The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-07
COST OF OUR TOBACCO.
Millions of Dollars Spent in Smoke
Every Year.

EEery Year.
How many people realize the enor-
nous amount of money that goes up
in smoke every year from the ends on
the cigars made in this country alonez
To say nothing of cigarettes the value
of the cigars produced in the United
States last year would build one hun
dred thousand homes at $4,000
piece or endow four hundred colleges
with half million dollars each II
would purchase the raw material Tor
all the shoes or wooden clothes made
in America With cigarettes counted
in, the amount would buy enough
butter and cheese to supply the Amer
lean people for one year. and there
would be nearly enough left over 10
build all the steel ships that We're cor
structed en- this continent in the year
1906
The greater part of all the tobacco
used in this country is in the form OF
cigars As may easily be lnIerr Is
from the foregoing statements the
making of cigars represents vast III
dustry in the United States Accord
ing TO the latest government statlsles,
there are some sixteen thousand Iae-
tories employing about one hundred
and thirty-five thousand people mere
are, of course, many thousands more
who work IN the tobacco fields ana
who are employed IN the drying anu
shipping operations prior TO the pTo-
ducts reaching the cigar factories
Tobacco has always been smoked
rather than chewed- 1t Is said that
when first discovered the natives OF
West Indies were smoking the weed
Pipes were used by these natives IN
stead of cigars. These pipes play an
important part in all the dealings OF
the American Indians. and IN tneir
carving and Ornamentation mucn time
was spent and no mean skill display
ed When introduced into England
tobacco met great opposition. especial
Iy from King James, who denounced
its use in no uncertain terms ana
raised the duty from two pence to six
shiIlings and ten pence a pound with
out the consent of parliament
One of the aims in growing tobacco
is TO raise plants which viii nave
leaves of large size In different CHI
mates the quality differs In some
places the stems rise to height OF
seven feet After cutting the crop 1t IS
hung up to sweat and dry What is
prises- perhaps, a dozen or more leaves
which are bound together by still
another leaf Large numbers of these
| hands are put into bales for ship
! ment to the cigar factories In ship
ping and especially where the TOBACCO
IS TO go over long distances. great care
is taken to make it alright and thus
preserve the aroma
After arriving at q cigar factory and
after the tobacco has been unpacked-
| it next goes through the operation OF
casing" A workman takes ''hand"
| at a time and dips it into a tank of
| water. After its long journey it is
necessary to do this in order that it
may be easily handled Some skill is
| required in this work, however. for all
! tobacco does not require the same
| amount of moisteuing. 1t is now ready
1 for what is known in cigar factory as
/ and spread out upon device known
/ as booker. When sufficiently
/ spread the mid rib of the leaf is re-
/ moved by holding the leaf in one
hand and peehng off the rib with the
| other. This is stripping" This work
is done in thousands of factories by
4 women and girls There are more
| than hfty-seven thousand women en-
| pIoyed in the cigar factories of this
| country.
After stripping and booking, the to-
bacco is allowed to dry several hours
the time depending to no small degree
| becoming too dry it may be sprayed
before going to the next process OF
| manufacture
A cigar consists of three distinct
| parts. the filler or inside portion. the
! binder or next layer, and third, the
| outside wrapper. The filler may rep
/ resent one kind Of tobacco, the bind
| err another and the wrapper another
| One of the secrets of the business con-
sfsts in deciding upon the kinds of to-
| bacco that are thux put into cigar,
l a manufacturer priding himself on a
/ combina ton that viii be at least a
/ little better than those made by some
I one else Before the tobacco goes 10
| the man who makes the cigars into
| their final shape, it is weighed into
portions of a definite number OF
ounces each Taking the nIler the
| workman breaks OF pieces the size OF
the cigar and about these he wraps the
| binder to the same length as the filler
| Then each half leaf of wrapper is cut
/ in rectangular shape, each half lear
ma king two or three wrappers These
/ rectangular. pieces are then wound
spiraIIy. about the binder. which is al
ready in place. The cigar is then cut
off at one end. and is ready TO De
packed in boxes and labeled After
being put into boxes the cigars are
again dried, sometimes in dry room,
and allowed to season for a week or
more without artificial heat it re-
outres two to three weeks for them to
dy-PhiIadeIphfa Record