Excerpt from Charles Dickens 1864 on Havana Cigars

I like history and I found this searching. If it's too boring delete it.
I just find it amazing 145 years ago they smoked cigars very similar to what we smoke today.

All the year round
By Charles Dickens 1864



A visit to Cabafia's manufactory, although it failed in enabling me to describe with terseness, combined with accuracy, the process of cigar- making, had at least one beneficial result in disabusing my mind of a variety of absurd stories which I, and I dare say a good many of those who read this paper, had heard regarding the process as pursued in the island of Cuba. To believe these legends, cigar-making is one of the uastiest, nay, tue most revolting of handicrafts, and the manner in which the tobacco is rolled and shaped by imperfectly elad young ladies of the Afriean race, and in a state of servitnde, is, to say the least, shocking. There may be small manufacturers at Havana who own but two or three slaves, or employ but two or three workwomen, and they may do their work in a brutish and uneleanly manner ; but so far as my own experience at the Hija de Cabafias y Carvajal's renders me a trustworthy witness, I may vouch for the scrupulous eleanliness and delieacy with which ever}' single stage in the process of cigar- making is conducted. I have seen barley-sugar made, and I have seen bread made, and" I certainly consider the manufacture of cigars to be a nicer transaction than either bread or sweet- stuff making.
Nothing ean be more orderly, more symmetrieal, than the appearance of the cutting and shaping room. The operators sit to their work, aml make the cigars with their fingers, but do not roll them into shape by attrition on their
sartorins museles, -as is popularly supposed. Every operator has his counter or desk, his sharp cutting tools, and his pot of gum for fastening the tips, with his stock of assorted tobacco-leaf in baskets by his side. It is a competitive voeation. The best workmen are best off. Payment is by results. Many of the hands employed are negro slaves, or were so when I was m Havana three years ago ; but the finer cigars, the prime Cabafias, the Napoleones, the Esa- paniales and Regalias are made exelusively by white Creole Spaniards, who are paid according to the number they ean turn out a day, and many of whom realise very handsome wages.
Good cigars are very dear in Havana. You may get a weedfor a penny or three-halfpence, orsome- times, by industriously rooting among the small manufacturers, you mav pick up cigars very cheap indeed, which, if you throw them into a drawer, and allow them to season for six months, may turn out tolerable ; but an approved and warranted cigar from a first-rate house will always fetch its price, and, our heavy import duties notwithstanding, is not much cheaper in Havana than it is in England. I have appended in a foot-note (for fear of boring you)* the price-list of Cabafia cigars for the year 1864. Since then the tariff has, 1 dare say, risen. I may add that it is generally understood in the cigar trade that the very finest and choicest qualities of Havana cigars go to England simply beeause the largest priees ean be commanded there ; yet I believe I am rather under than above the mark in stating that there are not thirty cigar dealers in London from whom fine and choice Havanas ean be procured. It has been computed—although I have no official anthority for the statement —
Napoleones di lujo, 300 dolls.; Escepciomiles, 255 dolU. ; Embajadores, flor fina, 120 dolls. ; Regalias, flor fina, 130 dolls. ; Imperiale!, 130 dolía.; Esparteros, 100 dolls.; Regalias Chieas, 80 dolls. ; Conchas, 80 dolls. ; Cilisedrados, 75 dolls.; Aromаticos, 75 dolls.; Comme-il-fants, 70 dolls. ; Cazadores, Go dolls. ; Pigmeos, 45 dolls. ; Media Regalias, 60 dolls. ; Londres flor fina, 55 dolls. ; Do. de ealidad, 45 dolls. ; Brioas o Pim- sados, 55 dolls. ; Panalelos o Caballeros, 50 dolls. ; Trabucos, 55 dolls. ; Principes, 50 dolls. ; Cabana kings (one of the sweetest varieties of cigar extant), 35 dolls. ; Medianos, 50 dolls.—all per thousand and in gold currency. Among miscellaneous cigars, the price of which per thousand may be computed at about five-and-twenty per cent under Cabanas, I find in my note-book, as to sizes, Trabucillos and Bajonetas, and as to brands and makes, " El Principe de Galles," "Lincoln," "H. Upmann," "-Los dos Hermanos" (the two brothers), " Salvadores," " La Vida," " José Rodriquez," " Flor Cubanas las delicias," '' Consuelos" (out of compliment to Madame George Sand, I presume), El aquila Parisiana (lii*- marek's particular, it is to be imagined), Juan de Chinchuretta, Flenr de Marie, Flor de Manrico (an odd combination of souvenirs of the Mysteries of Paris and the Trovatore). Flores Tropieas, Eo soy un. angel (I am an angel, which is modest). La Fragrancia, La Dignidad, I.a Aprobacion, and La Flor de Eustaquio liarroz. AfU'r pears, tulips, and race-horses, the nomenelature of cigars \s ctnuinl/ the most copious la nature.
tint of the cigars manufactured by the Hija de Cabauas y Carvajal at least forty per cent go to England, thirty per cent to the United States—California taking the largest quantity— U-n per cent to Brazil, live to Russia, five to France, live to Spain, two to Germany, two to Australia, leaving one per cent for Italy and other fractional consumers of real cigars ; and Tci the Italians are the most inveterate smokers in Europe. They prefer, however, their own home-made Cavours, which are a halfpenny apiece and slowly poisonous, to the more wholesome but more expensive Cabafia.
I forgot to state that, before 1 left the Cabana premises, I smoked and enjoyed very much a full-flavoured regalia, for whose structure I had mvself selected the leaves, and which I saw rolled, shaped, gummed, and pointed, with my own eyes. It was like being at Joe's, in Finch- lane.

