NEW YORK CIGARS. 261 



as to have had to ride from Harlem to New York in a late 

 smoking-car, with half a dozen roughs smoking cheap cigars 

 on board. 



" The cigars sold in this market may be divided into three 

 classes the imported, those made of imported tobacco, and 

 those made of domestic tobacco. These may be again classi- 

 fied under many different heads, as there are many kinds and 

 grades of each. The cheapest cigars in New York are dis- 

 pensed by dilapidated Chinamen, who have little stands 

 about the streets and markets. These are certainly the vilest 

 cigars made anywhere in the world, and are sold from one to 

 five cents each. Next in order come the common domestic 

 cigars. They are sold at five cents each, or six for twenty- 

 five cents, and are of the kind kept at the cheap refreshment 

 stalls, lager beer saloons, and low groggeries. After these 

 are the more pretentious home-made cigars, manufactured of 

 selected domestic tobacco, which are sold all over the city, 

 and in the making of which Havana ' fillers ' are supposed to 

 be used. A filler, be it known, in technical parlance means 

 that portion of the tobacco of which the inside of the cigar 

 is made. Price, ten to fifteen cents. Then comes the best 

 class of cigars in which domestic tobacco is used, those which 

 are made with clear Havana fillers and Connecticut wrap- 

 pers. Fifteen cents is the price, and many are palmed off 

 on the unwise for the real imported article. Cigars made 

 wholly of imported Cuban tobacco come next on the list. 

 Some of them are excellent, and compare favorably with 

 many of the imported. They bring from fifteen to fifty cents 

 each at the cigar stores. Last in line, but best of all, is the 

 genuine, imported Havana cigar. Few and rare are they, 

 and great is the price of the higher grades thereof. 



" There are some places in New York where an imported 

 cigar of a reasonable size may be bought for fifteen cents, 

 but they are few and far between. Twenty or twenty-five 

 cents is the price usually charged, and from that to a dollar. 

 All the cigars made in the United States are invariably put 

 up in imitation Havana boxes, with imitation Havana labels 

 and brands. It is doubtful, however, whether this transparent 

 device deceives anybody, for in accordance with the United 

 States Internal Ke venue laws, all boxes of cigars manufac- 

 tured in the United States must not only bear the manufac- 

 turer's label, giving his full name and place of business, and 

 the number of his manufactory, but they must also bear the 

 United States inspector's brand. Before the present law was 

 in force, and the duties on tobacco were low, this scheme 



