The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-24
TOBACCO AND ITS TRIALS.
HISTORY OF THE WEED AND THE
ATTACKS III SURVIVED.
Walter Raleigh said to Have First
Brought 1t TO EnEIand-The Honor
of introducing IL Is Claimed by
Others-WIves Purchased With the
Weed nv the Early settlers.

of Introducing u IL Claimed Ny
Others-Wives Purchased With the
Weed by the Early settlers.
From the London Standard.
'There is an herbe," says an old writer
(which is sowed apart by itself and is
called by the inhabitants vppowoc. In the
West Indies it hath divers names, accord
ing to the several places and countries
where it groweth and is used. The Span
iards call it tobacco. The leaves Thereon
being dried and brought TO powder they
use to take the fume or some thereof by
sucking it through pipes, made of clay
into the stomachs and head. This vppo-
woo is of so precious estimation among
them that they think their gods are mar
velously delighted Herewith, wherefore
sometimes they make haliowed fire ana
cast some of the powder therein for sac
rihce."
The habit of smoking was first noticed
by the crew of Columbus In November
1892, who thought the Indians we're per
Tuning themselves. The smoke was IN
hailed through the nostrils by means of
a hollow forked cane about span long.
The primitive pipe was like an shape;
the two forked ends were paced In the nos
trils and the other end over heap OF the
smolderng powder, and then the smoke
was drawn into the nose. The pipe was
called "tobago." On his homeward voy-
age Columbus discovered an island,
shaped like the Indian pipe, and he there
fore called 1t by the same name-Tobago.
From this island the herb was called to
bacco" Thus the word tobacco Is not the
name of the herb--which was called cohi-
ba, petun, and yoli in dlfferents parts of
America--but OF the first pipe
Though well known EurODpanS visit
ing America, tobacco was not brought in
to Europe until late In the sixteenth CEN
fury. A Spanish doctor, Hernandez, is
said to have brought the first tobacco IN
to Europe. Jean Nicot-who has left his
name behind IN "nicotine"-sent some to-
bacco in 1863 to the grand prieur of
France. He described 1t as "a herb of pc
culiar pleasant taste, good incidentally in
feVers and other diseases" 1t was, in
fact, as a medicine that tobacco was in
troduced into Europe, and for many years
ii remained in pharmacopeia. Ultimately
the world returned to tobacco, the name
by which Hernandez called IL on introduce
ing il in Europe, and with trihing varia-
tions, this is the name by which II Is uni
versally known.
Tradition asserts that Sir Walter Ra-
leigh was the first TO smoke tobacco in
England. This honor is also claimed for
several other gentlemen, but 1t Is a point
Koet were, however, the first 10 smoke to-
bacco publicly in London. They used
"segars" or twisted leaves, and many
people assembled to see them smoke or
drink tobacco, as il was called at that
time. Pipes were not invented In those
days. AT first they were made OF silver,
and the poorer classes, unable TO buy
these, used a walnut shell for the bowl
of the pipe, and a straw was TO suck up
the smoke. This primitive pipe was pass
ed from man TO man round the table in
taverns where smoking was chiefly in
duged in Smoking leaped into popular
favor, and the habit was practiced every
where, churches not excepted.
Urban VIII issued bull excommuni-
eating all who used tobacco in churches,
and Elizabeth thought proper to add to
this penalty OF excommunicati ton against
those who filled their nostriis with snuff
during divine service, and ordered the
beadles to confiscate their snuff boxes.
Later another pope communicated all
who took snuff or tobacco In ST. Peters,
at Rome. Laer the American puritans
followed the example Of the European
Catholics and forbade smoking In church,
as the service was greatly disturbed by
the clnking of flints and steel to light the
pipes, and the clouds of smoke in church.
Hence a law was made enacting that
"any person or persons that shall be found
ing to or from the meetings, within two
miles of the meeting house, shall pay IL
pence for every such default. Under this
law five men were fined ''for smoking
Of tobacco at the end of Yarmouth, Mass,
meeting house on the Lords day" Like
everything else, tobacco by its popular
ity awakened opposition. The anti-tobac-
conists were headed by James /, who char
acterized the custom as 'ioathsome to the
eye, harmful to the brain, dangerous to
the lungs and in the black fume thereof
nearest resembling the horrible Stygian
smoke of the pit that is bottomless. This
royal condemnation OF smoking called
forth similar illusions TO the British Solo,
mons "counterblaste" and for many years
the tobacconists-as the smokers, not the
sellers of tobacco. were then called-came
In for severe criticism.
All classes INDUCED In tobacco. MOI
were the ladies' squeamish in partakinf
Of the fragrant weed. In those dayl
smoking was a more expensive habit thar
Il Is to-day Tobacco cost IS cents a,
ounce, equal, according to present values
to $3.50. 1t was sold for its weight in sill
| yer, and our ancestors we're accustomed