Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-05-19
OF SNUFF
HABIT ALARMING
Increase in Number OF Users OF
the Brown Powder is
Growing Steadily.
CONSUMPTION IN SOUTH
More Than IL, 1000. 900 Pounds of tho
Stuff Is Consumed in America
Each Observation-Disclosures
Of Tobacco.

Chicago Tribune: 1t costs the grea,
American public something like ST.
600, 900 annually TO square its <puh
bill. More than l6, GOO. 600 pounds OF
this article are consumed each year n
this country. And we are not pronsi-
nent as a race OF SNUFF users, either.
TIL figures are taken from the in
ternal revenue reports, 50 they cannot
we'll lie. Taxes are paid annually on
$4,000, 600 pounds of snuff in this coun-
try. At the average price OF As cents
q pound, which is a low estimate, the
nations snuff bill will foot up TO more
than 81, 600, coo. And the custom of
snuff using is steadily growing; snuff
ing is becoming popular.
Contrary to general opinion, snuff
using is not confined TO, or even ex-
ceptionally prevalent among the for
eign element According TO n man
who has made snuff in Chicago for half
a lifetime, ii is the native o Amer
lean of the southern states who buys
most of the snuff sold in this country.
The foreign born snuff user is not so
numerous, nor does his weakness for
the stimulant cost him so much as IL
does the southerner of the larger
cities.
Consumption in the South.
The great bulk Of the snuff manufac-
turing, as well as consuming, is done
i'm the south. AS the snuff is made all
most exclusively from the leaf grown
in that section, it is a matter of econ
omy TO have the factories there. The
snuff made in this country is manufac-
tured principally from Virginia. Ten
nessee or Kentucky tobacco. The best
is made from the product of the Ten
nessee or Kentucky tobacco fields. The
quality of the tobacco compares favor
ably with that put in the best plug to-
haranC The laoP arCpd Sc MAJ ti0Vlar lV
ripe, as unripe leaf win spoil after
making.
Aside from the actual tobacco, the
other ingredients used in the compost
ton of snuff are of a much higher
grade than those used in help making
plug tobacco. The prices of the two
are nearly the same. Rose oil. oil of
rose geranium, claret and honey are
used 10 give flavor and aroma to the
product generally, with tamarinds and
St. Johns bread ground in if it is to
have a fruit flavor.
The first process in snuff manufacture
is the grinding or pulverizing. Oc-
c~asionally a manufacturer ferments his
leaf before grinding, but the accepted
method is to first grind, then ferment
The grinding is done mostly in what
is termed snuff mulls." These mulls
are apothecary mortars on a large
scale, with power run millstones for
pestles. The capacity of a null is about
$50 pounds of leaf tobacco. The tobacco
is ground into three grades-fine, med
ium and coarse. The finest is used
for the manufacture of the higher
grades of snuff, and Scotch and Macca-
boy brands
Fermentation.
From the grinding room the leaf goes
TO the fermenting rooms, where ii is
subjected to fermentation at from so
TO 140 degrees of temperature, accord
ing to the degree of fermentation de-
/ sired. The fermentation takes from
twenty days TO three months. In this
process The common ground tobacco is
transformed, through the process of
fermentation, to a compact, cohesive
mass more akin TO lampblack than to-
bacco in any form. When il is ready
fer the mixer the stuff is taken from
the fermenting room and the other in
gradients, the fiavors and perfumery
properties are kneaded in.
Occasionally a little salt is added to
give the snuff more zest and taste.
Then ii is packed in jars, tins or pack
ages and is ready for shipment. Snuff
stone jars, as it has been from time
immemorial. No modern method has
been found for packing it that will al
low it to retain its GOODNESS and mois-
ture as well as does the old fashioned
stone jar.
The work of making the snuff is near
ly wholly in the hands of men. Girls
are employed 10 do the packing.