The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-15

Clubs Will No Longer Sell 60 Their Mem
hers by tho Boz-Big stocks Depleted.
Importers Can See Only Trouble Ahead.
Cause Of tho Famiue.

gan the air was filled with prophecies
Of a tobacco famine. The Cuban rebel
lion was on, but still there was genuine
Cuban tobacco to be had. AS the rebel
lion dragged along stories were heard
about the price of tobacco going mp aud
the quality going down, but Havana
tobacco was still TO be had for a price.
Now the worst thing possible has hap
pened. The importers knew all about it
some time ago, but it fell upon the
smokers unawares, and this is how the
news went about:
Fnmator sends to the club steward
and orders 1.-TWO boxes of the same
kind" Word comes back from the
steward, Very sorry, sir, but I cannot
accommodate you." .Fumator sends
again, LET me have one box" to
which the steward answers in person TO
say 1T is impossible. The governors
have directed that no more imported
cigars shall be sold by the box" Fuma-
tor is furious. Very well, Ill change
my club" Then the steward explains a
little: IF won't do any good, sir.
They're all in the same boat. Our stock
is almost gole. and the importers won't
sell to III .5nNa must make the supply
we haveShst as long as possible and
give everybody d chance while 1t lasts.
Very sorry, sir, but you'll have to learn
to like Key Vests and domestics, sir,
In q little while"
The steward is right. The hard luck
story from the clubs is also true. One
Of tho largest clubs in New York, a
club that o year ago bought ovor 150,-
600 Havana cigars from q single i'm
porting house in the city, is almost in
sight of it's last cigar. 1t had laid in
such a heavy stock over the winter that
it was willing to sell to members in
any quantity for almost any price, and
now it will not sell a box at any price.
The most that Fumator can get is q
handful. Fumator doesn't like the stu
alton or the prospect. He goes down
town to lay in q supply of his own, and
he tackles q large importer. the second
largest in the city, but he cannot buy q
box from him. He can buy a little
larger quantity than at the club, but
not enough to last him q week. He asks
why, and then the importer says:
IF you were an old customer, We
might lei you have a box, but we could
not extend that courtesy to you very
long. In q little while all smokers will
be in the same class, and the domestic
market, which is flooded now, will have
q boom. We shut down ON the clubs,
hotels and cafes about a fortnight w
not arbitrarily, but because we had to.
Clubs that have been buying I, 1000
q month from us can't get so
now. How can we favor the individual
then, when we can't favor such
customers? You have been having Ha-
vana cigars a good deal longer than
anybody who knew thought you would,
but by the time the summer is over q
cigar from Havana will be worth while
at.
"Ill tell you where we are. The last
Importation Of cigars from Cuba came
20 the United States about seven weeks
sgo, When the steamship-it was the
Saratoga which brought them-arrived,
don't hesitate to say it was said that
The had taken away every cigar there
vas left ON the island. That sounds like
'xaggeration, but it isn't. Our stock is
Ibout seven weeks old at the latest, and
It q rough guess I would say that it
will last perhaps two months. It will
AVE to he carefully nursed at that, and
will only go out through the retail case.
fou will find that all importers are in
he same boat, IL they are not in a worse
me. All the small ones are worse off,
nd most Of them have no stock at all.
This is why we have shut down ON the
lubs and ON the cafes and hotels and
N retailers. Ii you want to, we'll let
on have 50 or % worth, but always
omething less than box lots and always
smaller.
1--WE are securing the world now for
tobacco. There isn't much out
ide OF England. There are some hum
reds OF thousands Of cigars in bond in
,ondon, and we hope 60 secure some of
hem. Why, here, this is q box that
anne recently out Of bond. That cigar
70 used to sell at $112 q thousand. We
ut a thousand price ON it now Of $3.50,
asst so that we can figure a retail price,
owever, you must remember.
"Yet | haven't told you the worst.
'ou can pray for peace if You want to,
ut IL will take six weeks or two
lonths from the time tho wal stops TO
OF cigars coming again to the United
There is plenty Of tobacco there
4 store, but no cigars are being made.
very Spaniard who can is bearing arms
I some kind, and as for the Oubans,
ley don't dare to show a hand. Sup
ose the war ends. There are no cigars
lady. They will have 20 be made.
Vhen they are made, there are no boxes
n them. All the boxes are turned out
| America and shipped there. Making
cigars and the boxes and packing
nd shipping will take all the time that
said it would, so I think IL Is pretty
,rtain that II You want TO smoke Ha.
"A a next Christmas You had better
ny them now and save them.
lyon can believe what I have been
'lling you. i haven't been talking to
pricos priroy ova ,o{,o e. k.<c.,