Evening star., 1948-06-04
This and That
By Charles E. TrdcetDeU

Having tried the latest cigarette, Templeton
Jones, with wry smile, said:
"I'll take cornsilk."
Whereupon he threw himself back some
half century In time, to place far away,
down in the cornfield.
He recalled the swashbuckling band of
youthful buccaneers, tearing off the fresh
silk, long and light to roll into cigarettes
of sort.
And the putting, and the tasting-and,
glory be- just exactly the same wry face then
as now!
The years. evidently had not managed to
make Jones smoker.
Countless millions in advertising had failed,
as far as he was concerned
He belonged to the smoking fringe, COM
posed of the thousands who smoke Just be-
cause others do it.
arctic, with a sniff now and then at cigar.
These hurt his throat.
His speciality was the pipe.
For many years Jones imposed on his
friends.
They thought him a real smoker!
All the time, he was just engaging In a
hobby.
The difference between a hobby and the
real thing lies in the intent. If you do some
thing to find out about it, 1t is hobby.
T. Jones engaged in pipe smoking to de-
Cl0e lot himself Wndt tHeTe was III H.
He bought pipes, tried all the tobaccos, and
sought out all the gadgets. Even in the old
days, the number of these was legion. There
were tobacco pouches, humidors, all sorts OF
cleansers. (Today there are even pipe smokers
magazines)
Being by nature perfectionist jones' tried
one tobacco after another, and still never
found one to suit his taste.
That" remarked friend at the time, "is
going too far"
Templeton Jones didn't think so. He Is
a born investigator. When he investigates
anything, he investigates it, that is all.
Unlike most men, who pick some tobacco
and stick to it for life Jones tried 'em all,
solemnly and deliberately.
His most expensive brand was fancy mix
ture from London at $40 pound.
1t had fruit cake odor, and was rich and
dark looking.
Whenever he smoked it, common wights
with common mixtures turned UP their noses
and made derogatory remarks.
Jones had whole pound. He smoked
probably e-fourth, and left the remainder IN
the humidor, where no doubt it still is.
THE trouble with you" said a real pipe
man, lis that you don't like smoking"
Templeton Jones admitted the justice of
the remark, but still kept on his exploratory
way.
He had big pipes, little pipes fat pipes and
long pipes. No pipe was too fat for him. or
too long.
He had several $40 ones, the ultimate in
the old days.
Still he will tell you that the best pipe he
ever smoked he bought for so cents up on the
corner.
The cake he put in it was a masterpiece.
Finally it got SO thick that the bowl was
only the size of a cigarette.
In an unwise moment he carefully cut out
all the cake-and the pipe was never the same
again.
The fine taste vanished. The glory of his
best pipe, like a dream at sunset, departed.
He still has the pipe. and he looks at it,
now and then, but he never tries to smoke it..
He is unable to tell any seeker after knowl-
edge which pipe is the best or which brand
of tobacco.
Out Of all his experience, he has only this
nugget of wisdom to offer ambitious young
sters: IF you get real cake in your pipe,
don't cut 1t out. Don't fool with it. Let 1t
alone"