262 INCIDENTS. 
may have been profitable. But why the practice is still 
adhered to by the manufacturers is hard to imagine, for the 
boxes now used, being made of imported cedar, must be very 
costly, and must materially increase the price of cigars. 
Only those of the very poorest quality are packed in white 
wooden boxes. . 
“ Some people seem to smoke not because they like it, but 
only to be in the fashion. Some days ago the writer of this 
article happened to be in a cigar-store, when two well-dressed 
young men came in and asked for some ten cent cigars. The 
clerk handed out the box, and after a critical inspection the 
purchaser asked: “ Are these medium? ‘ Yes, sir,’ said the 
clerk. ‘Then Ill take a dollar’s worth.’ After they had 
one the writer asked the clerk what they meant by ‘ medium.’ 
e said he didn’t exactly know, but supposed they wanted 
to know whether the cigars were between strong and mild. 
‘I told them they were,’ said he, ‘because I thought they 
would buy if I said so, but they are all alike.’ And in this 
connection it is very singular that although the Island of 
Cuba is so near to the United States and so many cigars are 
imported into this city, so little is known about the different 
sizes and brands of cigars, excepting, of course, by those in 
the business. It is a common thing here to see a man ask in 
a cigar store for a lor del Fumar, a Figaro, or an Espanola. 
By this he means a cigar of a certain size, and does not seem 
to know that these are not the names which designate the 
CIGAR-HOLDERS. 
size, but are the names of the manufactories. In Havana, 
were aman to ask for a lor del Fumar, the dealer would 
ask him what size he wanted. 
