Morning journal and courier., 1890-09-17
LOOK AT THE STAMPS.
Those on q Cigar Box Give Valuable
 Information.

From the New York Sum-
 The interior wrappings and Autographs tell about the cigar when the box is from the outside. It requires somewhat close observation to note all the marks on a cigar box. On q box of imported cigars, for instance, there is branded the name of the manufacturer. That is usually the name of some factory and the place where the factory is. The name of the factory gives an indication about its location. The brand ''Campa Gral de Tabaco del Filipinas' shows unmistakably where the cigars that were put in that box were made, unless the brand is a counterfeit. It is seldom that counterfeit brands are found on imported cigars, as the import stamp is a guarantee that the cigar has gone through the custom house. This stamp is put on first. Each of the Ha- vana factories has its stamp, the Garcia. the Clay, the Carolina, or whatever it may be, on the lid of the box. It may be hid afterward by the revenue stamp and htho- graphs, but the first thing done is to brand that name on.
 The Havana cigars frequently have stamped on them also "Habana," with the Spanish abbreviation designating the qual- ity of tobacco or the size. This is put on when the boxes are sorted out to be filled; the stamp of the factory is put on them in the first place. This stamp also is not branded like the factory stamp, but is put on with stencil. The name of the factory cannot be taken off without plan ing into the lid, but the brand of the qual- ity and color can.
 Before the cigars are put in the box is further branded with the color, ''claro, " | s'colorado claro," colorado" ''colorado maduro,' ''maduro," or, as known to Americans, very mild, mild, medium, fairly strong and strong. These are not enough grades to mark the various dis | tictions in color and strength, but they are generally approximated. Some brands of colorado claro cigars are milder than the claro cigars of other brands, but the mildest ones are always put into the claro boxes. There has been some change in the strictness of marking in recent years eaused by the fact that the American trade prefers colorado claro and claro to the maduro and colorado maduro.
 | When the box has been marked in this way it is filled and the final takes are put in. The manufacturer usually then pastes some advertisements on it in order that the box may not be opened and other ci. l RdTS WlUnOub 1tS DelnG evident | to the purchaser. Manufacturers have labels which they paste over the seams which contain advertisements and notices of various kinds. If the manufacturer has taken prizes at any international ex hibition fac-similes of the medals will probably be found on the labels. Usually there is picture of the factory, with tho firm name, coat-of-arms and other de
 signs. In this shape the box is ready tc be sent here
 It arrives with tens of thousands of oth
 CT boxes and is examined by an inspector
 He pastes over it the import stamp so tha
 the box cannot be opened without destroy
 ing the stamp. The import stamp certi
 fies to the number of cigars in the bo,
 and that the tax is paid. Besides tha
 there are blank spaces on the stamp whicl
 the inspector fills out with stencil When filled up the stamp shows no only that the cigars went through the GUS tom house, but the steamer in which the came, the port at which they were CT , tered, the date on which they were r,
 ceived and stamped, and the name of th
 inspector who stamped them. This is a 3 unfailing certificate of the length of tin