The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-03
THE MORNING NEWS: SATURDAY. AUGUST 3. 1901
BREAKING In A NEW PIPE.
Smokers "Stunts" Described by an
Experienced smoker.


From the International Magazine.
1t may be fairly inferred that pipe
smoking is a subject which interests a
considerable public, since the daily pa
pers tell us every now and then what
kings and emperors and other poten-
tates are addicted to the pipe. We be-
lieve it is more to the purpose, however,
to invite from pipe smokers an inter
change of experiences, to the end that
the best methods may be known to all.
One may buy books on How to Do"
this or that, but so far as we know
none can be had on How to Smoke"
OF the several ways in which to-
bacco is used the original one of smok-
ing ii in a pipe is undoubtedly the
least harmful. II it is not begun 100
early in life, nor carried to an excess,
it is, we think. difficult to prove that
pipe smoking is injurious in any degree
whatever The best pipe is made of
brier root, with a short and straight,
or very slightly curved. stem. The
mouthpiece should be amber or eboniZ-
ed gutta-percha. Such a pipe is easy
to hold in the mouth and does not
interfere with reading.
When breaking in a new pipe 1t
should be filled with cold water for a
moment or two before filling and
lighting. This should be repeated for
half-dozen or more times in order
that the char shall begin to form with
out really burning the wood. 1t is not
necessary or desirable to dry out the
bowl before filling, but merely to turn
out the water. Another point about the
treatment of new pipe is not to smoke
up all the tobacco until it is some
what seasoned. The weakest part of
"a MY lie ba hi Of
many smokers make practice of al
ways leaving pinch or SO of tobacco
unburned in it.
When char begins to make the bowl
of the pipe appreciably small 1t should
be cut out. If this is not done the diff
ference in the contraction and eXpan-
sion of char and of wood will cause the
bowl to split open. But care must be
taken in cutting away the char not to
remove it all. When it is cut too thin
the wood will burn and make the fact
known in extreme cases by frequent
cracking sounds. In such instances the
breaking-in process should be resorted
to again.
A long brad awl of medium size is
the best implement with which to clean
out the wooden part of a pipestem.
When away from home a bit of steel
wire of the size used in making bicycle
wheels will answer very well. 1t can
be conveniently carried in a pencil case
alongside of a pencil. A Strengthened
hairpin will generally do in default of
anything better.
But the great point of all in pipe
smoking is to learn to smoke slowly
When this habit is acquired the full
flavor of the tobacco will always be
enjoyed, every smoke will be a cool
one and tongue burning will be I'M
known. 1t is, however, very hard for
nervous people to smoke slowly. We
know of cases where smokers have
tried for a score of years to check
their smoking speed without success.
They probably did not begin to make
the effort early enough in their smok-
ing career. With good tobacco and
root pipe the slow smoker attains a
| degree of pleasurable enjoyment in
smoking of which the rapid smoker
has not an mixing.
Perhaps all smokers do not know
that it makes no difference in the flavor
of pipe tobacco how many times pipe
! goes out. cigar which is allowed to
go out once has it's flavor ruined and
| is almost appreciably termed butt. A
! pipe, however, tastes, II anything, bet
ter for going out.
Fastidious smokers always have at
| least two pipes at hand and never re-
| fill one until it has entirely cooled
| off. This is a help toward smoking
and reasonable life in pipe. A good
| test by which to tell if you are smoking
| too fast it to hold the bowl in your
| hand. If it is too hot to do so, then you
may know that your speed is too great.