The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-19
HOW TO TELL A CIGAR.
A "Ten-Center" Properly and Honestly
Made is Good Enough.
in,

a "Ien.Center" Properly and Honestly
Made is Good Enough.
w. P. Pond in Tobacco.
We made In this country during the fis-
cal year ending June 30, 1889. no less than
3,66s, 1924 cigars, and of this number
nearly one-third were made in New York
city and about one-fourth in the state of
Pennsylvania. Nearly two-thirds of those
made in New York and seven-eighths of
the Pennsylvania product were common
cigars, made by cheap labor to a great ex-
tent, of domestic tobacco, to sell at cents
or less apiece. On the other hand the re.
manning third of the New York city prod
uct may be broadly stated as being made
of a fine grade of imported Havana leaf by
Cuban or Spanish workmen.
To begin with, the good Scent cigar, the
filler, or inside, is generally of Pennsyl-
vania leaf, sometimes in long pieces, some
times in short pieces known as 'sscrap. I"
1t is surrounded and held together by q
'binder" composed of Pennsylvania or
Connecticut leaf, and the two combined,
forming "bunch," are placed in a
mold" and pressed into the desired shape
before going into the rollers hands. When
pressed these punches" are covered with
leaf of Sumatra, Connecticut broad leaf,
Housatonlc or some of the domestic grown
varieties which supply the leaves of the
finest texture. Some of this grade of CT
CARS contain ''sprig of Havana" leaf and
others are made of inferior Havana leaf
throughout. Such is the makeup of the
good scent cigar which is sold by the man
ufacturer at prices varying from SIS to $40
per thousand, according to size and the
quantity of extra fine wrapper employed
in its production.
The good 10-cent cigar opens up wide
field of discussion, because the tastes of
smokers are so various. The coming 10
cent cigar of the day is undoubtedly the
cigar made with good grade of Havana
tobacco, covered with q very fine Sumatra
wrapper. This wrapper, in animation
with well manipulated Havana filler,
makes cigar of which man can smoke
an almost unlimited number without ex-
periencing the hsaviness that the same
amount of cigars made entirely of Havana
would produce if the practice were long
continued. As matter of fact, although
number of them are still made of domes-
tic leaf, the great bulk of the 10-cent cigars
are dependent for their quality upon the
Havana tobacco used for filters.
Domestic leaf is worth from 40 cents per
pound down to any price-even cents per
pound. Havana tobacco costs from so cents
10 81, and, with the duty averaged at so
cents per pound, may be said to cost s.. so
grade. and possesses peculiarly distinct
i've fragrance and flavor which no other to-
bacco has. OF this tobacco the finest cigars
IN the world are made. and il may be stat
ed without fear of contradiction that our
domestic factories in their higher grade
Havana goods turn out cigar that is in
most respects equal and in some superior
to the product of the world. When it is
known that there are cigars made in this
city for which SAT per / 900 is paid simply
for the making, this is not to be won.
dered at.
The question of quality in q fne Ha-
vana cigar is dependent upon the way in
which the high grade of tobacco is ham
died. For if tobacco from the same vega
plantation feld) be given to three differ
emit manufacturers, all equally skiilful and
expert. three very different cigars, of vary
ing excellence in the opinion of qualified
expert, will be turned out No vega is
made up singly, but is blended with to-
bacco from other vegas in the manner best
calculated to bring its fragrance and flavor
into their highest state OF perfection. and