Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1892 — Mark Twain’s Pipes and Tobacco. [ARTICLE]

Mark Twain’s Pipes and Tobacco.

Jerome K. Jerome tolls of a very charaotoristio chat ho had with Mark Twain in London, recently, on the subject of tho humorist's greatest fad—pipe-smok-ing. Every one who knows Mark Twain knows that the pipe uud ho are simply inseparable. He generally smokos a granulated tobacco, which ho keops in a long ebook bag made of silk und rubber. When lie has finished smoking,be knocks tho residue from tho bowl of tho pipe, takes out tho stotn, places it in his vest pooket, liko a pencil or a stylogrupliio pen, and throws tho bowl into the bag containing the granulated tobacco. When ho wishes to smoko again (which is usually five minutes later) ho ns' os out the bowl, whioh is now filled with tobacco, Inserts the stem and strikos a light. Noticing that his pipe was very aged and blaok, and knowing that ho wns about to go to Frunoe, whero corn-cob pinos are not, Jerome asked him if lie had brought a supply of pipes with him, “Oh, no," the humorist answered, “I novor smoko anew corn-cob pipe. A now pipes irritates tho throut. No corn -cob pipe is fit for anything until it has boon used at least a fortnight." “ How do you manago then?” Joromo asked. “Do you follow the example of the man with the tight boots —wear them a couple of weeks before they oau be put on?” “No,” said Mark Twain, “I alwnys biro a cboup man —a man who doesn't amount to much, anylmw—who would be as well—or better —dead, nnd let him break In tho pipe for me. I get him to smoko tho pipe for u couple of weeks, then put in a now stem and continue operations as long as tho pipe holds together." Mark Twain brought into Frtuioo with him a huge package of boxes of cigars and tobacoo which bo took personal oharge of. When he placed It on tho dock of the steamer crossing tho English Channel, while I o lit a fresh oigur, lie put his foot on this package so as to be sure of its safety. Ho didn’t appear to care what booanio of tho rest of the luggage, so long as tho tobaooo wus safe. “Going to smuggle that in?" asked Jerome. “ No, sir. I’m the only man on board this steamer who hus any tobacoo. I will say to the customs officer: ' Tax mo what you liko, but don't meddle with tho tobacoo.* They don’t know what tobacco it in France.” —[The Epoch.