Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-06-19
ODD FACTS FOR THE SMOKERS.
Information as to Tobacco and Its
Use by the World.

Use by the World.
A history OF tobacco has Just been
published by W. S. Penn. an English
man, under the title of The Soverane
Herb" From it some curious facts
can be drawn that will amuse. as well
as instruct smokers.
1t appears that the practice of smok-
ing was at first religious rite, and
that it was taken in the sixteenth cen.
tury from America TO Europe, whence
1t spread TO Asia. All three modes of
using the weed-cigars, pipes and snuff
were found in vogue among the ma.
I tives of America by the earliest dis.
coverers. In the narrative of the first
voyage Of Columbus we are told of the
astonishment of the Spaniaris at see.
ing the natives of San Salvador putting
cigars, or, rather, enormous cigarettes.
On his second voyage the islanders
were observed snutfing the powdered
leaf through a hollow cane On the
mainland pipe smoking was the univer
sal custom, but still retaining much
of a ritualtistic character
! So tobacco went to Spain as cigars. to
France Through Jean NicoD as snuff,
and was carried to England with the
| pipe by Ralph Lane, Governor of Nir-
| ginia. on his return home in 1856. Ra-
leigh, though he adopted the practice,
/ was not las is often stated its intro
/ ducer England gave it TO the Dutch
] anh ha al Il S,.fa
/ Islands and farthest Cathay. so that
almost before the century closed to-
bacco had girdled the world. Not, how
| ever, without opposition. King James
! futile crusade against the weed had no
effect except to stimulate poets like
Jonson, Ford, Sylvester and smaller
fry to curry court favor by satirlcal
abuse of smoking and smokers.
Shakespeare never alludes to the prac-
tice, and his silence may be interpret
ed either way. Sultans, shahs, Khalifs
and cZars put forth their might against
| it, and Pope Urban launched a bill
against its use, but all in vain; the
frail, witherel leaf was stronger than
popes and kings.
Mr.. Penn has omitted a certain fam
Gus anecdote associated with this bull
of Urban, and the New York Evening
Post recalls it, as of incidental inter
est. On the publication of the bull n
paper was found affixed to the statue
of Pasquin, containing a text in Latin,
which has been thus translated INTO
I l. ho ,
is driven to and fro, and wilt thou
pursue the dry stubble?" This text Is
found in Job xiii, %. Urban made
proclamation that, If the author would
declare himself, he should receive re-
ward. On the next morning the pas
quill was found signed JOB"
Despite both spiritual and secular
fulminations. tobacco held its own, and
even-what few monarchs have done
conquered the church. The present
pope takes snuff, the finest in the
world, which is specially made for him
in Baltimore. But fashions in tobacco
taking, as in other things, have varied.
In the eighteenth century the ripe
sunk in reputation in England and the
snuff box arose. On the continent
snuff had always been aristocratic and
leaders of fashion had rivaled each
other in the costliness and beauty of
their boxes. the exquisite flavor Of their
contents and the grace with which the
pinch was inhaled. England never
quite attained these high levels Of ele-
gance, and in the nineteenth century
went back to the cigar. The Crimean
war brought in the cigarette, the use
of which the English had learned from
their allies. and in late years the pipe
has come once more into favor.-Buf-
falo Express.