The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-06-24

interested in the matter than are the
Americans, and have even greater fear
of the disease than Americans. In Cuba,
where the Spanish government and the
rich merchants use coolie labor, the Off |
scourcings of the great cities of our
empire, there are occasional sporadic
cases.
"Chinese cigar makers in New York are,
as a class intelligent, industrious and
thrifty. They would enjoy perfect health
were il not for the low classes, especially |
women, who reside in the same tenements
and from whom they contract severe i'll
ness. In making cigars for their own use
hey do not point them with the mouth,
but do for the regular trade. l have
known at least ten cigar makers suffering
from contagious mouth and tongue com
plants who worked at the bench pointing
cigars. Such cigars might convey their
sickness to other parties.
George Duffy, a prominent cigar dealer
| at 1874 Broadway, said Il have known of
the evil for some time, and have always
made it habit to cut off the ends of all
the cigars smoke. | have known of in
stances where users of the weed contracted
blood poisoning from using cigars made
in the tenements by cheap Hungarian and
Bohemian workmen. l will n.t touch
their goods in any way or form. My
stock is first-class Havana cigars and the
best imported and American cigarettes.
1t would be good thing for the trade
and for the country if the importation of
this cheap labor had been prohibited by
law. But they are here now, and here |
suppose, to stay. The chinese were bad
enough, but these races from the south of
Europe are hundred-fold worse"
C. l.. Tucker, of the Central Labor I'm
ion, said: "Most of the foreign and es-
pecially the Slovenian and Bohemian cigar
} makers of this city reside on the East side,
in immense and filthy tenements owned
by their employers. A family occupies
two or three rooms, and there cooks, eats,
washes, sleeps, stores tobacco and makes
cigars. They receive so much tobacco
from their firm aud return its equivalent
in cigars. This equivalent lis not the
weight of the tobacco. The dry leaf when
moistened absorbs water and gains about
one per cent. in weight. For one hundre
pounds of tobacco fair employer exacts
one hundred and one pounds of cigars.
Harsher employers exact eleven pounds
for ten, and few go SO far as to take
.
= this exaction the cigar maker soaks stems
in hot water until soft and then beats
s them out fiat. His children collect stumps
and half smoked cigars in the street. and
unroll them to make new filling. In sum
mer and autumn they have been known to
gather dead leaves and grass for the same
purpose.
"ihese cigar makers are piece workers
They are paid usually by the week, the
rent of their rooms being first deducted
4 When sick more than three days they are
Immediately dispossessed. Their mortal
ity is more than two and a half times tina
of the city at large, being 81 p to the 1000
Their wives and daughters are nominal.
Roman and Greek catholics, but are igno
- rant and often immoral Large number
a of them are annually arrested for stree
i walking and disorderly conduct. Tn
cigars made in these tenement houses ar
ct of the poorest quality, retailing at 2,
20 and cents, rarely B. Inc filth III who
c. many of them live is indescribable. As
V. result, scrofula and kindred ills are prev0
i'd lent, and malignant blood diseases quit
to common. These men point all their cigar
not by simple turn between the lips, bu
to by inserting them in the mouth and revo
IL wing them forcibly against the tongu
O. When they remove the gar it is covere
IN a half-inch with their saliva"
DR.. Wood, formerly of Bellevue Hosp
~ tai, said: "There are a number of disease
which may be communicated through th
ne saliva. They are familiar to every phys
n clan and ought to be to well informe
ty people. AS general rule all germ an
rs, blood diseases may be thus transferre
rs from one person to another, 1t is nj
only possible that terrible disorders al
e. contracted in smoking cigars which hay
n. been pointed by diseased workmen, br
mt it is an actual fact. have had such cast
of in my own experience and the hospit
records of both Bellevue and Blackwell
n Island show others.
T. The epithelium of the tongue and but
IT. cal cavity is very sensitive and possesst
m great absorbent power. 1t would be affec
FL. ed by any contagium. For this reason
X am opposed to using cigars, except wit
@. "A long mouthpiece; and, as a matter I
G. personal taste and of security pref
Il. cigarettes"