ands. It is doubtful, however, whether this transparent
device deceives anybody, for in accordance with the United
States Internal Revenue laws, all boxes of cigars
manufactured in the United States must not only bear the
manufacturer'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 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.

[Illustration: Cigar-holders.]

"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 I'll take a dollar's worth.'
After they had gone the writer asked the clerk what they
meant by 'medium.' He 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
_Flor 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 size, but
are the names of the manufactories. In Havana, were a man to
ask for a _Flor del Fumar_, the dealer would ask him what
size he wanted.

"Every box of cigars packed in Havana has, at least, six
distinctive works on it. First is the brand, which