The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-12-22
GheDemprrat-S Star
A CHAT lIOlT CIGARS.
Fanoies Of Smokers Sessick Tobacco
Good Cigars Not Doctoyod.

1900 Ftib
Victor Malaga, the Key West cigar
manufacturer. IL mean by this, that
in order to make a cigar sell well in
America it must look pretty. An
American will not buy a cigar, no
matter how good material you Use, if
its appearance is not pleasing to the
eye. Imagination plays a great part
in the selection Of a cigar. ! have
seen people come in a store and COM
plain about the appearance Of a cigar
preferred them by the dealer. While
the customer was not looking the
dealer picked another cigar from the
same box and asked how he liked
this. That's just what | want. Now
in the future | want you to always
give me this cigar. 1t just suits me-
Then other customers haye an idea
thata light wrapper indicates a mild
cigar. The wrapper has little to do
in making a cigar either mild or
strong, as the filler in a light cigar
might DC stronger than a dark cigar.
1t Is a peculiar fact that a man can't
judge a cigar in the dark. This
shows where imagination comes in
again. 1t is stated that if it was not
for the light a person smoking in the
dark would not know whether his ci-
gar was burning or not.
"When / was in Havana I saw two
orders of thousand cigars each that
had been made for the Car of Russia
and the Prince of Wales. The high
Class foreigner smokes cigars about
double the size that the American
does. The cigars made for the Car
and Prince of Wales were six inches
long and cost 81 apiece in Havana.
The labor Of making each cigar cost
20c, and on account of the great care
necessary in the selection the wrap
pers cost l5c apiece. The wrappers
were the finest leaves from the Nuel-
tr Abrg0 district, a small section OF
property which produces the finest
tobacco in the world.
II have often been asked why cigars
made in other places out of Havana
tobacco are not equal to those made
in Key West. The reason is this
We get III tobacco direct from Cuba
and make the cigars under almost
the same conditions Of atmosphere as
Havana. 1t is damp and there is no
opportunity given for the aroma of
the tobacco to evaporate and dry
out. Our cigars sre then packed in
boxes and placed in the hold Of a
steamer where they stay five days on
the journey to New York. Cigars on
sea voyage get seasick, the same as
a person, and give out a greasy slime
When the cigars first arrive in New
York they are not fit to be set out.
but must be exposed to the air for ten
days until the slime cvaporatcs. Dry
climates are no suitable for the man
ufActurc of cigars as the flavor dries
out.
Cigar manufacturers are becoming
very extravaganza In getting up their
labels. Competition has become so
keen in making IA box look elegant
that as high as $3.50 is paid Tor labels
for one thousand cigars. 1t is to be
commended that ~vulgarity is to be
done away with in lab,ls. The use of
modest portraits of popular actresses
has become a fad. Most of the labels
are made in Germany, where it seems
the manufacturers are able to get bet
ter results for their money. The la
bells for one thousand rarely cost less
than oOc. Another fad among manu-
facturcrs is putting thirteen cigars ,
up in a small box Tor the retail trade. $
A short time ago this would have
been thought the height Of impudence )
owing to the superstition regarding It
the number thirteen. {
"A good many smokers consider !
that little light spccks on the wrap :
per indicate a good article. Very few
know how those specks get there. If
on a hot day when the sun has been
beating down on the tobacco plants a
sudden thunder shower should come
up and sprinkle the leaves with the !
immense drops Of rain so common in
Cuba, and it should then suddenly
clear up, the sun coming out strong
again, then the drops of water on the
leaves act as lenses and concentrate
the suns rays which burn the little
specks upon the tobacco. The tnbac-
co must be ripe in order that the sun
may give this effect On account of
the great selling quality of this sort
of wrapper these spots are made on
the cheaper brands by chemical
means.
Tobacco Is TOO cheap now to allow
manufacturers to use a substitute.
In many mining districts of Pensyl-
vania cigars, boxes, labels and all are !
produced for s. per thousand. How
ever, 1t is hardly necessary TO say
that a good stogie is preferable to
these brands. Manufacturers in min
ing districts are able to get very cheap
llL0r. Miners with families of six or
seven make snail wages, and when a
cigar manufacturer makes a contract
for the labor of his entire family for
$40 per week he considers 1t great
good fortune. This makes the labor
to the cigar manufacturer Of the min
ing districts almost nominal. and