The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
A QUEER SOCIETY.
The Work Of q Cigar.-Tip-
Saving Association.
Collecting and D:spcsing of Cigar Ends in
the Interests of Charity.

the Interests of Charity.
Not long ago the average American
citizen bit off or cut eff the small end of
his cigar, before lighting, and threw it
away. Since an internal stamp duty
was placed on cigars, and their price has
advanced as a consequence, he does not
generally dispose of the ends In this way.
On the counter of nearly every place
where cigars arc sold isa little machine
for cutting off the end before the smoker
places the cigar in his mouth. The tips
tall into receptacle, from which they arc
collected at the cosc of each day. In
some cases they arc disposed of to per-
sons who smoke pipes, and in others they
are sold to manufacturers of fnc-cut or
granulatcd smoking tobacco.
Stockholm is tho headquarters Of a
benevolent cigar-tip-saving association,
of which the King Of Sweden is ptesi-
dent. All members Of this society pro-
vide themselves with m apparatus for
cutting off the ends of cigars, with which
is combined n box for holding the frag-
ments. This is carried in the pocket
and Gun, if desired, be attached to or male
a part of a cigar case. At convenient
times the contents of tho little box are
empticd into a suitable receptacle, kept
at home, and toward the end of the wear
the entire collection of cigar-tips is for
warded to Stockholm. There they are
sold at auction and the proceeds en-
ployed in providing n sumptuous banquet
for poor children. At this banquet,
which usually occurs at Christmas or
New Years, there is IN illuminated tree
on which presents for the poor children
arc 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 a commercial! value.
They arc bought by shepherds for max
ing a dccoction for killing insects on
sheep. Florists also buy them for the
purpose o. burning in greenhouses OF
for stepping 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 rcgu-
larly engaged. To be successful in this
business it is necessary to be up early and
late. Late Mt night, discarded rolls Of
tobacco can be seen by the fire on
them. The collectors accord
ingly throng theatres, opcra-houscs, 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-
Yards and parks arc visited early every
morning long before the swcepers 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. A
portion of it is converted into snuff. The
leaves in cigars, deprived of the ashes
and burned portions, are sold for smok-
ing in pipes. The waitcrs!in restaurants
save the cigar and cigarette end left on
plates and sell them to dealers or manu-
facturers. Thus hundreds of people pro-
vide themselves with the necessities of
life in saving the remains of the %luxuri.s
of the rich.- (hicago Times.