The Topeka state journal., 1900-08-01
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.


marked a gentleman who has been in
the tobacco business for q good many
years, while discussing the different uses
and abuses of the weed with a friend at
the National. Il believe I am putting
the figure very low when say that rulIy
one hundred pounds of snuff is retailed
every week in Topeka. Every tobacco
store and drug store sells it and proba-
bly, more is used in the country than in
the city. There was time when it was
fashionable to use snuff and almost eV-
eryone carried a snuff box, but believe
there is twice or three times as mucn
used now as when the sale was helped
by fashion. Negroes, SwedeS and Rus-
SLAMS use more than any other class or
people in this section of the country, out
one Will occasionally meet an OLD gen
tleman who both shifts and chews, never
having quit the use since the days when
society said it was proper l believe
there is more snuff sold in Lindsborg,
the Swedish town in Mcpherson county,
than in any other town of its size IN the
north. Down south the negroes and poor
whites still dip snuff, but it is very sell
dom used in that manner in the north
I have seen Swedes and Russians come
in from the country and buy two or
three dollars worth of the stun and
within a week. return for as much more
They pull out the lower lip and put in
pinch after pinch until they have as
much as is wanted. They allow it to re-
main there until 1t becomes moist then
work it into a ball and chew it. There
are a great many varieties or brands OF
snuff but the imported Scotch snuff and
several Swede brands have the largest
sale"
''It is seldom that a person who uses
snuff smokes he continued, probably
because much the same effect is pro-
duced- Speaking of smoking, have you
noticed that the style of cigars has or,
Tc- F7aV hon
the perfectO shaped cigar began to be
the faVorite in the east and in a few
years almost all cigars were made in
that shape. 1t got to be rare thing to
see a straight cigar in a show case The
perfectO shape is pointed at both ends
and when that shape became the fad
many of the old time cigars makers
could not make a living because they
were unable to make that shape with
any degree of speed which, you know,
is the main point with cigar maker.
The style was started in New York by
a Jewish dealer who was always looking
for something new, and 1 will guarantee
that he was mathematical more than
any man of modern times. for every roll
ler of the weed had to learn how to make
that style. AS a matter of fact the
straight cigar is the best because there
is an inch more filler in it than there is
in the perfecto shape. The pointed end
of the perfectO is nothing but binder
and wrapper, the filler being cut short
to allow the point to be made. One can
easily see that the perfecto shape is in
the interest of the manufacturer. An
other objection to the perfecto shape is:
sometimes a bad piece of binder or
wrapper is used, this occurs in any
stock. and before the fire reaches the
filler the entire cigar is ruined by a few
puffs of bad tobacco. The smoker will,
of course, think that all the goods used
in the cigar are bad and will always be
prejudiced against that brand when it
might really be of first-class stock. The
chance as the filler runs clear to the en'i
and is lighted at the same time with the
wrapper and binder
what cigar do you think has had the
biggest run?" he questioned as the talk
drifted in the sale of cigars and the
modern method of advertising them. 1T |
wouldn't be hard for dealer to guess |
that and you will recall the brand when |
/ mention it. 1t was the old 'TanSillS |
Punch I do not believe there was a |
hamlet or city in this country in which |
Tansill''s Punch was not on sale. They |
say that over one million dollars was |
spent by the makers in advertising that |
cigar and 1 guess it paid them for they |
not only sold well but held the trade for |
years. No other five cent cigar could |
get foothold while the Punch was be- |
ing pushed. About that time Stratton |
& Storms owl had the ten cent trade |
and everyone remembers the /
gilded owl holding a cigar in his claws /
that was used to advertise that brand |
almost as well as they do the picture of |
Punch used to advertise the five cent |
wonder. Both cigars were well made
and contained honest goods which is /
great deal more than can be said for |
many of the advertised brands that are |
now on the market. There is no five /
cent brand that has an especial run now,
but in the ten cent goods the General /
Arthur and the Chancellor lead 1 |
mean they lead taking it the country
over. OF course there are local cigars
that lead in certain communities. A
smoker will find, however, that he can
Ouy just as good and often a better cigar
by buying goods made at home. A local |
can not afford to sell poor
while the eastern factories can put out
anything and when it will no longer sell
hey change the name. 1t is impossible
Tor local factory to do this"
Almost anything will cause an east
srner to start a story detrimental to
Kansas" remarked an old telegraph OPP
orator at the Fifth Avenue who was
'eport that got out several years ago
10 the effect that the state was being |
devastated by chineh bugs. was work.
ng in town in the western part of the |
tate jerking lightning for the Santa Fe. |
We did all the Western Union business
IS there was no office up town and it |
frequently happened that eastern people
would drop in to send messages. The |
|
hose days than they do now for that !
vas the time when they were putting |
heir money in Kansas lands and mort
sageS- One day young man came into
he office to send a message and. as us
lal, was in great hurry to get it off.
told him | would rush it and he went
way. There was heavy storm short
distance down the road and the wires
we're blowing across each other making
I impossible to send correctly. That is
condition known to the operators as
buggy. Presently the young man re-
urned and told him that the message
vas delayed because the wires were
buggy and. being a fool easterner. he
It once jumped to the conclusion that
hn xx-ff1 ht1o hi