Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-09-08
ras CIGAR IN ITALY.



virbt Iuchc. Long, with straw DOW"
the Ceoter--The Popular virginia.
NV f,,st experience Of an Italian opera
perfoYmed in Italy was, to say the least OF IL,
neculiar This was at the Arena National OF
Florence, and the opera given was i puo
/ Foscari.n by Verdi. The house is shaped iike
N circus, only the ring, or arena, was niieu
with rows Of roughly made straw chairs
Round the sides there are tiers OF rising sea's'
as nj a circus, and above one circle OF spacious
boxes. A low roof comes down Immediately
over the boxes. There is no gallery, no place
where the goods could perch or peanuts DO
thrown On the floor or pit OF the house, III
the circle, in the boxes-everywhere, IN tace,
a seething multitude of people were assidu-
ously occupied smoking long Virginia
cigars. These are the eght-inch long Italian
CIGARS with straw down the center, lhey
are an institution in themselves, the pecuii-
nrity being that the greatest ingenuity is dis
played to render it impossible to hght such
cigars. Smokers, on the other hand, are
equally patient and clever in overcoming
these difficulties.
The only certain way Of lighting TINS
weed Is, first of all, to extract, with hrm,
straight, strong pull, the little thin piece OF
grass placed within the straw. Then the
cigar must be held in slanting manner to-
wards flame, patiently and steadily, till the
one end of the cigar is sufficiently burned Tor
the smoke to travel of itself up the straw
and come out at the upper end, just as IL IL
were a chimney. To do this effectively, it IS
necessary to burn several wax matches IN
succession. 1t was not till was initiated In
this mystery that l could understand why
such an enormous number of wax matches
were offered for sale in the streets; for to
this complication in lighting the cigar must
be added the fact that Italians, in the ex-
element CT conversation, allow the cigar to
90 out half a dozen times before they have
quite finished smoking it. At the rcstau-
rants it is customary to serve candle with
cigars at dessert. On the side of the candle
is affixed q little silver wire rest, on which
the cigar may be placed 50 that the end is in
the flame. By the time the dessert is fin
ished, the cigar is lit and can be smoked
without difficulty. Such is the Italian "Vir-
ginia," the most popular Of all smokes in
Italy.
In Austria, also, l found many persons
give it the preference, despite its recalcitrant
characteristics. The "Cavour," another
Italian speciality, is not so long nor so thin,
nor SO black, nor so strong. 1t has no straw
in the center, and it is very easy to light, but
it is not particularly popular. As for the
cigarettes, they seemed to me dear and not
particularly good. The Italian government
is not, however, SO strict as the French;
foreign cigars and cigarettes, after being
duly taxed, can be sold anywhere. In France
these are only to be obtained in one or two
shops and at exorbitant prices. In French
towns, unless frequented by the wealthiest
classes, the foreign cigar and cigarette are
not to be obtained at all, and the smoker
must be satisfied with what the government
tobacco factories place on the market.-Cor.
Philadelphia Telegraph.