Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-03-21
POINTERS BY
CUBAN EXPERT

MASTER OF NICOTINE ART SAYS
AMERICANS ARE POOR coUR-
TIERS OF THE WEED.
The people Of the United States are
smokers. At least this is the con.
clusion that has been reached by
Felipe Rodriguez, Cuban cigar man.
ufacturer VINO is touring the United
States in the interest of his trade
Following is an interesting interview
held with him recently on the gentle
art of counting my lady Nicotine:
"This may be called tobacco using
nation, for I believe the people of the
United States generally smoke more
than those of any other country, aside
from the more southern and Latin
countries. 1t is the smoking of cigars
to which refer, for in this the true
art Of smoking lies. The American
smokes a cigar in the same manner
that he does everything else. He en-
tiers into it with vim as though much
depended on its being finished or loses
the bouquet and aroma of the cigar
entirely by inhaling the smoke, instead
Of drawing it back only as far as his
throat and allowing it to enter the
nasal passages. The sense of smell is
all that can respond to bouquet and
aroma, and without the enjoyment Of
this all that man can possibly get
out Of a cigar is the taste or flavor,
and when cigar is improperly smok-
ed the best effect of the flavor can not
be obtained. In the smoking Of
cigars the Cuban excells the American
simply because the Cuban naturally
is more deliberate, and he has made
a study Of the art of smoking. A mis-
guided idea that the American has,
too, is his belief that light cigar is
of better quality than those of the
darker shades. All that can be said
of the light cigar is that it is milder,
but the more tender leaf of tobacco
is found in the blacklist shades. In
Cuba the blacklist cigars are smoked
Few Cubans show partiality, as a rule,
to the lighter brands of goods.
cubans Heavy Smokers.
Besides smoking the blacklist
cigars the Cubans smokes many more
cigars during the day than the average
American The cause Of this may be
attributed to the climate, for the war.
mer climates seem more inducive 10
smoke than colder parts. But the
average American could not smoke as
many cigars as the average Cuban
without suffering from his indulgence,
simply because Of the Americans way
of smoking. The American manner of
smoking may be laid to a degree to
the cigarette. The smoker often be-
gins the habit by the use of cigarettes
AMI in America an accomplished Gig
arctic smoker must inhale deep into
his lungs the smoke In this manner,
and when he finally gives up cigar.
cites and takes up cigars the habit of
inhaling stays with him. The Cuban
boy as rule begins smoking at a
younger age than does the American.
He smokes cigars generally, too, for
the price of cigars in my country IL
low enough to be met by very meager
purse. The cigarets that are smoked
are made of such heavy grade of
| tobacco that the beginner seldom
cares, SO is able to take deep into his
lungs.
"In the matter Of cigars, belief IS
entertained by many that the cigar
spots are defective, or have not been
properly cured. The small discolored
spots may on the contrary be taken
as sign Of good tobacco not that all
good cigars bear the discolored spots
but it is only good tobacco on which
they will form. They are caused by
dew drops accommodating on the tobac.
co and then being suddenly exposed
to hot sun, which dries them out
quickly at the same time staining the
tobacco 1t is only the very tender
tobacco that will be affected in this
manner. The formation Of these spots
is not the purpose of tobacco curels
as in the trade in many parts of the
country these stains are classed as
blemishes.
Different Styles of Cigars.
4 Another feature in the sale and
manufacture of cigars is the favorisn
shown in different parts of the coun
try for certain shapes. In the United
States the north seems to favor, the
long, tapering cigars, with draw or
either end, while in the south one will
find more straight shapes, with gener
ally an abrupt draw at one end
1uOUSu Lu6 uOl Ill anu oOuIl Olll0l IL
choice of shapes, the tastes for the
better brands is as strongly cultivated
in one section as in the other. The &C
complished smoker throughout thu
: United States appreciates the super
iority Of the imported cigars, and II
willing to pay for it. 1t is a recognized
fact throughout the world that tn,
best cigars come from the West In
dies. This is not because the American
manufacturer is not willing to buy tn,
best tobacco, for much of the Tobacco,
used in the high grade American ciga
!; is the best tobacco products Of Cuba
!, but this climate is not altogethe
adapted to proper preparation of tn
raw material, and after being shippe
, here the tobacco loses some Of it
I best qualities.
Then, too, Cuba furnishes cheape
laJor, and the manufacturer can a
: ford to turn out cigars and sell Their