1905 The Hoffman House Bartender's Guide by Charles S. Mahoney

THE SALE OF CIGARS

In many cases, the proprietor of the saloon will himself control the sale of cigars in his place, and then, unless he has a man for that purpose, it be comes the duty of the bartender to attend to that branch of the business, and to see that the cases and stock are kept in good condition, and this means more than might be tliought at lirst glance. But right here is a word of advice for the owner: When you put in your cigar stock, put in the best, whether domestic or imported. The average keeper of a small saloon handles an atrociously bad brand of tobacco in the form of cigars, though why he should do so it is a difficult matter to find out. It may be that he wants to increase his profits, and it may be that he is of the false opinion that his customers do not know the difference between good and bad tobacco, and then again he may not know the dif ference himself. So, if you have a saloon or you are going to start a saloon don't fall into this too common error.

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