Connecticut western news., 1893-08-10
HOW HE SAVED MONEY.
Being the Story of the Smoker, the Tobse
 conist and the Pretty Cigar Holder.

Being the Story of the Smoker. the Tosse-
 conist and the Pretty Cigar Holder.
 "As near as can calculate, remarked Major Shortcut, veteran smoker, as he lighted big, black cigar and settled himself back in an easy chair, '1 have just escaped an error that would have resulted in an increase of about $500 a year in my personal expenses. It was this way: This morning l dropped in to order few hundred fresh cigars from the dealer who had been supplying me with this same brand for five years. Aft CT booking my order the amiable tobac- conist brought from his desk and handed to me neat little leather case, remark ing that he wanted to present me with a little gift. Upon opening 1t I found that it contained a beautiful meerschaum cigar holder. My first impulse was to express the admiration which I actually felt and to thank him for his great kind ness. The next instant, however, had regained control of myself and was safe. Handing the case back to the dealer, l told him how much l appreciated his generosity and how beautiful the gift was, but that he must really excuse me for declining it. told him in confidence that I was possessed of strange, unres- soning superstition of all articles made of meerschaum; that they had always seemed to bring me bad luck and busi- ness disaster, and that I begged him not to think me churlish in refusing to &C., cept this one.
 He took my story good naturedly, laughed at my superstitions, and came away fully confident that l had not an gered or wounded him. was particu- larly anxious to avoid hurting his feel ings; hence my plain and fancy lying.
 "1he plain truth is that declined his gift because the acceptance of it would have been so expensive. Give a man a handsome pipe or cigar holder of meer- schaum, and he immediately sets out to color it. His smoking increases enor- mously, and his outlay for tobacco or cigars moves in the same direction. He can't help it. Tine idea in his head is that this particular pipe or cigar holder is somewhat the finest thing of the kind ever made and that it is his duty to color it up to the artistic hue. In the average case the smoker will consume twice as much tobacco as he did before, but ill many instances the increase will be threefold or more. The smoker may not notice it at first, the meerschaum habit is so seductive in its progress, but if he buys his own cigars and keeps track of his personal expenditures he will dis cover it at the end of the month and be amazed at it.
 If had accepted the friendly tobao- conist's pretty cigar holder, it would have resulted-for some time at least in my smoking about twice as much as usually do, for, like other meerschaum cranks, should have felt bound to color the thing That would have meant an increase of 100 per cent in my cigar bill, which is something like $500 year. The meerschaum craze is a mild type of in- sanity. 1 have tried it and know all about it. The tobacconist who wants to present you with fancy pipe or cigar holder has designs on your nerves and your wallet. He may be the incest sort of fellow, but doesn't the knowing sar loonist place a dish of caviare and an. other of pretzels on the free lunch coun. ter to excite thirst among his patronsi And does the crafty tobacconist scatter meerschaum cigar holders among his customers merely to benefit their healthT New York Herald.