The Washington herald., 1909-01-19
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Havana, Jan. ls.-The fame OF the city
/ OF Havana IS the fame Of its cigars.
/ Wherever there is a cigar smoker. the
standard Of his delight Is the aroma OF
the Havana weed Wherever there is &
/ leigarmaker, the greatest praise OF his
wares Is the boast that Il approaches
the excellence OF Havana Poets have
sung the praises OF the Havana cigar,
sages have been lifted Up On tbs clouds
OF its ethereality, grave scientists have
analyzed It's properties, kings have &C
knOwledged its spell. pOnti1s have re-
ceived It's incense. The Havana cigar IS
unique among luxur5es-
L is Almost q misnOmer 70 refer 70 the
manufacture Of Havana cigars. They
are made Dy human hands. OF course, but
so intricate and delicate Is the operation
that the mechanical feature IS lost 70
sight in the artistic. There IS nothing
whatever in the process Of making Hav-
ana cigars which suggests 10 the Amer
ican mind the idea conveyed by the word
factory"
One walks 0own q residence street IN
Havana, admiring the beautiful iron
grille work which bars the windows. and
speculating upon the life stories OF the
people 70 whom these prison-like palaces
are home. In the midst Of these houses
Jnere IS one finer than the Others. larger
and more beautiful Who lives here2''
is the question. NO ole. That Is
cigar factory.
In = -
an Imposing group OF public buildings
and among them one more imposing than
all the others Il IS q cigar factory In
business street there are many hand
some houses, devoted 70 al sorts OF
trades and displaying their cOlors BY
means Of great signs and advertising pla-
cards. Here one finds a hanGsomer
building than the others. and no an
nOUnCement Of its character other than a
modest brass plate on the door. This is
another cigar factory.
Entering one OF these factories IS like
nothing else in sightseeing There is the
patio with its garden OF palms and fiOW-
ers, its sparkling fountain. and lis easy
chairs There is the marble-tiled court
and the marble stairway The sun is ex-
cluded and the air IS cool But II all is
heavy with the indefnable aroma which
is exhaled by vuelta abajo tobacco, Gad
by nothing else in the world
Entering the great warsrooms. this
odor becomes so heavy that one is al
most overpowered- The tobacco is re-
ceived into these waTerooms from the
plantations IN the province OF Pinar del
Rio. where the best tobacco on earth IS
grown. Il has been carefully cured and
made into hands" each with a certain
number Of leaves, and then packed n
bales. wrapped in the heavy, fbrous
leaves Of the royal palm
The larger and more perfect leaves are
reserved for wrappers" 10 go on the out /
side OF the cigar and 70 give il finish |
These leaves are packed ten IN q hand, I
and are cared for as II they were worth I
their weight IN gOld-which sometimes IS /
literally true OF the very finest leaves 4
The smaller. cOarser. and broken leaves /
are the filters" and they are packed 1
with quite as much care. but with less 4
regard for the individual leaf.
The bales are unpacked and the precious 4
wrappers are taken from their palm Leaf 4
nest. A brawny workman takes a hand /
IN each OF his hands and immerses the 4
tobacco in 4 tub OF water. He then 4
stands on a cement floor and exercises 4
almost every muscle in his body TO shake /
the water of the tobacco leaves That 4
process leaves Just the right amount Of 4
on the outside OF the leaf, per-
nits the leaf 10 absorb certain amount /
and makes Il pliatfe. The hands" then 1
20 10 the seIectors, who unfasten Jnem 4
and examine each leaf separately with 4
great care and skill. The wrappers dre 4
20 81 av-frr
and quality. This leaf selection Is a
great art. and adept selectors command
high wages Not infTeqUently one may
see a millionaire manufacturer himself at
work at the selecting tubs.
IN the meantime, various grades OF ill
srs have been blended under the direction
Of an expert who has learned just what
Of different kinds OF filters
viii produce a particular flavor. That
favor must be brought out. for by its
virtue E certain brand has become IA
nous. and the very reputation OF that
brand is worth more in dollars and cents
han the whole physical property Of the
factory. building and all
After being inspected and passed upon
1y a half dozen experts, the tobacco Is
ready for the hand Of the artist who Is to
mold Il into a cigar. TIE cigarmakers
NJ AT little tables. made with a hood not
mike that Of q roIl-top desk without the
-olling top. At one hand is pile OF fill
IT'S. dumped loosely on the table. In
lr0Ht IS e little stack OF the priceless
There is a ruler with q meas
Ire cut n its side, by which the size OF
he cigar is regulated A little cup Of
)aSte and & peculiar knife, which looks
Ike an artists palette cut in half and
Jharpened on one edge, completes TIE
Dutft
With the skill born not alone Of long
,ractice, but OF family pride and & true
Torkman's devotion to craft. the cigar
maker selects the filler. twisting the
mah leaves in tie inside, tearing ana
plitting them until they form Just the
ight sort OF core, wrapping larger and