[mikeyj23]

Things don't change much do they? A very interesting read thanks for digging that up!
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[M1903A1]

Originally Posted by drhalle

I like history and I found this searching. If it's too boring delete it.
I just find it amazing 145 years ago they smoked cigars very similar to what we smoke today.

I cleaned it up a bit and tried to make it a bit more readable than 1864 English:

All the year round
By Charles Dickens 1864



A visit to Cabafia's manufactory, although it failed in enabling me to describe with terseness, combined with accuracy, the process of cigar-making, had at least one beneficial result in disabusing my mind of a variety of absurd stories which I, and I dare say a good many of those who read this paper, had heard regarding the process as pursued in the island of Cuba.

To believe these legends, cigar-making is one of the nastiest, nay, the most revolting of handicrafts, and the manner in which the tobacco is rolled and shaped by imperfectly clad young ladies of the African race, and in a state of servitude, is, to say the least, shocking. There may be small manufacturers at Havana who own but two or three slaves, or employ but two or three workwomen, and they may do their work in a brutish and uncleanly manner; but so far as my own experience at the Hija de Cabafias y Carvajal's renders me a trustworthy witness, I may vouch for the scrupulous cleanliness and delicacy with which every single stage in the process of cigar-making is conducted. I have seen barley-sugar made, and I have seen bread made, and I certainly consider the manufacture of cigars to be a nicer transaction than either bread or sweet-stuff making.

Nothing can be more orderly, more symmetrical, than the appearance of the cutting and shaping room. The operators sit to their work, and make the cigars with their fingers, but do not roll them into shape by attrition on their sartorins muscles, as is popularly supposed. Every operator has his counter or desk, his sharp cutting tools, and his pot of gum for fastening the tips, with his stock of assorted tobacco-leaf in baskets by his side. It is a competitive vocation. The best workmen are best off. Payment is by results. Many of the hands employed are negro slaves, or were so when I was in Havana three years ago; but the finer cigars, the prime Cabafias, the Napoleones, the Espaniales and Regalias are made exclusively by white Creole Spaniards, who are paid according to the number they can turn out a day, and many of whom realise very handsome wages.

Good cigars are very dear in Havana. You may get a weed for a penny or three-halfpence, or some-times, by industriously rooting among the small manufacturers, you may pick up cigars very cheap indeed, which, if you throw them into a drawer, and allow them to season for six months, may turn out tolerable; but an approved and warranted cigar from a first-rate house will always fetch its price, and, our heavy import duties notwithstanding, is not much cheaper in Havana than it is in England. I have appended in a foot-note (for fear of boring you)* the price-list of Cabafia cigars for the year 1864. Since then the tariff has, I dare say, risen. I may add that it is generally understood in the cigar trade that the very finest and choicest qualities of Havana cigars go to England simply because the largest prices can be commanded there; yet I believe I am rather under than above the mark in stating that there are not thirty cigar dealers in London from whom fine and choice Havanas can be procured. It has been computed—although I have no official authority for the statement —

Napoleones di lujo, 300 dolls.; Escepciomiles, 255 dolU. ; Embajadores, flor fina, 120 dolls. ; Regalias, flor fina, 130 dolls. ; Imperiale!, 130 dolía.; Esparteros, 100 dolls.; Regalias Chieas, 80 dolls. ; Conchas, 80 dolls. ; Cilisedrados, 75 dolls.; Aromаticos, 75 dolls.; Comme-il-fants, 70 dolls. ; Cazadores, Go dolls. ; Pigmeos, 45 dolls. ; Media Regalias, 60 dolls. ; Londres flor fina, 55 dolls. ; Do. de ealidad, 45 dolls. ; Brioas o Pim- sados, 55 dolls. ; Panalelos o Caballeros, 50 dolls. ; Trabucos, 55 dolls. ; Principes, 50 dolls. ; Cabana kings (one of the sweetest varieties of cigar extant), 35 dolls. ; Medianos, 50 dolls.—all per thousand and in gold currency.

Among miscellaneous cigars, the price of which per thousand may be computed at about five-and-twenty per cent under Cabanas, I find in my note-book, as to sizes, Trabucillos and Bajonetas, and as to brands and makes, " El Principe de Galles," "Lincoln," "H. Upmann," "-Los dos Hermanos" (the two brothers), " Salvadores," " La Vida," " José Rodriquez," " Flor Cubanas las delicias," '' Consuelos" (out of compliment to Madame George Sand, I presume), El aquila Parisiana (lii*- marek's particular, it is to be imagined), Juan de Chinchuretta, Flenr de Marie, Flor de Manrico (an odd combination of souvenirs of the Mysteries of Paris and the Trovatore). Flores Tropieas, Eo soy un. angel (I am an angel, which is modest). La Fragrancia, La Dignidad, I.a Aprobacion, and La Flor de Eustaquio liarroz. AfU'r pears, tulips, and race-horses, the nomenclature of cigars \s ctnuinl/ the most copious la nature.

Of the cigars manufactured by the Hija de Cabauas y Carvajal at least forty per cent go to England, thirty per cent to the United States—California taking the largest quantity— ten per cent to Brazil, five to Russia, five to France, five to Spain, two to Germany, two to Australia, leaving one per cent for Italy and other fractional consumers of real cigars; and the Italians are the most inveterate smokers in Europe. They prefer, however, their own home-made Cavours, which are a halfpenny apiece and slowly poisonous, to the more wholesome but more expensive Cabafia.

I forgot to state that, before I left the Cabana premises, I smoked and enjoyed very much a full-flavoured regalia, for whose structure I had myself selected the leaves, and which I saw rolled, shaped, gummed, and pointed, with my own eyes. It was like being at Joe's, in Finch-lane.