Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-24
A Good Word for the Modern Cigar.
ette from an Authority.
CAN'T SMOKE OPIUM In THEM,
America Produces the Best Article and
the World Uses II.
EXPERTS IN MAKING AND SMOKING
WRITTEN ron THE p1srArcH.i

| everyone by sight, there are any quantity of
people of the present generation who appear
to imagine that the United States were the
originators of this form of smoking, and
still more who will DE profoundly y'astonished
| to learn that cigarette smoking was uni
versal custom in foreign lands generations
before the centerboard craft Of Christopher
| Columbus plowed the Atlantic Ocean.
The origin of the cigarette is unknown as
/ far as can learn, and the two earliest as
well as the most primitive, records of it are
found among the Samoan Islanders, who
when first known rolled few twigs of dried
tobacco leaf in a green leaf from tree, lit
| it and smoked it for a few whiffs, and then
threw it away to roll another; the other in
stance is the inhabitants of Cuba, who
when discovered were found to be smoking
tobacco rolled in a dried maize leaf. The
name cigarette was not evolved until COM
| paratively recent years, and is derived from
| cigarros which in turn is derived from
| cigarah, which name was given by the early
smokers to the practice of smoking, owing
to it generally taking place in garden,
under the waving trees, and among the
| ehirping of the grasshoppers. At least so
say the Cubans, and they should know.
HISTORY OF THE ROLL.
The best starting point for the cigarette,
or small roll of tobacco, is said to be in the
Pacific Islands, where Samoa is situated,
and that from there it\ was transmitted
through the Bornean Dyaks and Malays to
Singapore, and thence through Hindoostan
to Russia In Hindoostan at the present
time the roll of Tunkah leaf isstill seen in
tine mouth of every adult, aud in Burmah
everyone smokes them. A maiden presents
! her lover with cigarettes and helps him to
smoke them, and every woman will be found
to have large or small hole in the lobe of
| the right ear into which she slips the cigar
ette or cigar she is smoking when she wants
to use both hands. 1t is no uncommon
thing for lovers to "trade" smokes that are
| half consumed, and in the bazaar one fire.
quently sees a girl making purchases re-
move her cigarette from her mouth and hand
it to her escort to keep alight until she is
ready to receive it again.
In Siam every baby smokes, and If one
cries while the mother nurses it, she will put
the cigarette she is smoking into its mouth
to quiet it. The children run about naked
and so have no pockets, and it is no uncom-
mon thing to see one with cigarette stuck
behind each ear and another in its mouth as
it runs along the street.
CONSUMPTION IN RUSSIA.
In Africa, the cigarette is practically un-
known, which is the more curious as all
other forms of smoking. long pipes, water
pipes, earth pipes, and also snnff-taking are
commonly practiced. In Russia everyone
smokes cigarettes of all kinds and all quail
ties. So great is the consumption that one
factory alone, that of Boganoff 3 Co., is
credited by the official returns with a yearly
output of 2, SOC, ,000, 900 cigarettes, or about
SOC, 600, 900 more than the total output of the
industry of the United States. These, how
ever, are mostly of very low quality, made
of a coarse-grained, rank, badly-cured to-
bacco. and not at all comparable with even
the lowest quality we make. They are
smoked principally by the monjicks or
peasants. and are principally wrapped in
heavy paper, which is colored brown by
sleeping it in a preparation of iron. A
characteristic of the Russian cigarette is
that it always has a mouth-piece of card.
The small quantity of fine grade goods are
made of the finest grade of Turkish leaf, for
which fabulous prices are paid, for no mat
ter what the product be, whether cigarettes,
Havana cigars, Chinese tea or champagne,
the very finest grade always finds a market
among the rich mobiles of Russia at prohibi-
tive prices. I have bought cigarettes in
Moscow at Is cents each. One of the most
recent innovations is a cigarette made of
denicotinized tobacco by Pottawa firm,
but they are alkaline, pungent and charac-
terless, and can never become popular.
THE TURKISH CIGARETTE.
It is strange that the mention of a
cigarette should naturally be linked with
the thought of Turkey, and that Turkish
cigarettes should be synoym in the trade,
when Turkey manufactures but very few
and very poor cigarettes, and smokes still
less 1t is, however. beyond doubt won
derful country for the peculiar grade of leaf
required for the European taste. Austria
troubles little about cigarettes, and although
the German is more addicted to pipes of
voluminous size and length and cigars that
are calculated to lower the rents of property
adjacent to the confirmed smoker, a tremen-
dous quantity Of cigarettes are made from
the finest down.
France is generally styled the "nation of
cigarette smokers" but as few but domestic
made goods are allowed to be sold there, and
the total production is estimated at 2, 900,-
600, 900 year, it is not so very great, as the
population of France and her colonies nearly
equals that OF the United States, so that we
run her very close for the record in point of
average consumption per head. The cigar
cites of France are nightmare. Words
cannot describe them, although many Ameri-
cans, eminently gifted, have done their best.
The only excuse for the nation smoking them
is, they cannot get anything better, there
being but two places in Paris where Ameri-
can cigarettes are sold, and these are sold at
just double their price here.
INA SPANISH FACTORY.
A Spanish factory is q picture, one at
Seville has 2, 500 girls employed, sitting in
rows OF 20 each. The room is low and is q
blaze of color, for every girl has handker-.
chiet round her neck and bright flower be-
hind her ear. Ali along the walls hang the
rich colored out door dresses, and babel of
tongues run never firing. A married wo-
man is allowed to bring her baby, and the
aisles are crowded with cradles which are
rocked with one foot while the two hands of
the mother are busy rolling cigarettes. In
the very hot weather bell is rung before
visitors are admitted, and entering one sees
twinkling of white arms and shoulders as
mantillas are hastily thrown on to hide the
great dishabelle rendered necessary to Sc
cure comfort in working. They smoke if they
wish and although they.earn only about Q
pesetas or 40 cents day, they are q merry
lot
The Spaniards are the most expert smok-
ers in the world. I have seen a Spaniard
take heavy pull at his cigarette, inhale it,
take up wine skin, or wine bottle, pour
half pint down his throat, holding the ves-
sci foot from his mouth and not spill
drop, and then with sigh of satisfaction
close his eyes, and exhale the smoke from
nose and mouth in clouds. They will also
inhale the smoke, converse for few min
utes in a natural manner, and chen blow out
the smoke.
BOILED WITH ONE HAND.
In Yucatan men, women and children