The herald., 1895-09-29
SMOKING WEEDS
EAT FORTUNES
Men Who Worship at the
Shrine of the Goddess
Nicotine
DOLLAR CIGARS FOR WALES
He Only Smokes Them Half Through.
1t Costs Him $4,000 Year for
Cigars-.-We Have High
Smokers Here
DOLLAR CIGARS FOR WALES

English souiety journals dwell with low
ing frequency upon the cigars which the
Prince of Wales smokes. 1t is matter
of great pride for the loyal Briton to
know that the prince smokes cigars which
cost shillings apiece, and to keep the
fact ever present in the nations eye 3
paragraph to that effect IS religiously
printed every few weeks.
1t has reckoned that the prince spends
about $40, 900 year on cigars. OF course
he does not smoke all this money him.
self. Occasionally he distributes few of
his famous smokers among his friends,
and it Is esteemed great honor to have
been rendered cigar by his royal high
ness. He limits himself to ten cigars q
day, but as he only smokes one-half of
the weed, he does not, in reality, con-
sumo more tobacco than the man who
allows himself five.
The prince has an idea that the first
half of cigar is the only proper end to
smoke. He claims that the fire ruins
the flavor of the latter half, and as he has
the funds to indulge this idea, it brings
Joy to the heart of the man who has the
contract of supplying the weed. The oi-
CARS are of Cuban make and are packed
in highly finished boxes. They are made
up in different sizes and are supplied in
lots of 1000.
1t is sad fact to relate. but there is
more than one dude In New York who
has cigar given him by the prince, or
obtained at secondhand, hanging in a
specially made frame In his apartments.
10 smoke that cigar would be deemed
dreadful sacrilege by the owner. 1t may
be that it will be handed down as fam
lily heirloom, unless common sense inter-
venes.
But the prince is not the only nan who
smokes costly cigars. There are many
men in this country who spend world
of money in the same way, and perhaps
get more pleasure out of il than does the
titled man across the sea.
Elbridge L. Gerry, philanthropist,
yachtsman and millionaire, has a num-
Der of fads and tobacco is one of them.
1t is his boast that the tobacco in his
cigars is grown and cured under dlrec-
tions mapped out by himself. A single
plantation in CUBA supplies Gil Of the to-
.bacco used in his cigars, and he has con-
tract with the owners for certain guam
tity every month. Being lavish enter
tainer, Mr.. Gerry consumes vast num-
Der of cigars. Ten Thousand dollars
year barely meets the bill. although they
do not cost nearly as much as those
smoked by Wales.
Mr.. Gerry has two kinds and the unin-
itiated guest invariably gets the worst Of
it, if he makes his own selection. The
cigars are Kept in an immense silver box
DIVIDED into two sections. In one sec
ton are plain looking cigars, with moth
ing particular about them to attract the
connoisseur. The other half OF the. box
is resplendent with mass. OF big fat
cigars. sheathed in tinfoil. In nine
cases out of ten the novice is attracted by
the glamor of the gaudy cigar and smokes
it. The cigar is good one. but COM
pared with its plain looking mate it is a
rank counterfeit. The man who has once
smoked the plain cigar is never again
lured into taking the silvered affair when
the box comes his way.
Howard Gould is the only member OF
the famous family who smokes. Jay
Gould was not smoker and George
Gould, the eldest son. never allowed the
habit to get firm grip upon him. Ed
| win Gould, the second son, is an oca-
slonal devotee at the shrine of Mistress
| Nicotine, but Howard is her only real fol-
| lower.
This young man has spent the last
three or four months racing shis yacht,