The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-02

The average cigar smoker thinks that
II the label is right the cigar must be.
no matter what sort OF tobacco is used.
Blindfoldcd, the average puffer of the FRA
grant weed cant tell the difference be-
tween a genuine Havana and a Penn
sylvania stogie.
These are some of the conclusions reach
ed by an old tobacconist after expert
ences of years.
If it wasn't for the protection incident
ally given the smoker by the revenue laws
he would likely be buncoed oftener than
he is by dealers who, in order 20 keep
up q certain brand of cigars that may be
exhausted before another shipment ar
rives, place a cigar Of another brand but
perhaps of the same grade In the old box.
Sometimes a cheaper grade is used, In
which event 1t is claimed the smoker is in
blissfut ignorance. for he smokes the
label. not the cigar.
Under the federal laws the dealer takes
a big risk If he transfers cigars of the
same brand f.7m one box to another, say
nothing of placing cigars of a different
brand in the box. Seldom is this resor.ed
to, for there's a big fine upon conviction.
h man known as the expert" be-
cause he invariably kicks on every brand
submitted for his inspection and winds up
his display of critical inspection by choos-
ing the cheapest cigar in the place, peered
~frowninglS into a cigar store show case
the other day. One could see without halt
trying that the expert was about to make
a purchase, and before doing so he desired
to impress that fact upon the dapper clerk
as we'll as a dozen other smokers stand
ing about. Deeper the line in his forehead
became as he scrutinized the label of a
new brand just opened a few minutes be-
fore.
Say. let's look at that stinkadora you've
got there" he said in a loud voice.
The clerk winked and produced the box.
Holding it gingerly the expert smelled
long and loudly at the brown rolls there
in, squinted with half shut eyes at the
cigars, and then at the clerk, and after
ptnching a weed or two he laid down the
box and gazcd thoughtfully at the ceiling.
%"Flavored; doped; punk wrapper and
worse filling; smells like a garbage barrel
and would taste worse" he Kissed know
ingly.
"Yes?" asked the clerk.
"That's what; you can't fool me. Gimme
a Whit of that old timer there-I know 1t
isn't much good, but it's the best you
have"
Another box of sleek looking cigars came
out. The expert looked at the label
closely, shifted at the contents and showed
them back.
"Them's too black" he observed.
Another box was produced from the
drawer behind the showcase.
TOO light" said the expert. "Weaker'n
willow bark. and them others are strong
enough to walk. Amt you got the Colo
RADIO Maduro? That's better
The expert picked one. bit into it saw
agely and lit it with a match. The cigar
cost him a dime. He looked amused when
he saw the clerk struggling to wait on
customers who had been blocked because
he had taken SO much time in selecting his
smoke. Then he went out. leaving an
odor of burned rags behind him.
See that duck?" asked the clerk, after
the rush was over. We'll, he got the
cheapest 1O-center in the shop. He thinks
1t is the best because the name suits
him and the label looks pretty. That new
brand he roasted is the highest priced
cigar at wholesale of any in the store.
Just to show you how he knows nothing
about cigars, one day he came In and
while he wasn't looking l got a two-fer
out, Of a box and handed it to him. He
thought 1t was his f~avorite brand. After
he lit 1t and smoked a while he loosened
up and praised the cigar; said he had been
smoking it for years and knew what to-
bacco Is. He isn't al exception. A ma
jority OF the smokers of domestic goods
ant tell the difference between a 5 and
ASSR ~
Havana cigar smokers as a rule can't
be fooled. At least 1t Is generally impossi-
BILE to sell them domestic goods for i'm
ported, but even these experts will
smoke a cheap grade of Havana with as
much satisfaction as a three-for-a-half-
dollar grade. The cigar has a pungent
smell and a slightly salty tast. which Is
an infallible guide to the Havana smoker.
Some smokers believe that the color OF
a cigar wrapper make a difference in
the strength Of 1t. The dealers say the
cigars have precisely the same filling and
there is little or no difference in heaviness.
AT the factory wrappers are selected ac-
cording to color and then distributed
among the workmen, who roll the same
filling into them. The. black ones are put
INTO one box. the medium colors into an
other and the bleached wrapped cigars
Into a third.
Other moker believe that the size of
the cigar has much to do with the heavi-
ness of the smoke. The club house is re-
garded stronger than the slender para-
tella or the trim clipper-built brand, half
as large as the club house. But the same
grade OF tobacco is used in each. The
dealer simply makes more off the small
sized cigar. in oil Justice to the smoker.
however, it shout be said that many Of
them choose the more delicate shaped
cigars, because a club house cigar is hard
10 uOl0. ~ uidu SHiOhllI6 olc VI tIieiIi
feels and to some extent looks like he had
a hoe handle in his mouth.
without doub the best so-called Ha-
vana cigar is the blend of island grown
tobacco and the seed Havana-the latter
tobacco grown in this country from seed
brought from the island said a Sioux
City dealer. "The straight Havana hasn't
the oily flavor and smooth taste of the
blend and doesn't cost as much. either.
But nine out of ten Havana cigar smokers
ask for the straight goods. We give them
the blend and they are satisfied. Give
them the straight goods and they would
kick"
Except when the commodity slot ma
hin are not running, Sioux City
smokers buy 10-cent cigars or the higher
priced grades. 1t is a fact that after
the machines were placed under the ban
a year ago the Decent trade fell off more
than one-half and a corresponding in
crease in the sale of the scent goods was
apparent.
"Why?" repeated the dealer. well, 1
suppose it's because a smoker doesn't
think anything Of dropping three of four
nickels into the machine, where he would
hate like the dickens to buy two Decent
cigars. If he wins a half dozen for a
nickel toss at the machine he figures a
clean gain and naturally he thinks he
can indulge his taste in tobacco. So he
lines up at the 10-cent showcase. OF
course he forgets that he lost enough yes
terday to make I'm for what he won today