New Britain herald., 1920-10-23
THE OBSERVER
 MAKES RANDOM O SEPARATIONS THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE.
MAKES

not the case and that she could split her ticket forty ways from Sunday if she so desired. The information Was especially pleasing as she said that there was one candidate on the ticket whom she wished to knife" and she used that expression with a certain amount of zest that bodes ill for the unfortunate man she mentioned.
 In view of the apathy toward wom- an suffrage shown in this community prior to the ratification of the nine teenth amendment, the women made a very creditable showing during the period when new electors are being sworn in. It is admitted that few members of the fair sex were burning up with zeal over the cause" during the campaign for equal franchise and it is surprising that so many women did register when the time came. There are hundreds more yet to be heard from and no doubt they will be on hand when the authorities meet again to admit new voters to the charmed circle
 Young and old men who look upon a cigar today as being a commonplace thing to be thrown away when three quarters smoked hardly appreciate the fact that, so far as the United States is concerned, cigars date back only to the time of Israel Putnam, a patriot whose memory will live forever in the shrines of the commonwealth The name Israel Putnam immediately con- jures up deeds Of daring during the Revolutionary period and it is not generally known that the genial Pom fret tavern keeper was the first to ln- troduce tobacco in rolls into this country.
 In magazine section on Cuba issued recently by the New York Evening Post, appears an article by David Morris, editor of the Tobacco Journal" which throws light on the introduction of cigars into what is now known aT the Land of Steady Habits" being none other than our own beloved Connecticut. The writer says that the use of tobacco antedates the building of the pyramids as eNi- dence can be produced that 1t was used in the form of cigars more than ten thousand years ago by the abori- zines of Central America.
 It was while partic :pating in the English expedition against Cuba in 1762 that Israel Putnam discovered the delights incident to drawing on a llSnCeO C1Sar, a pdSllInG WHICH He found much more enjoyable than smoking a pipe. He was lieutenant colonel of the First Connecticut regi- ment, 970 men strong, that was sent against the defenses of Havana.
 After the fall of that city, Colonel Putnam and several others started out to inspect the island, proceeding through the Pinar del Rio region and going almost as far San Juan. Whichever way they turned, they found natives smoking big cigars loosely rolled from which practice they seemed to be gaining much en- joyment. Undaunted by piercing the unknown, Colonel Putnam secured one of the cigars and proceeded to puff With each cloud of smoke his pleasure increased. He declared it to be the finest smoke he had ever had. There can be no doubt about the smoking what is known as the finest tobacco in the world although at that time the cultivation of the weed had not been fostered or prosecuted with an eye to commercial gain.
 So pleased was Colonel Putnam with his find that he bought up what must have been a. prodigious store of tobacco for those days. Historians say that as many cigars as three donkeys could carry were brought back.
 Col. Putnam laid aside his sword at the end of the warfare against
 Il n 3 DI If1u No1n7uaf