Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-04-18
EGYPTIAN CIGARETTE FACTORIES.
what an Englishman Learned About
Them-A Hint From an Old smoker.

Them-A Hint From an Old Smoker.
The bales are opened as required,
and the various leaves mixed so that
four different priced qualities result,
the best kind being that in which there
is the least Smyrna tobacco and the
least percentage of large leaves. II
cigarettes are made exclusively Of the
best leaves, which are light yellow
brown in color and measure only four
by two inches, the aroma is very pleas
ant, but the smoker gets headache
after about five of them. The middle
leaves when dry, measure about seven
by four and a half inches, aud the low
est leaves of all are considerably larger.
Cairo air is so dry that leaves must be
damped with water here before being
cut. but in Alexandria this is not neces-
sary. Enghsh-mado machines cut up
the leaves, and ON the following day
the cigarettes are rolled by Greek,
Syrian, or jewish workmen. A clever
workman can roll as many as fifteen
hundred day.
The cigarettes are then carefully
overhauled 10y an expert, left n week
TO dry. and then packed in tin boxes
for sale. They should, Of course, be
smoked directly. instead of being
kept as is too often the case in Eng
land. So much for the tobacco; now
for the paper All large Cairo firms
employ one kind OF paper only, which
is made by half English company at
Fiumo, near Trieste. II comes to
Alexandria In foolscap sheets, and Is
there cut up in the required size. 1t is
not known how il is made, or whether
it is chiefly rice straw; but tho mer-
chants here all vow that it is the best
they can get. If one is right in sus-
pecting the paper instead uf tho tobac-
co. it might bo we'll to try to get cigar
cites rolled in tobacco leaves instead
of paper.
The only other ingredient left to con-
slider is the starch for joining the pa
per. This is used with thin stick by
the men who roll tho cigarettes. |
may say each workman Is allowed TO
smoke MS many cigarettes (say forty)
as he likes during his work, aud IS
presented with ten every night to take
home with him. The first establish
ment that | visited only camo into be-
ing five years ago, but now has throo
branch shops in London and one In
Bombay, Berlin aud New York. Tho
proprietors only sell l per cent of
their cigarettes in Egypt but export
100000 week to England, besides
4O0,000 weekly to India, Europe, China,
Australia, etc
My second visit was paid to we'll
known puryeyor who exports 100000 a
week 10 England alone whore ! saw
one hundred men rolling cigarettes,
and bales full Of the best tobacco
leaves. At the third house | was
shown several bales Of Joheek tobacco
from Yeuidie. This consists of spec-
ally selected leaves, aud is the finest
possible from Turkey This proprietor
sends about $4,000 every week TO
1 England My fourth visit was TO a
/ mau had never heard of before, but
VINO was koenly alive 10 the cores
poudcuce in the English newspapers.
He sends every week moro than $4,000
cigarettes 60 England, and greater
quantl' Germany.
Although In "A smaller line Of busl-
ness than the others, he gets his leaves
and his papers from the Same spot as
his competitors. There are, OF course,
many other reputable establishments
in Cairo beside these four, which, rs |
have shown supply every week ono
million cigarettes TO England nlono,
and about the same number 10 other
parts of the world. My opinion Is
that no opium or other drug is mixed
with the tobacco; and even in hasheosh
dens the deVOtec buys bit Of the cam
nabis indica extract and mixes il him-
self with the tobacco. In conclusion,
one practical hint from wise old
oriental who smokes seventy or eighty
cigarettes day, his wife smoking all
most as great "A number. Always uso
a cigarclle-holdcr, aud in the holder a
tiny plug of cotton wool previously
dipped in lemon juice and changed
every time with the cigarette London
lancet