Wood County Reporter

The Cigar as a Social Force.

Make no mistake, a cigar is a great arbitrator. It helps break the ice, it bridges over the gulf of embarrassment in meeting unexpected or undesirable parties; it is a sort of passport to good fellowship and kind treatment. It tides over that awkward first few minutes when you sit down to a business confab with strangers or men that you are a little shy of, and it fills in the odd moments when you are waiting to see which way the cat will jump. By the attention which you must give your cigar you gain time for deliberation, and it somehow gives you an appearance of fortitude and composure which you don't feel in the least. Why, let two men light cigars and sit down to make a contract, and I'll guarantee they'll get 5 per cent. better terms each side than if they previously whistled and drummed on the table between spells. So, in a business way, I think it is often an advantage to smoke. If I were a newspaper man I should learn that and short-hand the first thing. Lafayette (Ind.) Times.