The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-11-30
CIGAR WRAPPERS.
Smokers Who Think that Light Ones
Cover Mild Cigars Are Wrong.

Every one in any way connected
with the cigar trade knows that there
are fashions-or, rather, fads-in the
color of cigar wrappers. One year it
is for dark colors, another for medium
and another for light ones. The
strength of the cigar does not seem to
make much difference, for in years
when light colors are fashionable a
"claro" wrapper with a colorado"
filler will sell more readily than
colorado" wrapper with a "claro"
filler-we define the Spanish words as
does the customer who thinks they de-
note the strength of the tobacco. We
believe we can safely say that not one
smoker in a hundred knows what the
words really mean, yet many of the
hundred use the words in purchasing,
says the Tobacco Leaf.
Dealers are better informed, for they
are aware that the words have nothing
to do with the strength of the cigar
and not much more with the color of
the wrapper; for what one manufact-
urer may call colorado maduro" an
other will term "colorado;" yet deal
ers, when customer objects to the
color of wrapper, will show the Gus
RADIO" colorado maduro." etc., as evil
dence of the strength of the cigar.
At the present time the fashion is
for light-colored wrappers, and, as is
always the case, the fashionable color
is the scareest. Many cigar manufact-
urers are now apportioning the light
colors to their customers, and if the
fad continues to grow they will have
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smaller. It has even been suggested
that an extra price be added per 1000
for the light colors, which certainly
would not suit the jobber or retailer.
The cigar. manufacturer would will
ingly meet the demand for the fash
ionable color, but he cannot do it. He
cannot give what he has not got or
cannot get.
If the jobber and the retailer (espe-
cially the jobber) will enter upon an
educational campaign" this fad for
light colors can be easily and quickly
killed. The retailer can explain TO
the customer that the color of the
of the cigar, and the packing of cigars
of one color in box and so marking
them is more for uniformity than any
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there is little or no difference, when
strength is considered, between "claro"
and "claro colorado" colorado" and
colorado maduro," etc., for manu-
facturers differ in marking. The job
Der can use his persuasive powers on
the keeper of the restaurant, the cafe,
the groceryman, the druggist and
other sellers of cigars, and urge them
to forbid their employees to ask the
smoker what strength he wishes. The
average smoker likes mediumly
strong cigar, and that kind should be
handed him-unless, of course, he
says he wants one of certain color.
1t was some time ago suggested
that the manufactured discontinue
marking the boxes with the Spanish
designations now in use and put on
them the words "mild," medium, !"
"strong," etc., and we bring this again
to their attention, for we believe that
the English words would go far in re-
moving the erroneous idea that the
color of the wrapper has something to
do with the strength of the cigar. We
know that by adopting the words we
suggest there would be some difficulty
in packing the cigars, but we think
this could be overcome. The change
certainly would be of benefit to the
manufacturer and to the dealer and
put stop to these fads for certain
colors.