The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-01
I POOR JUDGES OF TOBACCO.
Lach OF Knowledge or tho Wood Pos
sessod by the Average Smoker.

~ have como to the conclusion that
the average smoker is poor judge of
CIGARS" remarked Il young physician
OF prominence to u Detroit Free
Press reporter, ''and to test tho correct
ness of my view of tho matter made q
test two or three days ago that strength
ened my conviction.
while walking down Gratiot avenue
Saturday afternoon met small bow
who importuncd me to buy some cigars
that he was carrying in box Under
his arm. The urchin claimed that he
had been sent out to pcddlo the cigars,
but suspect he didn't como by them
any too honestly. However, l exam
ined the weeds and finally made the
youngsters heart glad by giving him
thirty cents for fifteen of them. Just
out of curiosity 1 lighted one of the
alleged cigars, and oh! my countrymen,
but it was rank! Concluding that
liked cabbage boiled and served with
corncd beef rather than rolled into the
shape of cigars slowed my purchase
away in my various pockets and deter
mined to play Il practical joke on
friend who pridcs himself on his epicu-
rcan tastes, and who makes great pre-
tensions on being Il superior judge of
liquors and tobacco. Calling athis Office
: seated myself for chat, and after u
few moments desultory conversation
drew two Of the cabbage conchas es-
pecialos from my cigar case-one of
which had carefully wrapped in tin
foil-and handing them to him, said:
Here arc some cigars, Frank, that I
know
me by an acquaintance who has just
returned from Havana, and he assures
me that they arc the identical brands
smoked by the wealthy Cuban gran
decs. The one in tin-foil, which by the
way would cost forty-fivc cents in New
York if bought by the wholesale, is the
stronger of the two, and I would advise
you to keep that for an aftcr-dinner
smoke. The other is Il thirty-tivc cent
er: try that now.
'NIy friend thanked me warmly for
my thoughtfulness in sharing my treat
with him and applied match to the
'mildcr' cigar. After he had pulled Il
minute or two in silence lie blew q
mouthful of smoke full into my face
and rapturously exclaimed:
"'Ah, my boy, there is fragrance for
you! Oh, how soothing such cigar is
BY my faith, could spend all my work.
ing hours in smoking had but such deli
cious cigars as these at my commando
'llc continued talking in Il similar
strain until the cigar was consumed.
Placing the half-inch stub III {. small
china receptacle he said:
"'1'll keep this TO remind me of the
most caticfnntor,, c,,o1-inCr ,,v-o,;a,,oo
of my life, and after l have dined will
discuss the beauty wrapped in tin foil
"Chuclling involuntarily babe my
friend good afternoon and left him to
gloat over the treat that awaited him
after dinner. Meeting him the next
morning he almost wrung my hand off
rs he told me of the pleasure that he had
derived the night before rs he inhaled
the 'highly-sccntcd smoke of the tin
foil-wappcd Havana
Why, do You know, my boy he
said, with sparkling eyes, Il never
imagined that so much comfort, solacc
and soul satisfaction could be extracted
from n cigar as that fairly bathcd in
last evening. That second cigar was
poem i'll richly-tinted tobacco that
sprang into life, blossomed and grew to
ripcncss under the warm tropic sun of
Cuba and absorbed as it ripcncd all the
thousand and one delicious otlors of that
gem of an island If ever accumulate
fortune, believe nc, will smoke
nothing else but those Havana beau ties
such as the two your generosity has
enabled fnc to enjoy.
"Now, what do you think of that
from sensible, levcl-hcadcd man?
Smokes some vile cabbagc-lcaf cigars,
and just because he is told they are u
choice importation goes into all sorts of
rhapsodies over them. 1t establishes
Ihe correctness of my rroposition-tha
the average smoker is Il poor Judge of
cigars, and demonstrates the power of
mind over matter"