Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-20

s.Six hours after the blockade was
raised" said Mr. Manuel Roderiques,
New York cigar dealer to Star reporter,
"the cigar buyers entered Havana, but as
was predicted. there were scarcely any
cigars to be bought. and none of those of
the popular brands. The buyers would
have gladly bought hundreds of thousands
where they could not get hundreds. The
blockade and the troubles that have been
in Havana for the past six months, and,
indeed. for nearly a year, almost wiped up
the business of making cigars. The cigar
makers. those who were not Cubans, and
who entered the Cuban army, are an I'M
certain kind of workmen, who only work
as the numor starts them. OF course, they
did not receive much encouragement, for
many of the larger manufacturers shut
down last december. Since then there have
been but few cigars made except of the
lower grades. which are used by the Havan-
ese themselves. None of the cigars which
have been purchased have been shipped
from Havana yet, and probably viii not be
for q week or ten days, when shipping ar
rangcments are in better shape AT pres
ent it is impossible 10 move anything from
there, though passenger traffic will be re-
sumed by the end of this week One thing
is very certain, and that is that Cuban
made cigars will be scarce for a year or so
several years before the trade reaches the
point il had. if it ever does. The trouble
is not in the making of cigars, but is fur
Their back than that. There is no tobacco
there. and aOne is growing. The tobacco
growers did not put in their crop last fall.
Thare IL a certain amount of old tobacco Oh
hand, but even If this is made up into
cigars it will fall very short of supplying
the demand. crop will now be put III,
but it will be year or 50 before the to-
bacco can D. grown. During the blockade
an enormous amount of cigars and cigar
cites was used in Havana and the imm.~
date surroundings, for the more excited
the people grew the more they smoked"
Time was when the newspapers were
filed with the remarks and doings Of Sam
Ward, who was in his day the prince of
lobbyists" remarked an old habitue of the
Capitol to a Star reporter, but of all the
things he did and said L only remember his
secret of cooking ham. As an epicure he
was as prominent as he was a lobbyist.
Many attributed his success as a lobbyist
TO his way of having things cooked and
served. His treatment of a ham was Ike
that usually given. soaking it in water over
night TO draw the strong taste that it may
have had He always used cold water.
The following morning he poured the water
of and rinsed the ham in more cold water.
fire. To the water he added a cupful of
sugar and a cupful of vinegar, or il other
words a half pound of sugar and a half
pint of vinegar. 1t is wonderful how deli
cious this treatment will make an ordi-
nary ham taste. But he was not done
with il yet. After the water began to boil
he put in the pot wisp of rye wheat
straw tied up in a bunch as big as your
two hands If there was any rank taste
in the ham, this straw will absorb 1t. A
common ham cooked in this way is much
nicer than the finest sugar cured ham that
has not been properly cooked. The sugar
and vinegar makes the ham solid and more
eatahle and the straw does the rest Try
il and you Will be convinced of what /
say The same treatment Will also I'M
prove any kind of pig meat. In some cases
especially if the ham looks stringy it may
be well. If ycu like the meat solid TO add
half the quantity of vinegar in addition to
that given The addition Will be beneH-
cial in many instances, though in all cases
II is not absolutely. I think the straw is
absolutely necessary. 1t can be got at the
feed stores and any dealer will give you
a wisp for the asking
\
THE stamp collection business never had
bigger boom than it has now explained
e prominent philaJelist to a Star reporter,
gin consequence of the internal revenue war
stamps manufactured in accordance with
recent law Thousands upon thousands of
sets have already been made up. and the
work has only been started Some have
collections only of the domestic stamps. but
the great majority include the proprietary
and documentary stamps. The whole out
1T only costs about three dollars, and the
same price is charged for a Cancelled set
as for uncanceIed. The run on Omaha ex-
position postage stamps has also been very
large. but this has been side-tracked, as 1t
fact is the government has not been able
so far to sell a complete set of the proprie-
tary stamps. for all of the various kinds
have not been issued, but the collectors are
sending out collections far as they are
ready, the additions to be furnished as
they are issued by the government. The
stamp collectors think that the stamp col
lections will take up over two hundred
thousand dollars worth Of stamps. AL
ready orders have been received from all
parts Of Europe, from trade and private
Collectors as well, although ii is hardly
known Yet in many parts Of Europe that
new set Of internal revenue stamps has
been ordered. The hundreds of publica-
tons devoted to the business of stamp col
lection are getting in their work and ii Will
not be many weeks before the foreign de-
mand is twenty-five times as large as ii is
now IT is estimated that there are in this
country alone sixty thousand stamp COL
1ectCrs- II they all include internal revenue
with their postage stamps it is easy to be
seen what an amount of stamps they will
need to supply them. Two hundred thou
sand dollars. therefore, is within bounds
instead of being outside. Many people who
are not exactly stamp collectors are order
ing coAectiOns as souvenirs of the war
with Spain, gladly taking advantage of the
opportunity TO gracefully show their pa
triotiSm." Pc
y y
Il have tried remedy for the bites and
sdngs of yasps, yellow jackets, hornets.
bees and insects generally this season" re-
marked a Montgomery county. Maryland.
farmer to a Star reporter, which though
new to me, has proved &c be very effica-
clous in the number Of opportunities have
mad TO try il, both on myself and my fam
lily and friends. There is no way that
know OF 10 stop the intense pain that fol-
lows Immediately after sting, but care
rul rubbing Of the stung part a few seconds
with the juice of any two plants herbs
leaves or grasses that may be handy will
shorten the duration Of the pain. and in
many instances prevent the swelling which
follows some stings. 1t matters not what
plants or herbs are used. First apply one
and then the other. The theory of the