Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-07-04
SMOKING TOBACCO.

An Assertion that the Practice Was Not In
vented ny America
IL has generally been supposed, say
the New York sun, that the uses OF to-
hacco were not known outside of America
and it's islands before the discovery of
the western world Wn,Ie convincing
proof TO the contrary has no. been OBJ
'nu,d, the ,xpioraunus OF r-c-ut yrsr-
have cs,s,d tte question whether the 10.
bAclo habit in The fifteenth century was
not far more widely prevalent than has
been believed. 1t is learned that among
many of the Paciiio islands the uauves
used tobScco long before they were visit.
by white men, and there Is no tradi
ton among them of = time when their
Ia hers did not understand the culture of
the tobacco plant. Throughout inner
Africa also the use of tobacco is uniyer
sally known, and there ia every reason to
believe that some OF the varieties OF mic
onua IL common use are indigenous.
For all We know 10 the contrary the say
ages OF central Africa, who we're quite
urkrown at che time Columbus discovered
America, were prtfiug their pipes long
before he made himself famous.
There Is no doubt thai the discovery of
American tobacco had considerable iuhu
rnce upon the tobacco habit in Africa, If
it AID not actually introduce IT, Our com
mon Virginia tobacco WAS carried far up
the Nile to equatorial Africa long before
white men penetrated that region.
Schweiufurth was the Arst to discover
'hAt tals imported plant Is in use among
several Of the Bahr al Ghasal aud Nele-
Maku TRIBES, and It ia a curious fact hat
RE -Bvages who use this exotic have 40
naive name for IL. Each tribe has its
own name for the native variety OF to
bacco, but the aPpelleious the Africans
apply 20 the imported plant show uumis-
takbhiy that they are derived, one aud all,
from the word tobacco.
So tar "a this large region, at least, Is
indebted to America for nu improved
/ quality OF the weed, the obligation seems
10 be- acknowledged Ia the names given
20 the article. Bnt the iudigen, us yari-
cities are far more prevalent, aud are
/ largely used even where Virginia tobacco
Is cultivated. And since the foreign
source OF ne exotic hae been SO easily
I discovered IN the languages of the PEG
/ pie, u seems not unreasonable 90 suppose
I that IN the greater regions 90 winch II
/ has not evtended, aud whore no foreign
l,nueLce is disceruiblr, the smoking hsb
/ ~ had au independent origin,
| H. Is DOT AT al. certain that the white
! rHce has prior claim even upon the in
yeutiou Of the cigar. Ia all the parts OF
/ New Guinea, the largest island in tn,
world, that have yet been visited Tobacco,
1 is cultivated, and IN eume Of these dis
| trlcts the humble pipe contributes moth
/ ing to the enjoyment Of the weed aud IL
NOV even known. DR.. Nj saw native
with crude booking cigars Ia their MOUTH
who had never seen white man he or,
and Thought he had dropped from th'
/ K. Dr. Fiusch, Who some years late
/ explore d the coast FOR hundreds @; miles
/ says he natives of III, wluls nor,heas
/ coast Of New Guinea, though iLvotrrat,
smokers, had never heard of "A pipe, an,
returned those which he gave them as ar
/ ucl,s for which they had no use. H. say
they roll the partly dried leaves .uto
rude Cigar, and, not being blessed viii
Havana Wrappers, they tie around thei
Cigar large, green leaf from tree
ID ub less the vilest weeds sold on h
Bowery Gre superior 90 these pruduots o
Papaun ingenuity which hold fire o.
poorly that Il live coal is always a. ham
20 rtvivlfy taem. But they suit the IA
tive taste, and the people seem 20 regar'
those who draw tobacco smoke through
/ pipe stem as belonging TO an iuferio
4 order OF human beings