Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-09
FACTS ABOUT CIGARS.



Given by the Name.
Il am often astonished, and sometimes
amused, at the igI ORANGE displayed by the
average smoker in regard to the meaning
Oh the various names applied to CIGARS"
SAID a large dealer to a Star reporter For
instance, l frequently hear men laud Per-
Iectos to the skies, as though the word per-
fectos were name sIgnifyiEg quality. Only
yesterday customer told me that a Per-
fecto which 1 had sold him was not gen
uine, because it was altogether different in
flavor from one he bought of me a week or
Two ago. How absurd such a statement
was Will be plain 10 you If you understand
the real signitication of cigar names
The word perfectoS is Used in the trade to
designate the peculiar shape of such cigars.
Workmen get more for making them than
Tor forming others, as it requires a Skiilful
hand to roll the material into the perfecto
shape. For this reason a perfecto neceS-
sarily costs more to manufacture than a
cigar of the same tobacco, but less difficult
to make. But as far as the word goes Il is
used in trade only to indicate the shape of
the cigar. which is fairly long, -bellied,
and usually dark in color.
Besides words used to designate the
shape, we have words which refer to size.
Such words as finas, grandes OF the
terms applied TO shapes. L may cite Ira
bucos. Londres, CoLchas. 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
1ntantes and Coquitas, applied to tiny ci-
gars, Frincesses and Elegantes Figaro is
shape between Coquita and Concha. In
Vinclbie Is, perhaps, the largest cigar of all,
though periectos are made that have as
much tobacco III them the 1nvincible.
The panatela is about two-tnirds as long
as an ordinary lead pencil, with almost the
same diameter throughout. Combinations
OF and shane indicated Dy
names as Conchas Finas, Conchas Spe-
Gals, Londres GIandes so that in two words
you have the shape and size of the cigar.
In choosing cigars the majority of smok
ers know very little about any particular
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 customer what eXpe-
rience has taught him his patron will like.
For instance, a man comes into my store
and looks helplessly in a show case, say
ing: L want a medium cigar, imported,
about two for a quarter, or fifteen cents
straight He may add fresh or season.
ed but ne usually takes what is offered
him.
This ndecsion enables the inscriptions
dealer to sell such a customer cigar cost
ing half cent or a cent less than another
cigar which is retailed at the same price.
There are really but about twenty brands
of imported cigars in demand, and half as
many domestic. The long glass cases, full
of open boxes. which one sees in big cigar
stores are merely fer show. The cigars
commonly called for can be displayed in
four-foot case. Consequently, the counters
and cases running Gown the entire length
of some cigar stores only serve to confuse
the purchaser. The cigars in such dis
play are merely repetitions. Stands, of
course, differ, according to the nature of
the average customer, but a case that will
half dozen brar DIS will reasonably cover
the demand of any retailer.