The Washington herald., 1909-01-19

The cigar-making room IS a great
sight A half thousand men are bend
over their tables. making cigars They
are well-fed and well-paid workmen, but
they are a motley crowd They are OF
mixed races. and their faces present
every shade OF color from the pale
blond OF the Basque Mountains to the
ebony OF the Congo In ths center OF
the room. on a high platform, sits the
reader" The reader is the one great
Institution OF Havana cigar factories
Havana has sixteen daily newspapers.
fourteen published in Spanish. and two
in English The reader goes through
each Of the fourteen Spanish papers
every day. Then there are magazines
and novels 70 be read The object Is
70 keep the men from gossiping with
each other. The result Is THAI the men
DO more work n q cay, that they get
more money, IS al cigar makers are
paid By peice-w0rk. and that they are
kept vel Informed on the news Of the
day Besides. there is a lot OF fun in IL.
The cigars having been made. they are
taken 10 the seIector's table, where great
skill is again required These tables are
invariably placed under a high window
on the north side OF the building. The
northern light Is more even and is nor
affected by the direct sun. But even this
light must not fall directly on the table
50 the high window sir sends il above the
head Of the seleCtOr. lie lays the cigars
out before him in scores OF little piles.
graded according 10 color To the eve OF
the novice dozen piles may be just the
same, but the expert knows that they
are different in color, and. Furthermore.
he knows that under some conditions that
difference would be perceptible to the Law
man For the honor Of the brand the
cigars must be packed according 10 colors
without the slightest variation.
After having been sorted by colors. the
cigars go 10 the packer. who carefully
arranges them 10 90 in the boxes. With
the finer grades each cigar Is handled and
examined separately. Any cigar which
IS not entirely up 70 the standard IS re-
jected by the packer. Once placed in the
box, made Of the famous Spanish cedar
which Is absolutely necessary TO perfect
the aroma Of the finished product, the
cigars are pressed in and made TO fit.
Then they are all taken out once more.
and the fancy bands are pasted around
their middIes by young girls who work
with incredible rapidity- The cigars are
TO the box. the I'D nailed down.
and there is another box OF Havanas all
ready for shipment.
Here Is a special box made TO hold six
cigars. II Is being filed for a
fashionable club in London. Here is 2
small carton Of cigars which would re-
tail in the United States for = eacn. The
best cigar maker IN the house cannot
make more than five or six OF them
day They are destined TO regale the m
periai heart OF the Gar Here is a
consignment Of short and ugly bull dog
cigars for famous Wall street magnate. |
And in this particular factory the very
cheapest cigar that is turned out would
retail in the United States for Is cents
eech- In Havana such cigar may cost
only cents or 10 cents
Exactly such methods are IN use in the /
factories OF Tampa. and Key West in |
the great trust factory In Havana there
are dozens OF Old brands being turned /
ia VI Ilio 0oltAO -OoSo- 4to uuSl went /
into Cuba after the var and bought I'D & /
great many factories from the SpaniarGs /
They abandoned the factories. kept the /
more valuable brands. and began to do !
business on the large, American, trust
scale.
Statistics might show how much the /
Havana cigar business means TO the trade I
IF the island. and al that, but it isn't /
necessary to quote figures TO prove the /
quality OF Havana cigars They are de- 1
iciOUsly luxurious and indescribably su-
1erior. Havana is the smokers para
iise.
tCoggdght, 100, By Fredsric J. Hzskfn-l
Republic of Cuba.
VII The Real Treasure Island.