54 TOBACCO : ITS HISTORY. 



man's ingenuity makes every effort to meet its 

 requisitions — and with perfect success. He gives 

 the public what they want — a cheap article : it 

 satisfies : it pays : the world rolls on as usual : 

 sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. But the 

 veteran smoker says, " No ! / smoke a pound of 

 cigars a week. I will not smoke a bad cigar. 

 I'd rather give up smoking, and I'll do it if you 

 don't supply me with a good cigar at or under 

 such a price." The consequence is that the 

 veteran smoker gets a good cigar at a cost which 

 gives only a fair and sufficient return to the 

 tobacconist, and both are satisfied with each 

 other — both being good judges of cost and 

 average profits. But, as a general thesis, it 

 may be affirmed that the price of cigars is abso- 

 lutely what can be got for them. I have seen 

 cigars, which I knew could be bought at 10s. or 

 125. a pound, retailed at 'dd. each as " foreign 

 Havannahs," and doubtless they were bought 

 and smoked as such by those who sicken you in 

 the streets with a truly " precious stinke." 



