Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-21
HOLLAND GREATEST USER
OF TOBACCO IN WORLD
Consumes Seven Pounds Per Capita
Yearly, Nearly Double Amer
tca's Average.
THIS RALEIGH's TErcENTENARY
Smokers Patron Saint Introduced
Habit In Europe Whi:l. Brought
Much Dcnunciation and Against
Which Papal DEGREES Were Issued.
ny EATON FIsAuN.

LONDON. November 20-The ter
centenary Of Sir Walter Raleigh
soldier courticr. explorcr-may be also
regarded as the smokers precautionary.
FOR although there is every reason to
believe that the use OF tobacco was
known for several centuries in the
East before the discovery OF America.
1t is equally certain that no one fos-
tered it's popularity more than Sir
Walter. lie made i,s discovery in Vir.
gina under the native name of Sppo-
wee. and little did he imagine the
divine Solacc he was comforting for
all time on the whole world
Think Of the part tobacco has played
during four years of terrible war. In
the solitude Of the trenches whatever
would Tommy have done without his
cigarette?
The smoking habit spread like wild
hre. After it's Introduction into Eu-
rope from America. il rapidly extended
and became exceedingly prevalen, in
Oriental countries. The smoking habi,
was in full force in America when
that contin M wa- tirst discovered by
Columbus. III" natives of the Wes,
indies AZ that time made the tobacco
leaf '''' '' ''''S Wrapped III maze
The herb at first had a varied no
menclaturc. the most popular at that
time being Nicotiana which botanists
have retained to this day. the charac-
teristic aikaloid of the plant being still
known AZ nicotine.
The "stinking habit" as II was nick
named by those prejudiced against the
use OF tobacco met at first with the
heEcc5t opposition.
TWO Pores ISSUED DEGREES
FORBIDDING ITS USE
Popes Urban VIII. and Innocent NJ.
issued special DEGREES forbidding its use
amongst the faithful, and even the
then Sultans OF Turkey made smoking
serious Cline, the offenders being
punished by having their pipes thrust
itIcibly THROUGH their noses.
takers by cutting on their noses.
- Nor was the habit regarded in a
favorable light in England, for from
the press OF the. time there poured
forth dcluge OF pamphlets against
It's use.
Such was the aversion of James !.
habit was "a custom loathsome to the
eye. hateful TO the nose. harmful 10
in the black: sinking fume thereof
nearest resembling the horrible Stygian
smoke OF the bottomlcss pit"
In 1914, the Star Chamber imposed
tax on tobacco and about the same
date stipulations began to appear in
respect TO rssnonshle aIPpoin,ments;
purcr OF tobacco"
,inued to issue forth. until the fact
was discovered that the tax on tobacco
brought in considerable addition TO
what abated.
Il was Charles II. who forbade Its
cultivation in England and placed
heavy duty on the imported article.
II is somewhat strange coincidence
that Shakespeare who touched on
no, the slightest reference to the use
OF tobacco. which almost established
he theory that he was ,nonsmoker.
The willy Ben Jonson knowing how
prejudiced James |. was against the
practice abused the. weed in his Meta
morphis'd Gypsies."
HOLLAND CONSUMES SEVEN
POUNDS PER CAPITA ANNUALLY
cnt annual consumption Of tobacco per
head Of inhabitants in the principal
0n" olana uF posn 'tc Hastra
land, a.s pounds Belg nm. 81; Germany.
IL pounds; Great Britain and Ire Gland
l3l pounds: Italy. i.25 pounds.
The United States is second in the
each inhabitani.
The revenue OF Great Britain from
i tI6p@66 o duty on TOBACCO is close upon
more than half the whole revenue OF
the customs department. The actual
revenue receipts for looi-leOa were
*50.S3S,o25 out OF 4 total customs revc.
hue OF Sla5.234.345
More than iwo-thirds OF The unman,
United states. but the country which
derives the greatest revenue from to-
oacco Is France. where the home
grown crops are purchased by the gov.
eminent.
In the year 1856. in consequence or
the depressed state Of agriculture in
England. a number of attempts to grow
tobacco. with the necessary permission.
OF course. of the inland revenue au-
thoritics. We're made. The experiments
tuily proved that 4 certain type of to-
tacco could be successfully grown in
certain districts in Great Britain. but
the experiments were never fully APP
proved OF by the state from the fact
no doubt thar the revenue from the
imported article brings in such sub
stantial sum.
The manufacture of pipes is an enor-
nous industry. Curiously carved pipes
have been discovered in IN. ancient
grave mounds Of the Mississippi VAL
ley. Many of them were carved into
the forms OF human heads or took the
shape OF various animals. Among the
the bear, The seal. the frog and vari-
Gus kinds of birds. The American calu-
met Is much in vogue even TO day with
many smokers the majority OF whom
however swear by the briar. which is
considered the sweetest pipe OF all
Except what were made in earlier
times in America. there are of course
10 tobacco pipes of a date prior TO the
END or the sixteenth century.
History tells us that sir Walter Raj
egh smoked out Of IA silver pine. and
when he was q favorite at the Eng
fish court the stately Queen Bess sa
by his side and watched with keen in
terest the clouds OF smoke which en-
Tobacco to-day will take a lot OF
sublime tobacco which from East to
West w
Cheers the tars labor or the Turk
tCoDyriCht 1olS)