New-York tribune., 1896-10-04
FASHIONS IN CIGARS.
POPULARITY OF THE DARK BRANDS RE-
TURNING-SMALL SIZES THE
EANORITES

As in evervthing else that can be bought and sold
there are fashions In cigars. cigarettes and tQ'
bacco and the tastes and likings Of men for par
ticular favors and bouquets change with the lapse
Of years Only in the Of anything in the form
Of tobacco the fashions change slowly and are
hard to trace for the reason that the lower class
consuming by far the greater bulk. will take any
thing cigar-shaped and the common phrase. a
good see-gar." means simply whatever VIII draw
and waste itself away in smoke. Nevertheless there
Is ample evidence that within the last ten years a
change in the popular taste has been slowly COM
Ing over American smokers. The dealers notice 1t.
and each year they lay in altogether different
stocks from what they used TO.
Gradually yet surely the discriminating smokers
coming back to the dark cigars of fifteen years
ago. dealer sells three dark cigars where he
sold several back, or in 1888 ana 1871 lhis
is popular prejudice In favor of the cigar approach
ing backness more than 1t is anything else, due TO
the idea that a higher flavor is found In them As a
matter OF fact color has really little to do with the
strength of a cigar. In nnety-nine out Oh every
hundred that are made the filler or the major
part of the cigar is OF precisely the same TOBACCO
without reference to the hue Of the wrapper TX, X,
perts say that averaging up all grades he erect vi
the light cigar with greenish spots Is more pro,
nounced on the system than that OF the darker ana
supposedly stronger. However TINS may De, the
spotted" cigar is yielding in popularity 10 the
colorado maduro. or even the maduro.
Another change that has been noticed Is the m
crease in consumption of Tampa ana key west
cigars and the reduced call for cigars OF Havana
make. This began To be marked before the SuDan
war set In with all its force It cannot be due 10
the present difficulty in getting Havana brands;
The truth is that the famous old days OF tne hlia @
gone by it is feared never 10 return Nevertheless
Havana toba eco has not lost ts vogue, the cisars
mentioned as most popular being all OF Havana
stock. Domestic tobacco has never come largely
into use for the good grades. and the supply is
mainly utilized in the production of "hves' Two
for five" and three for five"
In size the small cigar is supplanting the larger
ones for general smoking When business IN New
York leisurely AFFAIR men mad time 20 APP
precate the flavor Of good-szed fat cigar, or both
bulk and body. But nowadays. III the rusn OF trace
In the hurry and scurry Of morning and afternoon
pufed hardly three-quarters through ana then
thrown away is the fashion In his home at night
or in his club the man who knows smokes" In
nine cases on, Of ten takes up periecto or re-
ealia especial that seems something Ike those OF
the old times. but for in the day the concha Is
the cigar Of the moment and more Of these are
sold than of all the others
II YOU know whore to 20 you can buy a cigar tor
n cent in New-York Millions Of the three FOR
five sold over on the East side. IRON tnis
point the prices range UP 10 ): " LOT sIHsite
'smoke" Ci-ars actually sold at this figure II
this city though they do not show their value ir
the smoking. despite their aroma. Futy cents Guys
Just about as good cigar as can be purcnased n, S
prices men are willing TO pay for these luXuries
! Tn: three for quarter has taken the place o.
nothing of spending . cents for each cigar now ge
| TWO for that amount OF money Where S2 nun
dred used TO be paid. S. IS or 81 is now the figure
In cigarettes the fashion Is for the Hidest dnc
lightest Virginia leaf. and nothing else Is popular
| Smoking tobaccos are lighter mixtures than thej
used 10 be- and getting lighter each year. Periqut
/ IS used more and more and in larger proportions
The favorite n'ixtures have perique as their foun
dation. then Virginia and Havana. and finally
very little Turkish. Sevsnty-five cents for "A quar-
ter OF a pound Is about high AS the average mar
will pay for these. There is a very delicious ant
in New-York costing 81 quarter pound. but it is
seldom bought. except by foreigners