The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-28
FACTS ABOUT CIGARS.
Information as to the Size and shape
Given by the Name.
From the Washington Star


IT am often astonished, and sometimes
amused, at the ignorance displayed by the
average smoker in regard to the meaning
of the various names applied to cigars
said a large dealer to a Star reporter.
For instance 1 frequently hear men laud
Perfectos to the skies as though the word
Perfectos were name signifying quality.
Only yesterday a customer told me that
a Perfecto which l had sold him was not
genuine because it was altogether diff
ferent in flavor from one he bought of me
a week & two ago. How absurd such
statement was will be plain to you If you
understand the real Specification of cigar
names.
"The word perfectos is used in the trade
to designate the peculiar shape of such CT
CARS. Workmen get more for making
them than for forming others, as II re-
quires shllful hand TO roll the material
into the perfeCto shape For this reason
a perfecto necessarily costs more to man
ufacture than a cigar of the same tobac-
CO. but less difficult TO make But, as
far as the word goes, 1t is used in trade
only to Indicate the shape of the cigar,
which is fairly long, -bellied, and usu-
ally dark in color.
Besides words used to designate the
Such words as finas, grandes. OF the
terms applied to shapes, | may cite Ira
bucos, Londres, Conchas, Reina Victorias,
Regalias--these words being plurals. The
language you see, is Spanish and the
names were first applied by the Cubans.
Words which Indicate size and shape are
Infantes and Coquitas, applied TO tiny cI-
CARS, Princesses and Elegantes. Figaro is
shape between Coquita and Concha. In
vincible is, perhaps, the largest cigar of
all though perfectos are made that have
as much tobacco in them as the Irwin
chile.
1.-THE panatella is about two-thirds as
long as an ordinary lead pencil, with al
most the same diameter throughout. Com
binations Of size and shape are indicated
by such names as Conchas Finas, Con-
chas Specials, Londres GFandes, so that in
two words you have the shape and size
of the cigar.
an choosing cigars the majority of
smokers know very little about any paTtic-
ular brand beyond the one they are in the
habit of smoking This selection Is usually
made from experience Outside of this the
choice is purely haphazard and, by the
looks of the cigar, limited by price. Half
the time a dealer offers such a customer
what experience has taught him his pa
iron will Ike. For instance, a man comes
into my store and looks helplessly in
snow case, saying. 1 want q IITuluiu u
gar, imported, about two for a quarter, or
fifteen cents straight He may add fresh
or seasoned but he usually takes what is
offered him.
This indecison enables the unscrupu-
lous dea,er to sell such Gus omer cigar
costing half cent or cent less than an
other cigar which is retaied at the same
price There are really but about twenty
brands of imported cigars in demand, and
half 3 MANY domestic. The long glass
cases, full of open boxes, which one sees
in big cigar stores are merely for show.
The cigars commonly called for can be
displayed in a four-foot case. Consequent
ly, the counters and cases running down
the entire length of some cigar stores only
serve to confuse the purchaser The cigars
in such a display are merely repetitions.
Stands, of course, differ, according 10 the
nature of the average customer, but
case that viii hold half a dozen brands
will reasonably cover the demand of any
retailer.