Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27

interests In favor Oh the
seductive plant Virginia became very noted
as tobacco state and many towns grew rich
from the export In colonial times tobacco at
one time passed as currency and many salaries
were paid with it or with notes representing 1t
in the ware house.
Tobacco ware houses used to be known as
| roiling houses. from the way of rolling tobacco
To market before wagons came into use. 1t was
! packed closely in large cask with wooden
| spike driven into each end OF the mass. This
! formed the axletree. Tires were placed around
the ends of the casA and split saplng used as
! shafts. In this way the staple was carried to
| market to be inspected and sold. The inspec-
| ton was very rigid, for upon the quality de-
pended Its value as currency. Such notes were
In use IN Virginia as late as the beginning OF
| this century.
In 1910 tobacco had come into general use in
England and in 1920 there was a society of to-
bacco pipe makers chartered in London. The
members bore upon their shield a tobacco
| plant in blossom.
At the theater in Shakespeare's time the
| spectators often had seats upon the stage,
where they were attended by pages, who fur
nlshed them with pipes and tobacco.
Smoking was introduced at the English
court by Sir Walter Raleigh and became very
fashionable. 1t is matter of history that he
| offered Queen Elizabeth tobacco to smoke.
She was seized with nausea which being OBJ
served by some of the enemies of Raleigh, 1t
was broadly intimated that he had poisoned
her. When the queen recovered she made
the Countess OF Nottingham and all the maids
OF honor smoke pipe out among them.
THE ARAB LEGEND.
The Arabs have beautiful legend in regard
to the origin of tobacco. The prophet was
once travelling across the desert of Yemen. 1t
was winter, and all the reptiles which infest the
desert were asleep. Suddenly the prophets
morse trod upon viper and apparently
wounded it. Mahommed full of mercy, got
down from his horse and taking up the viper
put it into his sleeve, hoping that the warmth
would revive It, The viper soon began to stir.
Incapable of gratitude, like the serpent which
was In the beginning, it said to Nahommed:
reverend prophet, will bite thee?" Nay"
replied the mild prophet, that would be the
blacklist Ingratitude, poor reptile, to repay
good deed with an evil deed" Nevertheless"
said the viper. IL shall do it. l swear by God
| the almighty that l will bite thee When
1iahommed heard the of Allah he
dared not prolong the dispute, but. bowling
his head with reverence said Ellis
| name be praised forever; you and both be-
! long to Him; from Him we both received life"
| and he offered the viper his hand. A violent
| pain compelled him to fling the viper from his
sleeve and to curse it in the name of Allah.
The prophet then sucked the viper's poison
| from the wound and spit it out upon the sand.
magnificent plant Immediately sprung upon
| the spot where the prophets sacred saliva had
| fallen. One of his disciples gathered some of
| the leaves and burnt them as offering to
| God for the rescue of his prophet. Mahom-
med and his companions were delighted with
the splendid aroma OF the burnt offering as Its
smoke assembled toward heaven. From that
day to this all the faithful of Islam have taken
pleasure in the plant, whose taste and scent
par takes in equal degree of the bitterness of
the vipers poison and the sweetness Of the holy
prophets spittle.
HOW THE TURKS SMOKE.
1t is not an uncommon thing to see Turk
smoke from sixty to eighty pipes daily. The
pipe is the indispensable companion of the
Turk in every occupation. In the supreme
porte, i'll the ministerial council, where the
Turkish grandees debate momentous questions
of state, the question was once discussed whether
the tschibuktschis (pipe bearers should not
be excluded. Great the difference of
opinion, but the question finally settled in
favor of the pipe bearer remaining. And yet
all the members knew very well that the deci-
sion was unwise one, for the servants, while
busy with the pipes, could hear many a secret
of state. AMI before even the sultan and the Off
cial world obtained the result of the councils
deliberations the decree has been made known
through tho pipe bearers. Consequently to
diplomatic agents and newspaper men the
| tschlbuktschi is man of no small importance
| and is courted accordingly.
Tobacco and pipes in Turkey indicate the
| gradations of rank and Importance of the
holders A muschir (marshaD would scorn to
| use pipe shorter than two ellis. while the Off
cial of lower order is shortened in proper
| ton to his grade and standing. The pasta can
| faunt his pipe In public to its full proper
| tions but the true believer of low degree
must not expose more than the mouthpiece
| which he holds in his hand. The Turk of
prominence can puff as he chooses, but the
| understrapper must emit small circles of
| smoke which must not 60 in front of him. but
| turns backward. In the presence of a superior
/ IL IL.
| This sign of respect a son is likewise expected
\ to show his father, and he Is regarded as a
| well-trained and well-mannered son who,
| spite of the repeated requests OF his father,
| refuses to smoke.
| TOBACCO IN PERSIA.
| Tobacco in Persia is looked upon as one of
the necessaries of life and the failure of the
tobacco crop would spread dismay and con-
| sternation throughout the length and breadth
| of the land There are three different kinds of
| tobacco produced in Persia. The first. called
| 'tombakoo," grown in ShureZ, Ispbam and
| khoorasan, is used only for the nargile. The
second. called ''tuttoon," grown in Azerbijhan
is used solely for the chibouk or long pipe, and
Is exported IN large Quantities to Arabia, Asia
Minor and the Caucasus. The third, called
| cigarette tobacco" grown in the province of
| Ghilan and Mazanderan, on the south shore of
| the Caspian sea, is used for making cigaret ties
and is largely exported to Russia There is
commerce, grown in the vicinity of Sheeraz
and known as ''duckhter puch"-the maiden 8
plat or curl-taken probably from the resem-
blance to young girls braided hair. Tobacco
ranks third in the productions of Persia and
amounts to over DOC, 000. 900 pounds annually.
Persian pipes have wide range in point of
value, shape and decoration. 1t is a social
institution and exercises a potent influence
from the highest to the lowest circles and
makes it's power felt even in the business marts
as well as the seraglio.
PIPES IN JAPAN.
In Japan much taste and refinement is dis
played in the use of pipes. The most popular
type is a small brass bowl with silken tobacco
bags, and. from the lady Of rank to the plod-
ding coolie. all use the 'kisnu," differing only
in the style of ornamentation. The pipe Is
very small, the bowl holding but tiny pellet
of the fragrant japanese tobacco. After TAX
ing few whiffs they refill the pipe, and never
smoke a bowl empty, for. as they have it, ''at
the bottom Of a pipe turks poison" Much
taste and no little inclination Of the wealth OF
the owner is displayed in the various types of
pipes carried by the Japanese. Ladies Of rank
carry them in embroidered silk cases, with
beautifully embroidered pouches attached by
gold and jeweled clasp. Men use pipe sheath
of metal or carved ivory placed in their girdle.
and the pipe may be an ordinary brass or an
exquisite work of art wrought out in bronze,
silver or gold, with ornaments in lacquer or
enamel.
IL L., .s.l,x