Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-09
SNUFF HABIT SPREADS
INCREASE IN NUMBER OF USERS
OF THE BROWN POWDER.
Mere Than 16,OOO,oOo Pounds CON.
sumed in America Each
Year.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
1t costs the great American public some
thing like 81 100000 annually to square its
SNUFF bill. More than 10000 900 pounds OF
this article are used each year In this coun-
try. And we are not prominent as a race
of snuff users, either
The figures are taken from the internal
revenue reports they cannot well lie
Taxes are paid annually on 10000. 900
pounds of snuf in this country. At the
average price of As cents a pound. which
Is low estimate, the nations SNUFF bill
will foot up to more than S7.00o.000. And
the custom of snuff using is steadily grow
ing; snuffing is becoming popular.
Contrary TO general opinion, snuff using
is not confined to, or even exceptionally
prevalent among the foreign element Ac-
cordfng to one man who has made snuff
in Chicago for half lifetime, 1t is the ma
tive born American of the southern states
who buys most of the snuff sold In this
country. The foreign born snuff user is
not so numerous, does bis weakness
for the stimulant cost him so much as it
does the southerner of the larger cities.
Consumption in the South.
The great bulk of snuff manufacturing.
as well as consuming, is done I'm the south
AS the SNUFF is made almost exclusively
from the leaf grown in that section. IT is
a matter of economy to have the factories
there. The snuff made in this country is
manufactured principally from Virginia
Tennessee or Kentucky leaf tobacco The
best is made from the product of the Ten
nessee or Kentucky tobacco fields. The
quality of the tobacco used compares ia
vorably with that put into the best plug
topaccos. The leaf used is particularly ripe
as unripe leaf will spoil after making
Aside from the actual tobacco the other
ingredients used in the composition of snuif
are of much higher grade than those
used in help making plug tobacco. The
prices of the two are nearly the same
PnSn oil all 90
honey are used TO give flavor and aroma
to the product generally. with tamarinds
and s.. Johns bread ground in If IT is to
have a fruit flavor.
The first process in snuff manufacture is
the grinding or pulzerizing. Occasionally a
manufacturer ferments his leaf before
grinding, but the accepted method is to
first grind then ferment. The grinding
is done mostly in what are termed SNUFF
mulls." These mulls are apothecary NOR
tars on a large scale. with power run mill
stones for pestles. The capacity of a. null
Is about $50 pounds of leaf tobacco The
tobacco is ground into three grades-fne
medium and coarse The finest is used for
the manufacture of the higher grades of
snuff, the Scotch and Maccaboy brands
Fermentation.
From the grinding room the leaf goes to
the fermenting rooms, where it is subject
ed to fermentation at from 90 to 40 de-
grees of temperature according to the de-
gree of fermentation desired. The fer
mentation takes from twenty days to three
months. In this process the common ground
tobacco is transformed, through the pro-
cess of fermentation, to compact, CO.
hesiye mass more akin to lampblack than
tobacco in any form. When 1t is ready for
the mixer the stuff is taken from the fer
menting room and the other ingredients,
the fiavors and perfumery properties are
kneaded in.
Occasionally a little salt is added to give
the snuff more zest and taste. Then IL is
packed in jars, tins or packages and is
ready for shipment. Snuff is still packed.
for the most part, in stone jars, ras 1t has
been from time immemorial No modern
method has been found for packing 1t that
will allow it to retain its GOODNESS and
moisture we'll does the old-fashioned
stone jar. -ss.
The work of making the snuff is nearly
wholly in the hands of men. Girls are en-
ployed to do the packing. -g 3D.