The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-25
III LADIES SMOKE,

A Glimpse Into the FutuFO-what Might
=, Is II Ladies' Used CIgars.
"The cigar and tobacco retail trade Is
now only a Ut business for imbeciles and
idiots said an old dealer to a reporter
one balmy evening in the summer Of
1880. ~ am a pretty old man, and l
stick to 1t because ! don't care to leave
it alter SO long an acquaintance. 1t
used to be q good enough trade, and III.
ty years ago | took a great prid6S and
comfort In my store, and the brainy
men who were my customers, What
caused the changer Well, I'll tell you.
! think the thin wedge was introduced
about 1889, when the daily papers fOs.
tered a discussion az to II women should
smoke or not, Atthat tIme | kept two
statesmen and did u roaring trade with
the boys. Well, this subject stirred
things up, aud 1t seemed az II public
prejudice got wore away somehow, aud
first women smoked in their houses, and
finally on the street, and taking Queen
Isabel Of Spain for q model, they
smoked fine cigars, and for a time the
cigar trade doomed. But what was the
resultP Fashions were introduced, and
changed and %re.changed every few
weeks, new and fantastic shapes In ci.
garS arose, ran for a few weeks and fell
out; then the present state OF things
came about, Watch that ladyl"
The reporter saw q lady elegantly at.
tired In a seal brown walking suit enter
tho crowded storeand elbow her way 10
the counter. ~ wish to look at some OF
tho latest style cigars" she said, some.
thing to match this costume"
The clerk handed her down a number
OF boxes, but one had sand spots OF the
wrong shape, or unevenly distributed;
others were too dark, others too light.
"You have q very poor selection OF col.
ors in the last crop" she said; some CT.
CARS were too bright in the leaf, Others
too dull on some the paste showed
through the heads and spoiled the run
Of shading and after nearly an hours
fruitless trial nothing could be found 10
suit her, aud she retired, making way
for u number Of others who had been
impatiently waiting for the clerk to be
d~isengaged to tackle him on a similar er.
rand.
"Notice this one; l know her Grand"
said the proprietor, as a tall, queenly
woman stepped forward and In a deep
voice asked: ibid you get those irilis
cut upon the wrapper edge Of those dark
cigars for me?"
The clerk replied: ave are very sorry,
madam, but II is impossible. The leafs
too light, and although the irill eau DO
formed all right, it breaks directly II
dries. We have had a man working on
1t for two days"
What u nuisance. 1 particularly
wanted those frills to correspond with
my corsage trimmings" said the lady,
petulantly. "Well, please give me two
yards and si~x-elghths OF bouquet size
Vuelta leaf goods, shading from oscuro
to Claro, and mind that the wrappers are
cut bias. | want to lay them around Il
%modulatei plush covered smoking table.
II is very annoying about those frills.
And by tho way, the ash Of those last
cigars did not match with my pearl grey
silk at all. / must send you q pattern
up and let you fix it."
"Therel" said the old retailer, "that Is
II from morning till night. Look at this
store, crammed and jammed with people,
all ladies. | have twelve statesmen where
l used to have two, and don't do as much
actual trade; the time IL all taken up
with matching Colors or inspecting
styles; women come In and look at TO-.
900 cigars and 20 out without making q
purchase. Tho men? Oh, the men
write on q piece Of paper what they want
and send the office boy with Il; they
would not venture into this crowd. As
! said before, II Is a good business for
idiots, or for producing them"
With this the reporter left the store,
and pausing outside he looked up above
the door and read, "John Blakeiy."
"Great sCottl This must DO the man
Of many cash pockets that l have heard
the old fellows speak about" lie said to
himself; chow times have changed at
his store. Ia civilization a failure, or Ia
the Caucasian played OUT"