The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-04
HISTORY OF TOBACCO PLANT.
Stringent Efforts To Prevent Its Use
Were Fruitlcss.

The London Standard.
"There 10 an herbe," says an old
writer, (which is sowed apart by itself
and is called by the inhabitants
yppowoc. In the West Indies it hath
divers names, according to the several
places and countries where 1t groweth
and is used. The Spanish call it to.
bacco. The leaves thereof being dried
asd brought to powder, they used TO
take the fuIne Of smoke thereof by
sucking it through pipes, made of clay,
into the stomachs and head. This
vppowoc is OF SO precious estimation
among them that they think their gods
are ~marvelously delighted herewith,
wherefore sometimes they make hal
lowed fire and cast some of the powder
therein for a sacrifice
The habit Of smoking was first
noticed by the crew of Columbus in
November, l492, who thought the
indians were pertaining themselves.
The smoke was inhaled through the
n~ostri(s by means Of a hollow iorkcd
cane about a span long. The priml.
tive pipe was like a Y in shape; the
W forked ends were placed in the
nostrils and the other end over a heap
OF the smoldering powder, and then
the smoke was drawn VI into the nose
This pipe WAS called TOBACCO" On
his homeward voyage Columbus dis.
covered an island, Y shaped like the
Indian pipe, and he therefore called it
by the same namc-TobAgo. From
this island the herb was called
tobacco" Thus the word tobacco is
not the name of the herb-whirh was
called cohiba, petun and yoli in diff.
ferent parts Of America-but of the
first pipe.
Though well known to Europeans
visiting America, tobacco was not
brought into Europe until late in the
sixteenth century. a Spanish doctor,
Hernandez, Is said to have brought the
first tobacco into Europe. Jean Nicot
who has left his name behind in
nicotine sent some tobacco in 1869
to the grand prieur OF France. He de.
scribed it as "a herb Of pecullar pleasant
taste, good incidentally ia fevers and
other diseases" 1t was, in fact, as a
medicine that tobacco was introduced
into Europe, and for many years i:
remained in pharmacopeia. For a
long time the fragrant weed had no
settled name. 1t was called by a score
Of different titles, the most common
being nicot ma. Ultimately the world
returned to tobacco the name by which
Hernandez called it on Introducing it
in Europe, and, with triling varia-
UlolS, UulS IL UhS haunt w WHICH III Is
universally known.
Tradition asserts that Sir Walter
Raleigh was the first to smoke tobacco
in England. This honor is also claimed
for several other gentlemen, but it is
"a point impossible to be settled. Cap.
tains Price and koet were, however,
the first to smoke tobacco publicly in
London. They used "segars," or
twisted leaves, and many people as
sembled to see them smoke or drink
tobacco, as it 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 u walnut shell for the bowl of the
pipe, and a straw to suck up the smoke.
This primitive pipe was passed from
man to man round the table in taverns,
where smoking was chiefly INDUCED
IN. Smoking leaped into popular
favor, and the habit was practiccd
everywhere, churches not excepted.
Urban VIII issued u bill excommuni-
eating all who used tobacco ii churches,
and Elizabeth thought proper to add
to this penalty Of standardization
against those who filled their ~nostrils
with snuff during divine service, and
ordered the beadles to confscatn their
snuff boxes. Later another pop ex-
communicated all who took "snuif or
tobacco in ST. Peters, at Rome. Later
the American Puritans followed the
example OF the European Catholics
and forbade smoking in church, as the
service was greatly disturbed by the
clinking OF flints Inc 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
fnnn1 amnkinn nf fnhnnnn ~ {lo >.aJ
day, going to or from the meetings,
within two miles OF the meeting house,
shall pay u pence for every such de-
fault 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 popularity awaken
ed opposition. The anti-tobacconists
were headed by James |, who charac-
teriZed the custom Is "loathsome TO
the eye, harmful to the brain, dan.
gerous to the lungs, and in the black
tune thereof nearest resembling the
horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that
Is bottomiess." This royal condemna-
ton OF smoking called forth similar
illusions to the British Solomon's
" counterblaste,' and for many years
the to5acconists--as the smokers, not
the sellers, Of tobacco were Their called
came In for sever criticism.
All classes INDUCED in tobacco, nor
were h ladies' %squeamish in partak-
ing Of the fragrant weed. In those
days smoking was q more expensive
habit than 1T Ia to-day. Tobacco cost
IS cents an ounce, equal, according to
present values, to 81 so. 1t was sold
for its weight in silver, and our an.
cestors were accustomed TO reserve
their heaviest shilling for buying to.
bacco.
Much as the Englishman likes his
glass OF beer, he prizes his pipe mo~o, /
and one a easily imagine the storm
which would arise II the house of com
mons took steps to stop smoking. Yet,
In l62l, Sir William Stroud moved In
the house OF communs that he would
have tobacco Oanished wholly out of
the realm, and not brought In and used
among us." Sir Guy Palmes said that
II tobacco be not banlshed, it will over
throw 100, 900 men In England, for now
1T was 80 common he had seen men
take 1t at tho piow.
James [ was not alone In his attempt
to uproot the habit OF smoking, Pagans,
Mohammedan and Christian moDarchs
TO crush 1t out. Peter the
Great prohibited the use of tobacco
and so did the Shah of Persia. Anu
VII Of Turkey ordered that all
smokers should have their noses split
and a tobacco pipe thrust through;
they were then to be paraded through
the streets as a warning. For smok-