The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-17
CUBA'S GREAT
TOBACCO MAN

From a Havana Letter.
When the proposed tobacco consolidation
was recently revived everybody in Havana
asked, "What does Book say about it?'
What Book said might not be accepted as
law and gospel by the New York capital
lists, but in Cuba, England, Germany or
Russia, his opinion would be taken as con-
elusive.
The man to whom everybodys mind
| turns when a question comes up affecting
| tobacco Is one of the most interesting per-
sonalities in the West Indies. He himself
does not know 1t. If he did he would not
be so interesting. The self-conscious king
of trade is prone to be a tedious and often
sive bear. Gustave Book, in his intercourse,
is entertaining and instructive, without a
particle of egotism. A large proportion of the
civilized world smokes, and to it he is 50
well known that an introduction would be
superfuous. People in the United States
who do not smoke got acquainted with him
through the newspapers during the war
with Spain, when his efforts to run the
blockade gave him prominence.
The German business colony in Havana
dates back to the first quarter of the pres
ent century. The Hamburg and Bremen
merchants established themselves when
Spain made the commerce of the West In
dies free to the rest of the world. They
were among the first to engage in the to-
bacco trade. Book came out forty years
ago when he was young man of 81 He
had yellow fever the first year, and sub
sequently suffered from various maladies of
the tropics. His business career was that
of many Of his countrymen a wider
SCALE He did not bother with anything
except tobacco. In time the Book factory
came to be one of the best known in the
world. The owner was known through his
works few years ago his factory was
combined with the Henry Clay. Henry Clay
is better known in Austria and two or three
other countries in Europe than the general
ity of American statesmen, because the
| market of that brand of cigars is in those
countries. When w. ]. Calhoun came 10
Cuba in the spring OF 1897 on a special mis-
sion for President Mckinley, it gave Mr..
Book the greatest pleasure to have him
carry to Washington box of Henry Clays
for the president.
In his personal appearance Mr.. Book is
stocky man, with high, sloping forehead
and a prominent nose. Everything about
| him bespeaks strong character. He spends
the morning in the factories, and in the
afternoon drives in two-wheeled cart to
his office In Y Reilly street. He Is the best
known parsonage in Havana. At his office
in two or three hours he disposes of an
amount of business that would take dozen
ordinary men. He uses no stenographer
or typewriter in his correspondence. On a
warm afternoon he Is usually found in his
shirt sleeves and collarless. Access to him
is easy. He talks of business and shows
| books and newspapers that in most COM
mercial houses would be carefully guarded
| He knows everything about tobacco, prob
| ably as much any one man in the world.
| His personality pervades the entire bust
| ness. from the tobacco fields to the factory
| and then to the markets of all the coun-
| tries. He does not have time for other af-
| fairs. Lately he was speaking of the bust
ness opportunities in Havana. He cited a
| dozen instances. His visitor inquired why
| he did not himself embark in some of the
| enterprises. II have no time.'' was the res
ply. 81 am tobacco man, and nothing
else.''