Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-12


popular feature of the luxury sought
after by the New Yorker of today. Ten
years ago very few men ia this city, out
side the ranks Of the laboring masses,
cared to smoke pipe. In fact, Ameri-
cans, as rule, never took kindly to the
pipe. The trouble of filling a pipe, clean
ing it and keeping it in perfect smoking
condition were I'll chief causes which pre-
vented its widespread adoption by the peo-
pie; but, aside from these reasons, the other
great preventive was the apparently I'M
surmountable barrier placed in its way by
the rigorous edicts of fashion. Nearly all
these reasons have gradually given way
however, to the Inevitable march of prog
ress that has distinguished the career Of
the pipe from the first day of its discovery
down to the present date Every nation
under the sun in this latter part of the ad
yanced Nineteenth century uses smoking
pipe in some form or other.
In no country is the artistic development
OF the pipe so clearly marked as in Eng
land. There pipe smoking is the universal
rule. 1t is pursu ed with such popular in
diligence that the manufacturers of pipes
are ever on the qui vive for new styles and
catchy designs. American manufacturers
are closely following in the wake of their
English cousins in this respect, and it is
largely to the good taste exercised in the
development Of the pipe and its accompa-
niments that is due the popularity which
is now wreathed around the practice of
pipe smoking in this and other cities Of
the United States
few years ago the man who walked
along the streets of any American city
smoking pipe was stared at with feel
ings of surprise and pity by the people
who thronged the sidewalks. In some
cases feeling Of resentment was displayed
against the smoker, mainly perhaps on
account of the offe nsive odors which were
waited into the air from the pipes used in
those times. AL that is changed now,
however Many Of the leading men in So
cial life indulge in pipe smoke either at
home in their libraries or in their clubs,
and among the workaday masses the habit
OF pipe smoking has so steadily grown and
popularized itself that a hundred men in
dulge in this habit today where one was
accustomed to use the pipe half dozen
years ago.
It is not difficult to account for this
growing tendency. In the first place, there
is the primary consideration of economy
Cigar smoking is luxury which the aver
age man finds to b. very costly one. The
discriminating man of taste, whose means
are limited, finds that to enjoy a cigar the
weed must be good one, and as good
weed costs stiff price the difficulty of the
situation is apparent A cigar dealer
stated yesterday that it is impossible to
purchase decent cigar in this city for less
than fifteen cents These cigars, which
are sold usually at the rate of two for a
quarter, are the nearest approach to a
really luxurious smoke that man of small
income can enjoy.
A man possessing good taste and good
pipe can purchase whatever grade of to-
bacco he wishes to smoke. He enjoys his
smoke without the narrowing fear that
the germs of disease from some fever laden
tenement house factory Turk within the
bowl of his briar root or meerschaum.
Not alone have the skill of the carver,
the genius of the artist and the resources
of modern mocha nical appliances been
called into requisition to make things
pleasant for the pipe smoker, but also the
inventive mind of the scientist has been at
work specially for his benefit. The great
est drawback which existed, and which so
largely hindered the adoption of pipe
smoking by delicate people, was the disa-
greeable results that followed the use of
the pipe for any extended period The de
posits of nicotine and oily matter that
lodged in the bowl and shank of the pipe
were very hard to remove, and after a
time smoking through pipe thus cor
roded was anything but pleasant.
Various plans We're devised to remedy
this evil. The primitive method of clear
ing out the shank by means of a wisp of
straw or piece of wire gave way to the in
PRODUCTION in the market of diminutive
bristle brush, with pliable wire handle.
in tIIrr 70 hvf ha inv
of pipe in which movable tube runs
through the stem to the bowl Then there
were plaster buttons used in the bottom
of the bowl, and these buttons were thrown
away as soon as they became impregnated
with the nicotine. All these attempts to
overcome the difficulty fell short Of sue
cess Old smokers knew that the only
way to thoroughly remove nicotine depos-
its from pipes was by means Of the injec-
ton Of steam, ano engineers were con-
stantly appealed to to hold the bowls of
pipes over the waste valve Of their engines,
so as to cleanse them for the smokers who
were fortunate enough to have the 40
quaintanee Of engineer friends.
A bright genius with a scientific turn of
mind introduced il to the market a pipe
cleanser. It consists of a small metal
cylinder. with a movable top, in which is
inserted small bent tube The end OF
the tube is loosely Inserted in the stem of
the pipe, and the cylinder, which is partly
filled with water, is held over gas jet or
other flame until the resulting steam
rushes through the pipe and the nicotine
is removed
There is practically no limit to the
amount which smoker can invest in a
smoking outfit these days. There are pipes
on exhibition in a broadway store window
up town reaching il price from one cent to
1900 OF course the pipe sold at the latter
figure commands its price more on account
of the artistic work displayed in carving its
very curious head than from any superior
ity in its utility as smoking implement.
The shank is a beautiful piece of crystal
amber and the head is a massive block
Of meerschaum, on which is carved a com
plete reproduction OF 1.-The Chase" in
which the figures OF Diana and her sport
ing nymphs the dogs and the background