Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-14
Tablet Evokes Smoke
Nuisance Reflections
To the Editor of The Star:

10 Lne EulLOr OF Inc SthT'
In the little brick chapel built over
the foundations Of the original church
erected at jamestown, Va, by the Eng
lish colonists in the seventeenth CEN
fury there is a tablet stating that the
alton of tobacco manufacturers to COM
memorate the introduction and cult
walton of the weed in America at that
time by the late Thomas Rolfe.
The tablet Is as startling and as in
appropriate as would be a memorial
placed in q noted Milwaukee or st.
Louis church by the brewers to COM
memorate the fame" attained by those
cities because of the beer industry. A
memorial placed in a Kentucky meet
ing house to commemorate the first
"moonshine" still could not be more
ludicrous than the tobacco manufac-
turer's bronze and braZen advertise
ment placed in the historic jamestown
edifice
Dissertation of a place of worship by
careless tobacco users was observed
during the Knickerbocker Theater dis
aster in Washington about decade
ago Auxiliary relief agencies which,
during the war a few years previous,
had become accustomed to freely fur
nishing cigarettes to service men, ap-
parently forgot they were in a church
and handed out tobacco indiscriminate-
ly to the rescue workers bringing in the
dead and wounded from the neighbor-
ing theater ruins.
The edifice reeked with tobacco fumes
and the atmosphere was akin to that of
an old-time bar room, the smoke
permeating the air during the Sunday
service that day. Recently after a
church service stranger was observed
tn nin 81
place 1t in his mouth preparatory to
lighting up as the congregation moved
along the aisle on its way out Of the
edifice
The incident serves to illustrate how
far the careless smoker forgets where
he is. committing those thoughtless acts
which result in property damage some
times involving the loss of human life.
1t Is alleged that cigarettes have caused
many of the disastrous forest fires that
burned over 100000 acres last Sum-
mer. News items occasionally tell Of
mattresses and upholstered furniture
being ignited because the smoker had
fallen asleep with lighted cigarette be-
tween his fingers.
Touring the Eastern United States the
traveller certainly has enough reminders
of the introduction and cultivation of
tobacco in America. The finish of chif-
IoIlleTS, IdDieS, CLldlrS ana DeQSteaQS IN
hotel rooms is sometimes scared and
damaged by cigarette ends left burning
on such pieces of furniture Even the
linen shows burned holes. Unless a
servant makes frequent rounds to empty
the smoking stands placed at the ends
of lounges and chairs in public rooms.
the guest is likely to find stale smelling
and dirty ash trays at his elbow.
recent Associated Press dispatch
stated that as an economy measure a
rubber floor covering is to be placed in
the National House of Representatives
because each year it is necessary to re-
place the carpet because of tobacco
stains, cigarette and cigar burns. A
convention of chefs assembled at At
lantic City few years ago deplored
and disapproved smoking in public eat
ing places for the reason that the Gus
tom destroyed the flavor of the cookery.
Who has not been in a restaurant where
the draft of strong tobacco fumes has
destroyed the flavor of a delicious dish?
Is it not time that an effort were
made to educate the thoughtless smoker
to be conSiderate of the rights and
privileges Of others?
LEWIS L. YOUNG.