The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-02-15

buC pIuS tOUdCCO 1ulOiSooo W w.
try, recently effected, making it the
largest in the world, and one OF the
Oldest tobacco men in this city was
commenting on the time it had taken
to bring it about and the plug tobacco
trade generally. He said:
''It was in March, 1889, this matter
was first mooted, aud the cause un-
doubtedly was the difficulty Of finding
satisfactory way Of increasing the
demand and selling the goods. Al
though the figures Of production fur
nished by the Government show big
increase in that department, there is
no doubt that the consumption OF
plug tobacco has fallen of The in
crease shown is due to the fact that
in the returns smoking tobacco and
chewing are taken together as ''manu-
factured tobacco, bearing the same
amount Of tax, so that although 1887
showed about POP 100000 pounds for
the year and 1898 showed about $780,
100000 pounds, (fscal year, the IN
crease is much morein the smoking
lire than the chewing, while the
greatest profit lies in the latter.
"Anyone who can look back thirty
years can remember that every one
chewed. The mems cabins on the
ferry boats were almost impassable
At the theatre the flood flowed from
the rear Of the orchestra seats so that
women had to sit with raised skirts
and men dare not place their hats
under the seats. What has done
away with it? Well, largely the in
PRODUCTION Of the cigarette. At that
time boys at college who wanted to be
manly chewed because the men did
Later they began to smoke instead,
and so the new generation did not
chew. This view is endorsed by some
Of the leading men in the business.
s'I am rather sorry to see the prac-
tices of chewing pass away. The
chewer, as rule, was good solld
citizen, not light headed, cratic or
fighty, but given to careful thought,
and pretty decent eellow at bottom
There was also more fun around the
chewing fraternity thar ever there has
been around cigars or cigarettes, pipe
smokers or snufers. remember
many years ago. just after the civil
war, was out in Galloway County,
Missouri, and came across an old man
boring ten-inch holes with 3 13-inch
bit into pretty solid log, and, asking
my way, I next asked him what he
was doing. He had just bored the
last Of chain Of holes. three inches
apart, the full length Of the log, and
with sparkling eyes he said: L IL
show yer, stranger. Going to bark
lean-to he brought out tobacco leaf
and jar of honey, dropped some to-
bacco in each hole, rammed it down,
dropped in chunk Of honey, more
tobacco, more honey, ramming all
tight until the hole was filled, when
he put in plug.
"sLet it lay that way for month
or so, turning it twice week, he
smiled; here's ripe one, and lug
ging out another log from the brnsh
he drove & chisel and wedge N aud
split it from end to end, displaying
two dozen rude but appetizing plugs
ready for use.
"'Me and the boys gets away Rith
quite power during the wintel
nights. Try bit.
"It was the finest piece [ vefIe-
membered to have sampled, and neye.
paid cent of tax. In another case 4
friend Of mine, well-known dealer IA
Newark, n. j., in 1873, made stm-
mer trip down the Missouri River, aud
leaving Leayenworth, Kan, was adj
vlsed to take plenty Of tobacco along,
sas it was better n money in that re-
gion. He did so, and traded il right
along the route for all he wanted, one
purchase being pie, sack of -four,
a yourg pig, bait for catfish, gallon
of homemade wine and basket OF
fine apples, all bought for three twists
and deer skin pouch, costing quar-
ter in st. Louis.
ESPECIALLY were the leading law
yers and Judges strong favorers Of the
chewing brands, and mighty good
judges, too. There was a Southern
firm bought some plug Of well-know
Atlanta jobber, and later refused &C
pay for the goods, the plea being that
the tobacco was damaged. The CASE
came up before the leading Judge Of
the region, who listened gravely t'
the arguments, and then asked that F;
-, &c which ho fool