Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-02-13
BUY FEW.
A Good Thing to Treat Friends With.
New York Tribune.


New York Tribune.
LOADED" cigars, as instruments Of
mirth- provoking torture, are liable to
come into more general use among prac-
teal jokers on account Of new method
of manufacture which lessons the danger
of the explosions. A small cartridge Of
powder inserted in the middle of cigar
was able to furnish large amount of
hilarity, but it was liable to damage the
eyesight of the unsuspecting smoker who
had been selected as a victim by the
iokers. Serious accidents, followed by
suits for damages, made the old style
'loaded'' cigars unpopular. When man
who had been known to indulge in fun at
the expense of his friends offered cigar
of the finest brand to an acquaintance,
he was obliged to answer such questions
as Evil it 60 off?'' or (Which way shall
I point it?' A man with reputation
as joker could keep box of cigars
open in his Office with safety. His friends
would be sure to think that articles left
exposed in such a tempting way were
dangerous to fool with.
Recently some manufacturer has
adopted method Of s'loading" cigars of
a certain brand with chemical cartridge
which takes fire soon after the weed is
lighted. There is no sudden explosion
which skaters the wrappers and sends
fragments of burning tobacco in all di-
rections, but from the end of the cigar a
stream of fire shoots out to distance of
about three feet in direct line. It
makes man look for few seconds as if
he was a gas tank and held piece of
broken gas-pipe in his mouth. The man
is in no danger so long as he keeps still
and let's the cigar sputter away. To hold
the weed firmly in the teeth at such
moment is better test of mans nerve
than to hang on to the end Of burning
Roman candle. The chief danger to be
feared is that some man may dropa cigar
and start confagration if he attempts
to smoke indoors.
In one department of the city govern
ment the clerks have found much amuse-
ment lately in dealing out cigars of the
new brand and waiting for the displays
of pyrotechnics. They suddenly aban
doned that form of diversion few days
ago on account of an unexpected accident.
One Of the clerks had presented a cigar
to an official, but it had been consigned
to the officials pocket until more con-
venient time for smoking. That time
came when the official got on the front
platform of street car and borrowed
sight'' from stout German. Two heads
were close together, and the official was
sucking the fire from the end of the Ger
mans adjourned weed, when there was
a fizz like that which attends the flight of
a sky-rocket. A stream of fire played di-
rectly into the Germans face, scorching
his cheek and obliterating one large, red
side whisker in an instant. The German
jumped off the car with howl of anguish.
He was followed by the astonished official,
who began to make an apology,
"You make one pig JOKE" screamed
the German, ''but I hat you arrested"
The official was obliged to show his
shield and give the name of the clerk who
had furnished the obnoxious cigar before
the German would believe his explana-
ton. A day or two later the clerk re-
ceived a letter from the Germans lawyer
stating that suit for damages had been
authorized. Fearing that his position in
the department would be forfeited if the
facts came to the notice of commission
er, the clerk made haste to settle. The
sum of money which was needed as a
salve to the Germans outraged feelings
made big hole lin the clerks monthly
pay. Warned by his experience, the
other clerks have since been experiment.
ing with cigars "loaded' only with teeth
extracted from rubber combs. The fumes
of burning rubber mixed with tobacco
smoke have turned the stomachs OF sew
eral hardened smokers.