The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-12-28
CiCAR.BOXES.
Why Cedar Is Used for Them-H0W They
Are Manufactured.

cIcAR.BoxEs.
why Cedar Is Used for Them-How They
Are Manufactured.
Cedar is used for cigar-boxes, says a
| New York correspondent, because it is
the most porous wood, is easily dried,
and can be cut and nailed better and
| quicker than hard wood. But the
principal reason is because of the flavor,
which is contained in the essential oil
with which the wood is saturated. The
flavor of the oil evaporates freely, and
has the most beneficial effect upon any
kind of tobacco.
The best cedar-the largest and
finest in color and quantity-comes
crom the southern gulf coast of Mexico.
Lately the cedar market has been very
much depressed, because manufact-
urers of cheap cigar boxes have found
it practicable to use stained and grained
wood, in imitation of genuine cedar,
for cheap boxes. The grain is pressed
on the wood while lis running through
rollers, and the imitation is nearly per-
feet, except the peculiar aroma.
| In Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala and the
! Central American states cedar grows
in forests, singly or in clumps of three
or four trees, and these trees are very
often so to 100 yards apart. They
grow frequently in company with
mahogany. The trees being so far
apart it is very troublesome to get them
out of the woods after they are cut. In
the majority of instances 4 special path
has to be made through the woods,
through which the timber is dragged to
neighboring creek, the water Of
Which bears it to market.
The trees are cut by Indians or half
breeds, for which they are paid in
Mexico and the Central American
states, 25 to so cents day. The
monteros who engage these people gen.
orally manage it so that nothing is left
after purchasing the supplies, tools. etc. !;
All this is deducted out of the Indians
or half-breeds' pay, and if anything
is left the montero usually CANDLES it
away.
The chopping of the treesis is generally
done during the dry season. When
! the rainy season sets in, which is in the
fall months, the creeks and rivers COM
mence to swell, and the timber is float
ed down to the larger streams, and
from there is sent on RATS to the ship
pers near the seacoast. Advances in
the shape of money, provisions, and
tools are made to the monteros by the
shippers. Cedar and mahogany are
shipped to New York, Havre, Liver
pool, and Hamburg on consignment.
The cedar is now in New York.
Possibly it has lain two or three sea-
sons where it has been cut on account
of the seasons not being rainy enough
to float it to tidewater. 1t is now in
rougi logs,t only attemptat dressing
done being simply to remove the
bark and to fashion it into square
shape. How it is made into cigar
boxes is a process that can be readily
imagined.
First, the log. if too long, is sawed
off to a required length. Then it
is hauled up an inclined plane to the
mill Here, by means of an end
less band and veneer saws it is sawed
into One-quarter and three-sixteenths
inch lumber. The cut timber is
taken to the drying-room where it is
placed in racks where the circulation
of air is free and subjected to hot steam
|
dried out. The lumber is then taken
out of the drying room and planed-
The seasoning and planning constitute
the most important elements in a good
cigar-box.
The timberis now finished, trimmed,
and the edges smoothed, and it is
sawed crosswise into the sides, bottoms
and tops of the cigar boxes. The
selectors now take hold of the cedar,
and pick out the best pieces for the
front and the worst for the back of the
boxes. The pieces are now ready to be
put together, but they must first re-
ceiye whatever printing and embossing
the cigar manufacturer may require.
| A cigar box ordinarily needs four or
five impressions, besides the brand,
which is stamped and printed on the
top, there legends, such as '"Conchas
Specials" "Favoritas" and similar dis
tinguished words printed on the sides.
The district internal revenue number
Of the cigar factory using the box ana
the quantity is impressed, according to
law, on the bottom of the box.
The pieces are nailed into hooks
first-that is, an end and side piece are
put together. The hooks are joined
and the box is ready for the top and
bottom. The latter is nailed on and q
muslin hinge is pasted on the former,
which secures it to the box.
From the nailing-room the boxes are
taken to the pasting-room. Here girls
paste the edges. labels, etc. and the
box is stood aside to dry. The box IS
now ready to receive cigars. Some
times fancy touches in the way OF var
nishing and putting on fancy paper are
desired, but the ordinary cedar cigar
box receives the treatment l have de-
scribed. When it is recollected that a
cigar-box fulfills its mission the mo-
ment it receives its cigars, and must be
destroyed, by law, as soon as it be-
comes empty, the number OF boxes
in this country, with the progress OF
the cigar industry and the law prescrib-
ing them as the only packing for cigars,
it almost equals the number Of hair
pins manufactured.
/ Tho rAfn1 CamvaRaAP.