Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-09
HAvANAs MAY BE DEARER.
Effects of the Revelation May BE
Costly for Innocent Smokers.


Costly for Innocent Smokers.
Havana Letter in the Philadelphia Times.
Fine Havana cigars may become scarce II
the next year or two if the present rebellion
continues much longer. The insurgents are
neglecting their tobacco crop to a large ex-
tent to fight against the Spanish troops. So
called Havana cigars will be sold in the
United States just as freely as ever at ten
cents apiece, but the amount of true Havana
tobacco in them will be doubtful. The
Cuban smoker would question the quality OF
a good deal of this tobacco sold today. and
he would unhesitatingly pronounce ii libel
on his favorite brand.
The fact is most of the tobacco sent from
here to the United States is called Havana,
but the best tobacco comes from only a
small district near Havana known as VIelto
Abajo. This is the genuine article. All the
rest is mere imitation CT this in flavor. and
is not a whit superior to the Florida or Con-
necticut tobacco. Even in the Vuelto Abajo
district the quality varies greatly on the
plantations The Cubans are splendid
judges Of tobacco, and they Will pay as high
prices as any people for their special brand.
A great deal of the finest Havana tobacco is
consequently consumed right at home. 1t is
not uncommon to see cigars marked at
eighty cents and 81 apiece, and many of
them are packed separately in glass tubes
to preserve their delicate odor. These same
cigars sell at 81 apiece in the United States,
and it takes millionaire to indulge in the m
very often.
A great deal of tobacco is shipped from
here to the factories in the United States,
and dealers will say that this can be made
up into as good cigars any manufactured
in Havana. But this is not so. The tobacco
will lose its fine elusive flavor before ii can
be shipped and made into cigars This deli
cate aroma can only be retained by convert
ing 1t into cigars. and then keeping them in
alright cases. Consequently, careful buy
ers get their cigars here. and the nobility
from all parts of the world send their orders
direct to Havana. Some of the very finest
cigars go from here to fill special orders
from Europe, and they sell in quantity as
high as 81 and 81 apiece. The tobacco for
such special brands is selected carefully,
test.
In testing tobacco a standard of taste
must be established, and the Cuban experts
have an unwritten law concerning this. In
the first place, the tobacco must have n
peculiar odor, not too strong, not too ndif-
ferent. A little variation eithar way will
condemn the tobacco. The next thing is to
taste the flavor. A cigarette is Hastily made
out OF 1t and the smoke inhaled Here, too,
the standard of quality Is indefinable, but
nearly all experts agree upon the same
brand. The expert also examines the ashes
to see how firm they are anu how long the
gees out at the slightest provccation or ne
glect is not made of the hest tobacco. A fire
81 Havana cigar can be laid down for nearly
five minutes and be picked up again lighted
and ready for smoking. A cheap cigar goes
out quickly, and it spoils any cigar to go out
1t never has the same favor after being
lighted the second time.