CIGAR FACTORIES. 269 
those, and those only, that suit his taste. To the traveler in 
Havana, this is easy enough, as he can there buy sample 
boxes from any of the factories and of any of the brands, 
There are, in addition to these hundreds of other cigar factories 
some of which, such as Cabargos, Figaros, Luetanos, Vie- 
torias, etc., are first-class, three or four at least in whose 
cigars eyery smoker may have perfect confidence, the brands 
of which are known all over the world. These are: Cabafios, 
Uppmann and Partagas; for whose brands, perhaps, one 
pays something more, but has always the satisfaction of find- 
ing them good. To the kindness of the gentlemen connected 
with some of these factories I am indebted for most of the 
information in this article, and particularly to Sefior Don 
Avulmo G. del Valle, the present proprietor of the Cabafios 
Factory, who was good enough to show me through his 
establishment, carefully explaining to me its peculiarities. 
As the process of manufacture and description of grades and 
qualities are the same with all the best makers, I give here 
a detailed history of this factory and its products. 
“The factory for Cabafios cigars has been’ established , 
seventy-two years the founder of it being Don Francisco 
Cabafios, his son, Don de P. Cabafios, succeeding him, to whom 
has succeeded his son-in-law, Senor del Valle, the present 
proprietor and director of the factory. When it was founded, 
the cigars were sold to the public in bundles of twenty, only 
amounting to a total number per year, of four or five hun- 
dred thousand cigars, the sales of which kept constantly 
increasing until 1826, when there were sold two millions. © 
At this period the demand for exportation commenced, 
increasing each year until 1848, when the number sold 
amounted to three and a half millions, At this time, the 
present director came in charge, and increased the sale to 
eight millions per year, until, in 1866, the total sales by this 
one house only, amounted to the enormous number of six- 
teen million cigars, which went to different parts of the 
world. The tobacco manipulated in this factory is, with 
some few exceptions, that grown upon plantations in the 
Vuelta Abojo, with the proprietors of which Seftor del Valle 
has a special contract for their product, The most noted of 
these places are known as ‘ La Lena, ‘San Juan aj Martin, 
‘ Los Ditotos? ‘ Rio Hondo? The firm also own three vegas, 
as do also Partagas, Uppmann, and others, in a greater or 
less degree. The amount raised upon these vegas in connec- 
tion with the Cabaiios Factory, amounts to five thousand: 
