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 
-¢lass 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 Tue tee peace 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. Itis doubtful, however, whether this transparent 
device deceives anybody, for in accordance with the United 
States Internal Revenue 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 
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