The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-19
to the delicacy and perfect detail OF this
manipulation is due the quality OF the inner

to the delicacy and perfect detail OF this
manipulation is due the quality OF the finer
cigars.
The leaf of the Vuelta Abajo district Is
conceded the palm for favor and aroma
Yet fully 40 per cent. of the cigars import
ed into the United States ere made Oh far-
lido tobacco ian inferior grade), ana ine
national taste is undoubtedly responsible
for the fact. The bulk of our smokers pay
the same price for the second grade OF Ha-
vana tobacco as they would II they bought
the first grade, the price of Patrido cigars
in Cuba being only a little more than naii
that charged for the same cigar issued
from fine Vuelta factory. The fine vueita
cigars have much larger sale IN Europe
than they have in the United States, ana
some OF the special sizes sent TO Russia
command price OF 81 so per 1000 in Ha-
vana; these, If shipped to this cour Try.
would retail at the fabulous price OF ". 20
or 81. so per cigar.
Among the curious points not generally
known regarding the Vuelta leaf Is the Pc
culiar fact that it is the only tobacco IN the
world, so far as is known. OF which cigar
can be Lit, allowed to go out, remain SO ior
several hours and then be relit with no per-
ceptible loss of fragrance or added rank
ness of flavor. It has been frequently as
serted that this is the case with any hne
cigar, but this is an error. Neither Partldo,
Remedies, Yara. Manila nor our domestl TIC
leaf can be lit a second time without suffer-
ing decrease OF quality and an obnoxious
increase of flavor.
The taste for one style or make of cigar
is due In great measure to early associa-
tons. The youth who learns TO smoke
with fine Vueita goods may for time,
through ignorance, stray among otner
varieties, but he will generally come back
to them and appreciate them. II he starts
wxrs4 n a Ill
them and decry the Havana leaf as too
strong, and will long for the metallic taste
OF the inferior Sumatra as earnestly as the
Englishman does for the coppery taste or
his native oyster. Scores OF dealers have
wealthy customers, men who have made
their money by hard work, who, capable OF
affording the most expensive cigars, pur-
chase and infinitely prefer the "fve-
center" of their youth.
One greas trouble is that so many smok-
ers do not know what they want. They
ask for Havana cigars and declare that
they want them, but as fact there are
many of them that do not want anything
of the kind. Another great mistake has
been rampant in the craze for light-colored
cigars, now nearly past or at all events
visibly on the wane. The light wrapper
was no criterion of the color OF the filler,
and light wrapper on dark filler simply
destroyed the even run of the leaf through
out, which is the one essential OF fine
cigar. The light leaf was immature,
plucked before the sun had finished it by
natures process, acrid in flavor and in
smell, and its selection is giaring adver-
tisement of the fact that the smoker does
not know what constitutes good cigar.
1t is worthy of note that the hotter the
country the darker and heavier the cigar
is that forms the prevailing taste. A
Cuban is never seen smoking ight-col-
ored cigar, but he grades their strength,
nevertheless, by size. He smokes bouquet
after breakfast, regalia after lunch, and
after dinner an imperial or celestial, and of
all people in the world the Cuban is the
best judge of a cigar, and the proper
method for obtaining the greatest amount
of good from it.