very large. 1t is now proposed to form
a similar association in the United
States.
In several European countries charred
cigar "stumps" have commercial value.
They are bought by shepherds for max
ing decoction for killing insects on
sheep. Florists also buy them for the
purpose of burning in greenhouses or
for sleeping in water that is used for
Swinging plants infested by ants or other
insects. Some gardeners employ them
for making nicotine water, which is said
to hasten the growth of certain Towering
plants and to cause them to put out
very large blossoms.
In Paris, according to lie Temps, col
Letting the "stumps" of cigars and cigar
cites is an industry in which several
hundred persons of both sexes are regu-
larly engaged. To be successful in this
business it is necessary to be up early and
late. Late at night, discarded rolls OF
tobacco can be seen by the fire on
them. The collectors accord.
ingly throng theatres, opera-houses, con.
cert saloons, restaurants and wine shops,
ready to pick up the fragments of cigars
and cigarettes that the patrons of these
places throw into the street. The boule
wards and parks are visited early every
morning long before the sweepers make
their rounds. The remnants collected
are sorted during the day and spread out
on paper to dry. Some of the fine to
bacco is made over into cigarettes.
portion of it is converted into snuff. TIL,
leaves in cigars, deprived of the ashe.
and burned portions, are sold for smok
ing in pipes. The walters in restaurant
save the cigar and cigarette ends left OF
plates and sell them to dealers or manu-
| footurorS Thus bundrode of poopIa ,ro