The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-04

81 When a field has been cleared tobacco
is grown on it from three TO four years
Then it is considered ssgroRrn out, and d.
move is made to another ,l,act. Where
it is possible to plow this is done will.
oxen, but it is practical lip very few
places. It is almost impossible to go
through a tobacco field unless one fol
lows the wagon tracks cut; here and
There leading to the barns or farming
houses. These barns are marvellous
STRUCTURES 400 feet long by 800 feet wide,
36 feet high at the sides and so feet iii
The clear, matched with atap or palm
leaf thatch, the sides and ends almost
all windows, and never nail or screw
ia the entire wooden structure, every
Joint and fastening being made by dove
failing one piece with another.
taThe f1ooris of stone, and here the to-
bacco is fermented, cured and sorted into
nineteen shades. This part of the Suma-
ira work is beyond criticism. Whatever
their shortcomings as to the land .ques.
tion, their handling of the crop is in
fnitely in advance of our system, and
some of their experts have marvellous
technique.
The great value Of Sumatra tobacco to
the United States is in its glossy, hand
some, rich brown color and the extreme
thinness and delicacy of texture, which,
combined with strength, make a pound
Of that tobacco cover many more cigars
than the same weight of our domestic or
any other leaf tobacco can, and this
previous to the enactment Of the McKin-
ley law made a cheaper and a richer
looking wrapper for cigar.
The coolies in Sumatra are principally
Chinese, although Kings from Hin
doostan, Malays, Javanese and Siamese
are employed.
i These coolies are lively boys and work
under contract Any one who thinks
they are a downtrodden race makes
great mistake. They will not stand
abusive language and have way of as
serting themselves that is anything but
pleasant-laying low for months and
then arising to avenge some fancied
wrong by burning the barns, etc. Con-
sequently the buildings are guarded by
armed troops.
The sorters (those who sort or classify
the leaf are usually very DID, and not
withstanding that many of them are halt
and lame and dishgured in terrible
manner by awful Chinese diseases they
are of great value to the planters by
reason of their extraordinary technical
knowledge of tobacco and the methods
Of handling it for the different markets
Of the world.
The houses of the cody tobacco work
ers are built upon level, but the houses
of the natives are built on piles each ten
feet high, and have a roof like cooked
hat and a floor of split bamboo. This is
because of tigers" and fires are kept
burning all night in the stables of the
oxen 'sto frighten away the tigers and
mosquitoes and sand flies.
New Years day is a great day with
The coolies, for then they receive their
salaries. AS soon as the new contracts
are made the fun begins. The Javanese
and Boyans slaughter buffalo, roast 1t,
fill themselves up with arak or rice
whisky, and dressed in red garments
dance and howl until exhausted. The
others drink to excess and gamble until
ali their money is gone.
Although it is scientifically probable
that the islands Of Java, Borneo, Suma-
ira, Malacca and Siam were at one time
part of vast continent, as demonstrated
by the uniform and shallow water be-
tween them, there is as great difference
in the tobaceos Of each island as, there is
in America between the cigar tobacco
leaf OF Pennsylvania and Connecticut and
the small golden smoking tobacco leaf of
North Carolina and Virginia.
VILE. ?. PoNp.