The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-06
CUBA GREAT STAPLE
History of Tobacco Culture
and the Trade Therein.
ENEMIES THAT PREY ON IT
Not So Much Money In 1t as
Some Folks Think.


writing for the Record from Trinidad de
Cuba. says Of the Cuban tobacco indus
try: AS everybody knows, the knowledge
OF tobacco first came to the world from
the Caribbean ArchipeIago-some author
tiles say from Cuba, others from the rear
by island Of Tobago. whence the weed
derived its name. At any rate, history Is
explicit on the point that in 1872 Column
bus sent out a party from the caraVals
OF his first expedition to explore Cuba.
and the men brought back an aromatic
herb called 'tobaco," which they found
the Indians using. The aboriginal meth
cd was to burn the weed over fires in
haling the fumes thereof through V-shap-
ed tubes, the two points Of the pipe in
serted In the nostrils OF the smoker, the
other end held close to the fire. About
the same time SDaniards on the coast
OF South America reported that the ma
tives were chewing tobacco. masticating
but not swallowing the leaves; and a
Franciscan friar, who accompanied Co
lumbus on his second voyage to Cuba.
described the habit of SNUFF taking-how
the Indians dried and pulverized the weed
and then drew it I'D into the nose with
distressful sneezing." Meanwhile Cortez.
in Mexico, was making similar discover
les. Only the Aztecs called their plant
hycietl. and considered it the cohuatl or
human serpent. In Mexican mythology
this divinity was the first mother Of chill
dren. the Aztec Eve, and in the legends
concerning her one may trace resem-
blance to our own erring ancestors, who
brought the race Of men to grief through
was further explored, it became evident
that everywhere the consumption of to-
bacco. especially BY smoking was a uni
versal and immemorial usage among the
tribes OF the western hemisphere, In
many cases connected with the most SOL
emn religious ceremonies.
Though tobacco grows best in the now
famous Vuelto Abajo of Cuba, the neigh
borhood of Habana claims the distinc-
ton Of the first plantations, established
by the Spaniards about the middle Of the
sixteenth century. The industry soon
grew to such magnitude that the crown
claimed the monopoly, and kept 1t until
the recent war. From the first the
pipe of peace" in Cuba has been a pro-
motor Of instructions. During the
previous century at least three revolu-
lions grew out Of the visits Of the crown
inspector. who annually made the rounds
30
the crops and see to 1t that Spain got
the ultimate drop Of blood money. Some
times the tobacco growers refused to ac-
cept the offered terms, and. like the
strikers OF modern times. would not al
low others to do what they themselves
declined. destroying the crops of those
who acceded to Spain's demands, and
then Spanish soldiers took a hand in the
proceedings. killing a few OF the NAL
contents and deporting others to African
prisons.
The Spanish government constructed
the first real Fabrica de Tobacas
(royal tobacco factory IN Havana, in
1761. the great wooden building on the
bay, just south of the arsenal, which
has since served as a military hospital
Tobacco farms are known as vegas, and
when the late war began there were up
wards Of fifteen thousand OF them in
Cuba, the crop of the Vuelta Abajo alone
worth an annual average Of thirty mill
ion dollars. The best begas lie on the
sandy soiled margins of rivers. or in
other. moist localities. One cabelleria OF
land (about thirty-thres acres), is the
rule. half OF II devoted to raising bonIa-
tas and platanoes Cuban sweet potatoes
and bananas. the workmen's stan Of life.
The owner or tenant Of the tobacco
farm Is called the ''veguero." and his
dwelling house the casa de vivienda."
There must also be a drying house. some
mule and cattle sheds, and the straw
matched "bohios." or huts. of the la
borers. The latter are usually negroes
or mulattoes. under direction OF a may
oral" or overseer. AS everybody cannot
keep a hotel. and choruses are born. not
made. so # requires special talent to be
a successful tobacco grower. The ma
jorlty Of foreigners who undertake Il in
Cuba. II they do not actually come 10
grief. attain small measure Of success.
The Cuban vegueroes claim that their
genius Is an hereditary gift with which
no acquired skin can compete. Their
fingers seem 10 know by instinct just
which buds must be nipped of and leaves
cut. to regulate the height OF the plants
and the strength or mildness OF the to-
bacco.
The genus nicotiana." "cohiba." or
whatever the tobacco plant Is called. and
1t reioices under a variety OF names at
talns 4 height OF six TO nine feet and
Is covered with wide rough leaves OF
dinEy green. The tobacco Is stronger
when few leaves are permitted to grow.
twelve being the average allowed TO a
good plant The flowers. some dull pink.
others g-eenlsh yellow. indicating diTer-
ent species. have an acrid. disagreeable
smell. and che IS rarely fortunate who
does not return from a tour of his vega
covered with the parasites that infest the
plants. Cubans divide the leaves into
:our classes: First the 'desecho him
Tio." young. thrifty leaves near the top
OF the plant, which are the best be~auss
they have come directly under the irfu-
erce ot sun and dew. The second class
''desechi;o.' grows next below. While ,he
Third. or 'Gibre" includes The smaller
and detaced leaves. The fourth. o. in /
Iarado." are these growing nearest M .
root sure 10 be stained b. the soil aaI
more or less eaten ~ worms and Insects .
In each Of the above mentioned classes
there are again several grades. all with .
names somewhat longer than the leaf B
such as inju1ado de reP3so- injured /
leaves ths. have been reSor:erl. desechi- !
toes sAriin.iox &c he trafa dim