The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-12-01

huut Tor q New source Of 8uDnfy MaAa |
Necessary by the War in Cuba.
Vessels come into New York every
week with eargoes OF cedar but since
the trouble began IN Cuba their trips
have been heightened by good many |
hundreds OF miles The best cedar for |
cigar boxes comes from Cuba. and |
when this source OF supply was shut
on quite an important industry was
built mp In the BayanO River. about
thirty miles from Panama. The royal
cedar OF Panama comes nearer to rival
Ing the Spanish cedar OF Cuba than anv
heretofore discovered. Ii has a strong.
penetrating odOr. Is very bitter In taste
OF a pronounced red tint, and rich in
medicinal properties.
For many years manufacturers OF ci-
gar boxes used only the Spanish cedar
cut In the districts where the best Ia
vana tobacco was raised. All other
cedar when made up Into boxes tended
to spoil good cigars, but the Spanish
cedar not only helped the cigars to re-
tain their flavor. but even improved II.
The cedar found growing on the keys
on the Florida coast was excellent for
making lead pencils, but 1t was useless
for cigar boxes. Besides deteriorating
the cigars by its peculiar odor, the gum
in 1t melted when exposed to the heat
and caused considerable trouble. When
the war with Spain began the common
cedar In the South was used. In Mex.
leo a variety OF cedar grows That makes
fair substitute for the Spanish cedar,
but 1t Is ruinOus 10 pack frst-class ia
vana cigars In boxes manufactured
from 1t. For the cheap trade Ii Is all
right, and smokers of cheap brands of
cigars would never notice the peculiar
flavor the wood imparts to the tobacco.
Formerly when the Spanish cedar was
so cheap and plentiful the makers CT
cheap brands of cigars always packed
them in good Spanish cedar cigar boxes
to improve their quality. Cigars thus
packed for few months would have q
delicate aroma which smokers would
attribute to the tobacco. but which was
due entirely to the favor OF the cedar.
The cedar forests OF the United
States were never so extensive as those
In South and Central America; but in
recent years the drain upon them has
been so tremendous that they are rap
idly disappearing. The most valuable
at one time We're those on the Islands
and keys off the Florida coast. One Of
the largest lead pencil companies In
the world acquired the right to the
best Of these cedar islands, and 1t has
been Systematically denuding the for
ests ever since. Millions of lead pen
ellis were annually made out of the
cedar trees that fifty years ago clothed
these keys.
Almost the same Is true of other ce-
dar forests In this country. The noun
tain slopes Of Tennessee and other
Southern States were at one time cloth
ed with vast stretches of beautiful
cedar trees. But they have been going
very fast. In Tennessee the bucket fac
tories use annually 100000 feet of ce-
dar lumber; 1000, 900 feet go each year
to St Louis for fence posts, and the
telegraph and railroad companies use
cedar almost exclusively for their poles
and railroad ties.
The famous cedars Of Lebanon are
the most durable of all cedars, but the
tree is Of very little value commercially
outside of its native habitat. 1t Is cul-
tivated in Europe for ornament, and
few specimens are in existence IN this
country 1t can be grown in parks and
gardens, but 1t does not thrive under
natural conditions in the United States.
The wood OF the tree is fragrant, but 1t
is not SO strongly scented as the red
cedar of America. The wood Is of a
reddish white color, and sometimes
the grain is so close that 1t can be
carved. As to its durability, mention
should he made of the timber work Of
the roof of the Cordova Cathedral,
which was built eleven centuries ago Of
the cedar OF Lebanon-New York Sun.