The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23

the counter, Has the rapid spread of the
bicycle habit affected the cigar trade so far
as you have noticed?
The answers were varied. Many ad-
mitted that they felt some falling off in
trade. Others, while admitting that hiking
and smoking could not go on well together,
declared their sales to be unaffected.
Some of them declared it was all a matter
OF location. so lar as the cigar-dealer was
concerned that although the bike took
away from one man number of his Gus
toners addicted to the habit, it gave them
to some other dealer at some other place.
This was the view of the wholesaler. Nose
Gunst, for instance, insisted that as many
cigars were smoked to-day as at any
previous time-perhaps more. "If man
can't smoke on his wheel, he will
hurry to some place where he can
put his feet up on the balcony
railing of a halfway house and enjoy his
cigar. While we may not sell so many
goods to a downtown house our sales at
the out-of-town resorts-the Cliff House.
for instance-have increased tenfold. 1t
takes more than fad to break up a man
of fixed habits. Go to the bicycle rests, )
halfway houses and the neigh borhood of
cycleries and you will find the sky clouded
with tobacco smoke that formerly foated
up from the streets of the city,
But this opinion is not sustained by the
wheelmen themselves. They say they do
not smoke on the wheel and have not the
same desire to smoke when at rest as be-
fore they were overcome by the seductions
OF the wheel. Som devotees of the wheel
were found in the cigar business, and in
every instance they declared this to be
| true.
On the other hand the agent of we'll
known wheel, head of large establish
ment in the City, said: II am an ardent
wheelman-ride a great deal / am also a
SIN oker from way back and have been for
years. l smoke as many cigars, l guess,
as ever did. However, it is true a man
can't smoke on a wheel or don't want to-
and man must quit smoking for that
time-that follows. Therefore 1 have no
doubt that some men, perhaps many men,
are diverted very considerably from the
smoking ha bit."
H. L. zimmerly, behind the counter at
Michaltschke & Co.'s stand at 900 Market
street, said: "There is no doubt that the
| NACcl LIDS COuSlueIdDle eIIeCC on CDe
smoking habit. We notice it here espe-
ciaIly on Sunday. Many men who used to
frequent this neigh borhood are not here
They are away on their wheels,
What is true of Sunday is true OF every
other day in a less degree. They don't
take cigars with them on their excursions.
ride the wheel and I know that l have
not the desire to smoke that 1 had. In
:. fact, 1 don't smoke at ALL l am training
for the races and l know at least fifty
other men who are doing the same none
of whom, believe, smoke at all. All of
them did smoke before they took to the
wheel. Yes, l think the bike has stopped
q good deal of smoking"
N. P. Paterson, 73O Market street. said !:
| 'It stands to reason that bicycling inter-
feres with the smoking habit to very con-
siderable extent. STILL l can't say that I
have noticed its effect on my trade
A. L. Rertelson of Market street rides
the wheel himself and claims TO have the
trade of considerable number of riders
He said: "It is true that a man cannot
! smoke while he is riding. But if he is
given to smoking he will smoke at every
stop, and probably will smoke with a
greater relish for his exercise. That is my
experience in the matter"
H. L. Indell said: II sell more cigars
| than | did a year ago and l think that is
the rule with dealers throughout the City,
! People, however, do not buy the expensive
grades they used to, because times are
harder. Men who never bought less than
a 1211a-cent cigar are now content with
ten-cent smoke. My boys belong to the
| Olympic Club and are interested in cycling
and I know something of the habits of
| bikers. 1t is natural to suppose that peo-
pie cannot smoke at high pressure like
that, but am sure it has not affected the
| cigar trade"
| ]. G. Hiler, 637 Market street: Smoking
on bike is very injurious and very few
people are guilty of it. Still have not
noticed that my trade has been affected
by the cycling fad
Sam Dannenbaum, S2S Market street: i:
'sThere is no doubt in the world but that
the wide favor into which the bike has
sprung is affecting the cigar trade and not
alone the cigar trade but many others.
1t takes people out of town and away from
their ordinary resorts. People who used
to spend their afternoons promenadlng
Market street are now to be found in the
park and on the country roads 1 miss
very many who used to be familiar figures,
and l attribute their absence to the bicycle
| habit"
| Dan P Carter, S42 Market street: "The
bicycle makes a great difference in the
number of cigars smoked ia this City, but,
distributed among all the dealers, no one
is affected to any appreciable extent. But
the bicycle rider does not smoke as much
as the man who travels otherwise. A man
/ buys a cigar especially to smoke on the
way if he is taking a trip on a streetcar.
The man who drives out with his friends
or his family for day will stop at cigar
store before starting and get a supply of
cigars. Not 80 the cycler. He don't want
to smoke. His mouth is dry enough as it
! is from the exercise. He chews gum in
stead. notice great difference in the
number of people on Sunday"
| HALEY & Thorton said: tWe have no