Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-03-26
ctGAR.eoxEa.
Woods from which Iiey Afs MsAs AsS
How They Arc Manufactured.

SUSbAVeo0>NeOs
Woods from which They Afs MAds As1
How They Arc Manufactured.
It was q few days ago that the
purchaser Of q cigar ih down town
tobaeco store put the question:: "Why
Ia cedar always selected as the best
wood Tor cigar b b,xess' YOU might put
the same query to one hundred cigar
manufacturers or dealers and the
thousands of smokers, and beyond the
reply that it Is the most suita ble'' and
that cedar is ''alwAys used" not one
can tell you the tfue reason.
Cedar is used because 1t is the most
porous wood, Is easily dried. and can
be cut and nailed better and Quicker
than hard wood into boxes. but the
principal reason is because of the
favor which Is contained In the essen
tial oil with which cedar Is satufa:sd.
The flavor of the oil evaporates freely
and has tbs. most beuefici al effect upon
any brand 81 tobacco.
For the manufacture of cigar boxes
wood is shipped from distant clinies
and large portion of it comes from
countries south of the United Statess
From nn old boxmaker it Is learned
that the best wood, the largest and
finest in color and quality. comes from
the south coast of Mexico The Cuban
cedar which is old enough to be of good
size is even ia demand at high prices,
but the wood from only young trees
comes to this country and is used to
some extent on account of its cheap
| ness The large trees of the Cuban
and Mexican interior are brought to
the coast with too much difficulty, and
cost much more getting them to
market
Within short time the cedar mar
ket has been much depressed, because
manufacturers of cheap cigar boxes
| have found it practicabl to use stained
! and grained wood in imitation Of genu-
inc cedar for cheap boxes. The grain
is pressed in the wood while it is rum
| ming through rollers, and the imitation
is nearly perfect except the peculiar
| aroma
An old navigator, who has sailed
| American states, has observed that
cedar grows in forests, singly or in
clumps of three or four trees, and
these trees are very often fifty to one
hundred yards apart, and they fre-
quently grow in company with ma
| hogany. Some Of these trees are of
little use and unfit for furniture, and
| by reason OF their coarse grain and
hardness are unsuited for cigar-boxes
Being so far apart it is troublesome to
get them out Of the woods after they
are cut. In the majority of instances
special roadway has to be made
through the forest, through which the
logs are dragged to neighboring
creek. Once here the logs are launched
and f1oatcd to market. Some of the
trees have to be hauled from three to
fifteen miles. and the launchings are
not always successful
II is a strange people that is employ.
ed by the owners of the forests to do
the cutting of trees and general work
On some plantations Indians are hired
as choppers They are paid from TIVE n
ty-tive to fifty cents per day in Mexico
and Central America, and the men who
that nothing is left after purchasing
supplies and tools All of this is deduct
ed from the paw, and il anything is left
the bosses usually gamble it away. 1t
is in the dry season that the Indians
labor hardest When the wet or rainy
season sets in. which is in the fall
months, the creeks and rivers begin to
swell, and the timber is floated down
to the larger streams, and from there
it is sent in RATS to the shippers on the
seacoast- Possibly it has lain two OF
three seasons where it has been cut on
account of the slight rainfall being in.
sufficient to float it to the coast 1t is
in it's rough state. the only dressing
done being simply to remove the
bark and to fashion it into square
shape. In this manner it is shipped
to this and other countries How
it is made into cigar boxes is g
process that can be readily imagined
First of all. if the log is too long it is
sawed off to desired length and taker
to the mill. Here by means of an end
les, band and veneer saws it is sawed
inch lumber. The cut timber is ther
taken to the drying room, where it i.
placed ia racks where the circulation
of air is free and subjected to ho
steam until the moisture Of the wooc
is all dried out. The lumber is ther
planed. The seasoning and planning
constitute the most important ele ment.
in a good cigar-box. The tim Der is nov
finished, trimmed and the edge.
smoothed, aud it is sawed cross-wise in
to the sides. bottoms and covers. The Sc
lectors pick out the more perfect pieces
for the front, and the worst are fef
for the bottoms and backs of the
boxes After this the pieces are read,
t, be put together, but they must frs
receive whatever printing and emboss
ing the cigar manufacturer may re
quire. A box ordinarily needs four o
five impressions. Besides the band
which is stamped and printed on tn,
top. there ara legends, such as "Bou
auet," Henry Clay" "Favorites." ant
similar distinguishing words printed
on the sides. The district internal rev
enue number of the cigar-factory usin,
the box and the quantity are impressed
in some instances on the bottom of tn