The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23

solidation OF half the principal factories In
Havana, those making the time honored
brands most smokers had sworn by since
their adolescence, was achieved, and this
affected about IS per cent. Of the cigars i'm
ported into this country.
Again character was swept away, and the
semi-honogeneous imported cigar product
appeared, only the outside factories retain
ing any semblance Of the c~uriously individual
type so long distinctive Of the Cuban prod
uct. The change reached its climax with
the Cuban revolution.
The Spaniards were gathering the sinews
Of war from the rich planters, who we're OBJ
tanning the money from their tobaccos. So
the Cuban insurgents tied punches Of barbed
wire to ~lariats, tied the lariats to the tails OF
their horses, and under cover Of the night
galloped through the tobacco fields, tearing
the growing product to ribbons. 1t could
not be harvested or cured. IL was practi-
cally useless.
What was to be done2 With many circular
letters Of excuse the Cuban manufacturers
explained the situation to the cigar dealers
and the cigar smokers of the world, asked
for indulgence during the rebellion,
promised to turn ont the best goods possible,
and then began in fear and trembling for
their regulations to use Remedies, Mani
oaragua or anything grown at the other
end Of the island they could lay their hands
IN. These blended cigars went forth to
the smoking world, the best that could be
made under the circumstances
The rebellion went on, the war followed,
the lands lay waste, and In the mean
time the world had accepted the bastard
product. Then things in Cuba returned
to the normal. All except the character
Of the cigars.
The Cuban manufacturers were doing
more trade than ever before. There were
no longer any organized complaints about
their cigars, the profit was greater than
when the cigars were made on the old
fashioned plan, and everywhere one heard
Of the success Of the homogeneous prod
uct of the Havana manufacturers.
Then the manufacturers OF clear Havana
cigars in this country became busy. They
brought their individual product to the
now popular homogeneous standard, with
the exception Of possibly three or four
factories that persist in making cigars
as near the old type as is possible, for to-
day il, is extremely difficult for a COM
paratively small manufacturer to obtain
the type Of tobacco he might wish. As
stated previously, the quantity Of the very
highest type of tobacco is limited, and it
cannot be augmented.
A marvel lies in the increased amount
Of tobacco at call in Cuba. Prior to the war
no tobacco was permitted to enter Cuba,
except a very little from Porto Rico for
use in the cigarette factories.
When the American buyers went to
make leaf tobacco purchases they took
with them small quantities Of American
Sumatra-leaf to use in testing
the growths offered for sale, and the Ameri-
cans had to account for almost every leaf.
Thus was the purity of the Cuban pro-
tected, even though there were rumors
that for long years other tobaccos were
carefully Struggled into the sacred isle
and used by its manufacturers. Blu the
Gordon was drawn very tightly.
Every n knows to-day the tremendous
sale Of the Porto Rico goods in this country,
~springing from nothing almost in a night.
Most people know that here and there
one may strike a cigar Of that type which
is good enough ito make the hair CURL
and when one glances at the total Of i'm
DOi VIZ III N"S AOPci -
and finds an increase Of nearly 40 per cent.
in the tobacco imports since 1900 and an
increase Of nearly 50 per cent. in the i'm
portation of cigars during the same period
the lesson is learned. where is the to-
bacco grown" is a question which naturally
brings forward the related question Of
What are we smoking to-day?'
1t is said that the IS per cent. sale OF the
organized factories has sunk to about 30 per
cent. and that the outside factories have
made the gains. Either statement is diff
cult Of proof except that one certainly sees
In outside brands much more in evidence
than was the case, while certain brands Of
extremely high quality, well liked in Europe
for long years and comparatively strangers
here for fifteen years have reappeared
within the past two years, and are appar-
emily selling well. There is also one outside
factory which was bought for the proverbial
song three or four years ago whose goods
are seen everywhere. For this factory
five times the original purchase price has
been offered and declined.
Certain it is that you cannot get the old
fashioned, intensely fragrant and distinct
i've cigar; no, not il you offered a thousand
dollars for it. You can get handsome look
ing, we'll groomed cigars; the tobacco in
them probably cost a lot of money, and it
will probably strike the taste Of the rising
generation and also those who find the
criterion of value in the cost Of an article,
but the old time type is gone.
This is the day of the ultra mild, light,
characterless cigar, the type which does not
satisfy a craving for the weed, but makes a
-o,ob CO.. nHotha- Az N-o-~ns
manufacturer said:
THAT is what l have been trying TO attain
for years. The man who smokes one cigar
and has had all the smoke he wants is OF
little use TO me"
Thus the old time smoker, the man who
really knew what constituted the best cigar
in the world, wanders through a homogene-
ous cigar desert, vainly seeking the lost
and lamented Vuelta smoke.
Cranes Grown Under Elaaa