The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-03
QUEER FADs OF SMOKERS.

Eyes" said prominent Washington
dealer in smokers articles, there has
been steady decrease year by year for
the last decade in the sale of cigar and
cigarette holders, also in cases for both,
as we'll as match safes. In fact, the
trade is not what it used to be ten or
fifteen years back. The only reason
can give Is to say that each of these
things was fad and had its day. l do
not mean to say that there are no men
who still use holders. We still &C.
casionally sell cigarette and cigar hold
ers, as we'll as cases to carry them in,
but the sales are more rare There are
but few fine goods disposed of now, eX-
cept on special occasions for gifts. Men
no longer seem to think a holder indis-
pensable to the enjoyment of cigar or
cigarette Some have always claimed
| that smoke was enhanced by not US
| ing a holder. The goods we do sell now
are mostly OF cherry wood or the Ger
man weichsel. / have some customers,
| elderly men, who like weichsel cigar
| holder. Though holders are no longer
| the fad we have to have them in stock.
! A store of this sort would not be COM
plete without them.
Twelve or fifteen years ago almost
every young man, especially if he went
the proper gait and have social aspira-
tons, felt that his outfit was ineom-
plete without fancy cigarette holder.
Some of the latter were exceedingly
| pretty, and when of amber alone or of
amber and meerschaum they were
costly Some had gold bands around
| the center, or at the end the cigarette
| fitted In. Others were embellished and
ornamented with silver or gold bugs,
| the latter being often set with jewels.
| There were some very pretty combina-
| tons made in these goods. | have sold
1 a three inch amber cigarette holder for
| SIS. But then a portion of it was in
| crusted with precious stones. There
| were many bogus articles palmed off in
| those days. and as many grades of
| meerschaums were on the market n,
| there were Panama hats this summer,
| and some of them were equally worth
| less, though they looked good to the
average buyer. My fall and winter
| stock of meersclaum and amber goods
when these fads were vigorous amount
ed to $4,000 or more. Now $25 worth of
| these same goods will run me two or
| three years.
| 1.-The goods of this character that are
sold now are bought al Christmas times
! or the holidays following or else for
| birthday presents, for there are some
j people who still keep up the pretty old
| custom of giving annually for this pur-
! pose, and if it wasn't for these occa-
| sions the sales would be absolutely
wiped out. The same decadence that
now obtains exists with regards to
| cases for carrying cigars and cigarettes.
| [ have quite a varied stock on hand
and always have, but not one man in
seventy-five carries cigarette or cigar
case. They keep cigarettes from fritz
zlng at the ends and save cigars from
! breakage in the pockets. These cases
were not so obstructive to the gaze as
the fancy holder being carried in the
/ pocket, but the good taste of the owner
was often displayed by his selection of
a cigar case. Many were made of the
! different metals, aluminium and even
silver and gold being used. There were
also cases of pearl. OF course not every
young blood could afford to carry gold
or even a silver cigarette case. The
latter kind sometimes had the owners
initials, monogram fashion, on the side
of the case. The majority of these
goods, however, were of varied kinds of
fiber. The most expensive goods of the
sort were sold to college students, and
the price of silver or gold cigar
cite case was steep Some of the gold
ones sold for SIS, and others higher
still."-Philadelph Inquirer.