The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-11-04
SMOKERS WHIMS.

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SMOKERS WHIMS.
What a Brooklyn Tobacconist Has to Say
About His Wares.
"How can a cigarette firm afford to
give away a watch for the return of
seventy-fve empty packagesP'' a local
t~obacconist was asked by a reporter.
They can't afford it," was the re-
ply, "but take that means of introduce
ing certain brands of cigarettes. Many
of the watches given away in this man
ner cost from 81 to Sc each, wholesale.
The cases are made of silver and
nickel. All new cigarettes are good at
first. In some brands vile tobacco is
used, while in others it is the reverse.
When first put upon the market a new
cigarette is well made and contains the
best of stock. This continues only until
the cigarette is well established, when
both the quality of tobacco used and
the make become poor. In some in
stances where cigarettes are sold at big
prices the tobacco is the best, but in the
cheaper brands the stock becomes poor
er and poorer until smokers give up the
brand for some other"
why should the quality of tobacco
used in cigarettes become worse as the
brand becomes POPULAR"
sFor this reason. There is little or
nc profit on new brands of cigarettes.
WhyP Because the tobacco used is of
the best, and more is paid for making
new brands of cigarettes than old ones.
In recent years competition in cigar
cites has done much to reduce the price.
Why less than five years ago all cigar
cites sold from Is to 20 cents a pack
age. Now all brands sell for 10 cents,
while in some New York stores the price
has even been reduced to 8 and 9 cents.
Does il not stand to reason that the to-
bacco used in the cigarettes which sold
at 20 cents per package is much better
than that now used in the same brands
which sell at 10 centsP Labor is
no cheaper now than formerly, vet the
price of cigarettes have reduced one
half. Some one must bear the loss. 1t
is not the manufacturer. Who else
then can it be, if not the smoker? The
latter does not lose in a pecuniary
sense, but in the quality of the tobacco
used in the cigarettes. To my knowk
edge there are no less than two hundred
brands of cigarettes manufactured.
Some brands have long or short lives,
according to their quality and names.
A pretty name or picture on a wrapper
greatly aids in selling certain brands.
Many brands contain papier machie-
holders. These can only be used in
smoking one cigarette, and the packages
sold contain a holder for each cigarette.
Manufactures have replaced the pictures
about which there was such a howl
some time ago. by photographs of
prominent actresses dressed, of course,
in street costume. Other cigar dealers
may not have noticed a decrease, buttof
late I have sold not one package of CT
garettes, where I sold five formerly.
Many smokers of cigarettes have given
up the habit and taken to CIGARS"
''Do Brooklynites indulge much in
snuff"
"Artistic snuff taking is one of the
lost arts. The habit is dying out. !
sell but little snuff. Most of the bust
ness in that commodity is done in the
Southern States. Chewing tobaccoP
No. 1 notice no increase in its use, but
I suppose Brooklyn has more tobacco
chewers now than ten years ago. Many
of us were boys then, but have since
grown up and have learned to chew"
(Which is more widely used, fine cut
or plugP"
Zine cut, of course. Some old fogies
prefer plug, but its use is being super
coded by fine cut. In both kinds of tobac-
CO copperas is used. This is injurious to
the mouth and teeth. I know many
who are never without a chew in their
mouths, unless, perhaps, it is when they
sleep. Do you know that many Brook
lynites who can afford better smoke the
rankest and cheapest of cigars, because
they prefer the flavor OF
them better than higher priced brands?
To some men a strong five cent cigar
of the blacklist description is preferable
to a clear Havana costing five times
that sum. Mems tastes change in cigars
as often as any thing else. Ihaye a
customer who every week or so orders
a box of cigars to be made for him out
of the blacklist tobacco obtainable. Ol
course, the man has cast iron nerves,
but how long he can abuse them 1 don't