The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-01-28
STATESMEN And THE WEED.
Nearly All Of Them Use Tobacco in Some
Form.

Form
President Cleveland's After-Dinner Cigar
Senator Sherman's Best Havanas and Gen
Rosecrans's Virginia Stogas-Men Who Eat
Tobacco DID, Time Smokers, and Chewers
in Senate and House.
A Washington correspondent of THt
Ncso liorb World writes: President
Cleveland smokes cigars. Senator Ed.
munds chews fine cut Senator George
snuffs. and Senator Eustis puffs cigar.
cites. Our leading statesmen as rule
use tobacco more or less, and there are
few who do not regularly take their
post-prandial cigar. Secretary FAR
child does not smoke until he is through
with his work for the day. President
Cleveiand's daily cigar is taken after
dinner. and no usually smokes it sit
ting at his desk in his Office. He leans
back in his chair and puffs out the
smoke in great volumes, Senator
Blackburn always has cigar in his
mouth. His dealer at the Capitol tells
me that he uses the strongest tobacco.
buys three cigars for quarter and will
not take one that is of-a gingerbread
yellow. Senator Sherman keeps box
of cigars in his committee-room, and
he smokes the best Havanas. Gen.
Rosecrans says there is nothing like
the Virginia stogy. and his face is a
poem of pleasure as he blows its smoke
into the air. Gen. Sheridan smokes a
great deal, Gen. Arson G. McCook
likes strong black weed, and Gen.
Tecumseh Sherman often takes what is
called dry smoke. He keeps his
cigars in his mouth for some time be-
fore he lights them and chews them to
pieces as he draws their fragrant aroma
into his lungs.
One of the most inveterate smokers
of the past was Judge William ID. Kel-
ley, the pig-iron Protectionist. He
smoked steadily for nearly two genera
lions and chewed at the same time. He
would go to bed with quid of tobacco
in his mouth and sleep with it lying
next to his cheek. When he arose in
the morning he would take fresh
chew, and the result was that his system
became saturated with nicotine. A
few years ago the side of the cheek in
which the tobacco lay at night became
poisoned. and cancerous growth was
the result. He consulted the doctors
and they told him that this would have
to be cut out and that he would have
to stop the use of tobacco. He consent
ed to the operation and by his indomit-
able will succeeded in giving up smok-
ing and chewing. He tells me, how
ever, that he must still avoid places
where he must breathe tobacco smoke,
and that the craving for nicotine some
tines grows so strong upon him that
he will bite off the end of a cigar and
chew it. He has felt, however. like a
new man since he stopped smoking,
and he bids fair to live until he is
hundred.
Gen. Grants cancer was undoubted.
ly caused by excessive smoking. and
DR.. Bliss, Garfield's physician, nearly
ruined his health by the use of strong
cigars. Bl ss's smoking cost him humid
reds of dollars year. He never used
an, thing but the most costly imported
cigars, and he thought nothing of pay
ing fifty cents or dollar for a smoke.
He swore of, l am told. about year
ago and is now healthier man.
Depew used to smoke twen-
ty cigars day, but found himself
growing dyspeptic and low-spirited.
He thought it might be the tobacco.
He tried to reduce his number of cigars
and failed. He then decided to stop
altogether and succeeded.
Tom Bowen of Colorado smokes in
cessantly, and chews when he takes a
C gar out of his mouth. Congressman
smokes eight cigars for dol
lar, and Bob Ingersoll is fond of Reina
Vlctorias. Senator Van Wyck does
not smoke at all, and he once told me
his first experience in the use of tobac-
co. He said:
1t was when I was a boy. l had
great ambition to be smoker and
thought it manly. took few PEN
MES l had saved and bought cheap
cigar. began to smoke it and in
few minutes l was suffering the tor
lures of the damned. With pale face
[ crept homeward, crawled into my
bedroom and my mother bathed my
head. don't know whether I gave
any reason for my sudden attack. but L
was sure was going to die, This ex-
perience was, however, enough for
me, and l have never attempted to
smoke since them"
Gen. Grant says in his memoirs that
he found it very hard to learn to
smoke. He failed utterly at West
Point in his attempt to acquire the
habit of using tobacco. and it was not
until many years afterward that he sue
ceeded.
Horace Greeley used to say that
when man began to smoke lie imme-
liatelv became a hog, and if this is so
we have had noted hogs among our
public men. Henry A. Wise could
chew a plug of tobacco at sitting.
Every one will remember Jackson's |
,orn-cob pipes, and John Adams and
John Quincy Adams were both smok-
,rs. Daniel Webster liked good ci-
gar and Henry Clay chewed. smoked
Ind snuffed. Clay would not carry a
Inuff-box himself for fear that he
night indulge TO freely in the habit
ind thus injure'his melodious' voice.
BE borrowed his pinches of snuff from
lis friends, and there is story told in
which he stopped in the middle of an
at the Supreme Court and
lsked Chief-Justice Marshall for a