Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-27
THE BEST CIGARS.
A Tobacco Experts Discussion for the
Benefit of Smokers.
LARGELY A MATTER OF TASTE.
MilIionaires Who Prefer the Cheap Goods
of Their BOyhood.
CHOICE ROLLS FROM HAVANA LEAF
WRITTEN FOR THE p1spArcH.I

We made in this country, during the fiscal
wear ending June 80, 1889, no less than s.
66S, ,162, 4S6 cigars, and of this number nearly
one-third were made in New York city, and
about one-fourth in the State of Pennsyl-
vania, and of these nearly two-thirds in
New York and seven-eighths in Pennsyl-
MIA were common cigars, made by cheap
labor, to great extent, of domestic tobacco,
to sell at cents or less apiece. On the
other hand, the remaining third of the New
York city product may be broadly stated as
being made of fine grade of imported Ha-
vana leaf, by Cuban or Spanish workmen, +,
and resulting in a product of which fair
proportion is equal to the finest cigars of the
finest factories Of Cuba, or the world.
The gist of these latter remarks may also
be applied to the product of Key West and
Tampa, where, under the same conditions,
aided by climatic influences, a grade of
cigars is turned out quite equal to any i'm
ported stock, while the bulk of the product
NAV be generally classed as far above the
domestic in quality.
Quality! That brings us to the query,
"What constitutes good cigar?" And it
is an awkward question to do justice to, for
the simple reason that every man thinks be
knows good cigar; and every man, yes,
even among experts, differs in opinion as to
what this term implies. The City Of New
York is cosmopolitan, and contains its mill
ionaires who prefer stogies and 5-centers,
and men with a more than limited income
who will smoke but one cigar day, and
that one a fine clear Havana.
THE GOOD 5-cENT CIGAR.
To begin with, the good 5-cenr cigar is
made in clean, wholesome factory, by good
workmen, of sound leaf. The filler, or in
side, is generally of Pennsylvania leaf,
sometimes in long pieces, known as 'long-
filler goods" sometimes in short pieces
known as SCRAP" surrounded and held to-
pether bv q binder" to hold it together,
this binder being composed of Pennsylvania
or Connecticut Leaf, and the two combined
forming a "bunch," which is placed in a
mold" and pressed into the desired shape
before going into the rollers hands. Many
OF these punches are now made by ma
chinery, but only four years ago they were
made exclusively by hand, principally by
girls.
When duly pressed these 'bunches" are
covered BY the "roller'-the man or woman
who puts on the wrapper, with leaf of
Sumatra, Connecticut broad Leaf, Housa-
tonic, or some of the domestic grown varie-
ties Nllcn supply the LEAVES Oh TIE uueSI
texture, the quality and appearance VARYING
verv much with the season. Some Of this
grade cigars contain ga sprig OF Havana"
leaf and others are made of inferior Havana
leaf throughout. The bulk of the better
class of 5-cent goods are covered with
Sumatra leaf (Which, by the way, is never
used for "filler'), not because it is the best
leaf for the purpose-which it is nat-but
because it is the most pleasing to the eye,
IL H. t.a1-
this country, as will be treated upon later.
This comprises the good Scent cigar, which
is sold by the manufacturer at prices vary
ing from S25 to $40 per thousand, according
to size and quantity of extra fine wrapper
employed In its production.
THE COMING 1O-cENT ARTICLE.
The good 10-cent cigar opens up wide
field of discussion, because the tastes of the
smokers are so various. The coming TO-
cent cigar OF the day is undoubtedly the
cigar made with a good grade OF Havana
tobacco covered with a very fine Sumatra
wrapper. A cigar so made is very hand
some, bright and glossy in its covering, and
mild, sweet smelling smoke. The domes-
tic wrapper, even at its best will look dull
and heavy beside it, and the eye OF the
smoker is pleased with it, and the general
outline bestowed upon it by the fine
workman, generally Cuban, en-
ployed in making it solely and ex-
cluslvely by hand. Another cogent rea-
son is found in the fact that this wrapper, In
combination with well-manipulated
Havana filler, makes a cigar OF which
man can smoke an almost IN
limited number without experiencing
the heaviness that the same amount of cigars
made entirely of Havana would produce, if
the practice were long continued. as
matter of TACT, although number OF them
are still made of domestic leaf, the great
bulk of the 10-cent cigars are dependent
for their quality upon the Havana tobacco
used for filters, and a well-known brand of
domestic cheroots have obtained their wide
popularity bv reason of the skillful combi-
nation of Havana with the Pennsylvania
Leaf used for their filters
Domestic leaf is worth from 40 cents per
pound down to any price, even 8 cents per
pound; but Havana tobacco will cost from
80 cents to 81, and, with the duty averaged
at so cents per pound, may be said to cost
81 50 per pound.
FIVE DISTINCT DISTRICTS.
The Vuelts is the highest grade, growing
on that portion of the west of the island
known as the Vuelta Abajo district, and
possessing peculiarly distinctive fragrance
and flavor, which no other tobacco possesses,
skill has yet been found that can produce
the same result elsewhere from the same
seed, and on, chemically considered, the
same soil. The i've districts in Havana
tobacco are as clearly drawn as if with
pencil.
OF this tobacco the finest cigars in the
world are made, and our domestic factories
in their higher grade Havana goods turn
out a cigar that is in most respects equal,
and in some, such as appearance, workman
ship and regularity of quality, superior to
any factory in the world. When it is known
that there are cigars made in this city for
which S47 per ], 600 are paid simply for the
making, this is not to be wondered at. The
question of quality in a fine Havana cigar
is dependent upon the way in which the
high grade of tobacco is handled; for if
tobacco from the same vega (plantation
feld) be given to three different manu-
facturers, all equally skillful and expert,
three very different cigars will be produced
of varying excellence in the opinion of
qualified expert The reason of this is that
no vega is made up singIy, but is blended
Wits tobacco from other vegas in the man.
ner best calculated to bring its fragrance and
flavor into their highest state of perfection,
and to the delicacy and perfect detail OF this
manipulation is due the quality of the finer
cigars
HOW THE CIGAR rs MADE.
When the vega is blended it is handed to
the workman, whose handling of the leaf is
very different from that awarded to the
cheaper grades. In these cigars the same
color of Leaf is used throughout, so that a
perfect equality of strength is maintained
through the whole batch. No binder is
used, but the filler is booked" " that is the