New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-21
SNUFF TAKING AND TOBACCO.

A curious characteristic Of the earlier days Of
CLUB life was the almost universal practice OF
SNUFF taking, and its very slow replacement by
the use OF tobacco. II was part of a gentle
mans education 20 manipulate a snUffb0x Gle
gantly, and the possession OF Il number of costly
Siseil--t-is 81 these receplacles WAS lnuispensa-
bic, explaining why SNUFF boxes Of every variety
IN gold. silver euameed and jewel Incrusted
Or nowadays 50 largely found among the curl
osities Of the collector. There were snuff boxes
kent full in every rooau IN the clubhouse ana the
frequent can Tor II D. an irritable old member
was one OF the hits In Bulwer Lyttons play
MONEY The supply OF snuff made gratis
10 members. The cost amounted Ia 800 or
$50 year, and as the indulgence in tobacco in
this form gradually gave way 10 that of smoking
the expenditure was thought uunecessar,- ~
seems 10 be very little understood how slowly
indulgence in tobacco made it's way. The alb
sence Of any provision FOR smoking in the club
accommodation was long noticeable: either
mere WAS no smoking room at all, the most
Ineagre arrangements were made for induigiug
IN H. There was no smoking room at the
-AlSeil'euHl Tor some time after its foundation
a room for the use Of tobacco was omitted from
the first plan Of the Reform club; there was no
provision for il in The original Oriental and
permission 10 smoke within the walls was not
accorded for some forty years. although q con
slant bone Of contention between onposinc, fac-
lions al that time. The persistent resistance
or The non-smokers 10 any Improvement i'm tho
smoking room Of the Alfred is said To have
9een the cause OF the breaking up OF that club
The room was the top of the house and stir-
matized as an Infamous hole" but the com
mittee would make no concession. and the ciub
was eventually closed. although perfectly sol
vent. and produced a good balance sheet at The
very last Tho bare tolerance of the weed and
INC MARKED dlstaSte Tor IT. among those who
claimed 70 be cultured and refined lasted I'm
very recent years. and many of the passing gen
Grafton must have lively recollection of bar
iishInent TO the purleus of the stable Yard ana
mo lower regions of the kitchen and basement
when guests at country houses were DESTROYS
OF lndulgins in tobacco. Whatever the reason
and some attribute it to the late Queen Vic
toIla dislike 10 it. the practice Of smoking was
% SLOW growth in society. The restrictions
placed upon IT, as just shown, were severe and
IN medical opinion il was very generally con-
demn"d rs obnoxious and deletcriorls ,;l,e
clergy Gisapproyed of IT, and very few among
Them Ventured 10 yield openly to its tempta-
uohS II was not considered good form 10
smoke IN the streets, and n cigar cigarettes
We're not known till long afterWard) was moi
Tolerated in the presence Of ladies' II is prob
ably forgotten that smoking was not permitted
IN regimental mess rooms and barracks until
1896. nor. strange as it may seem, that no ono
might smoke in the public rooms and platforms
oI railway stations, and the smoking carriage
is q concession of comparatively recent date -
arthur GrilLiths. IN The EortnigltlN Rn..io..