New-York tribune., 1903-04-06
THE PASSING THRONG.

fooacco smoking ever since 1t has become general
throughout the world has been denounced as filthy
and unhealthfuI by some. There
THE SMOKES are certain substitutes much worse.
OF MANY however. The human race. II
PEOPLES. seems must have substance
10 burn and pun away Thomas 3.
Dill. of Baltimore. who knows a Bit about tobacco.
told OF a few substitutes the Manhattan yes
terday.
Many and strange the substances other than
tobacco smoked by the human race he remarked
Rhuharb. beet and sage leaves are smoked by
some farmers in the South with little bad results;
but some OF the poor white trash have been known
TO smoke the leaves OF tomato and potato plants
The result of this terrific Stupor and exhaustion
follow. II the habit is persisted in. insanity is
caused. In Jamaica 'ganjah, species OF hemp,
is smoked by all classes. While under It's inAu-
all sense Of time. sound and distance
ishes- Cataleptic fits and homicidal mania are the
result of this smoke. In Switzerland a weed OF
the Alps is used. It is powdered before using, and
foot tobacco is used IN country places in England
by rustics. This IS powdered leaves OF plant
that grows in chalI<y soil II is said TO be good for
The Alaskan Indian smokes pipe ot shavings
saturated with red pepper and likes it. The Amer
ican Indians use dried holly leaves willow tree
bark and sumach- Indian tobacco IS the leaf OF
the lobelia plant Central American Indians make
hey Suffer trbIy from sore throat
South African blacks use dried camphor leaves,
the Bahamas cascarilla bark is the substitute for
TOBACCO guess. after looking the situation over:
substance exists
The delay In the completion Of vessels was
what J. S. Hampden a marine engineer OF Phila-
delphia. talked about at the Grand
DELAY IN Hotel yesterday Said he: ''Liber-
FINISHING ality on the part Of Congress in
VESSELS FOR provi ling for large navy will fail
THE NAVY. of desired results unless cOrtrac-
tors can be made finish
ships within specified limits. or the forty more
ships being built now. all are behind time OF con-
tract. The delay ranges anywhere from one TO
three years. Some of the torpedo boats and de-
stroyers authorized in the Spanish war excitement
are still unfinished. and few have only recently
been put in commission The four monitors au-
thorized in 1898 two years behind TWO are
still IN the builders hands.
The loss to the government through Ge1auir OF
contractors is large. Judging from past progress
in construction, the vessels authorized this year
won't be ready for FIVE years. seven or the battle
ships provided for prior TO last year are at least
two years behind contract time. 1t is of little
forced to live up to their contracts, such yes
sells become obsolete before commissioned
II the navy is to be increased within a certain
time the penalties ought 70 be enforced The con-
tractor IS supposed complete a ship within a
certain date or suffer the result OF the penalty
clause attached TO all contracts. The Navy De
partrnent is lenient. however. and accepts excuses
because they know they have to- Our navy viii al
ways be at a disadvantage with foreign fleets uIl-
less the warships are finished at the time stfpu-
lated.