SOME FAMOUS SMOKING CONTESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 160, 8 July 1899, Page 7 (Supplement)

SOME FAMOUS SMOKING CONTESTS.

Smoking is the temperate as well aft the contemplative man's recreation, and great smokers are loath to exhibit their tobacco consuming abilities by engaging in smoking contests. Still, however, says "Tit Bits," there have been some curious tobacco burning races. In 1723 there was a great smoking match at Oxford, a scaffold being erected in front of an inn for the accommodation of the competitors. Ths conditions were that any one, man or woman, who could smoke three ounces of tobacco first, without drinking or leaving the stage, should have a prize of twelve shillings. "Many tried," says Hearne "and 'twas thought that a journeyman taylour of St. Peter's-in-the-East would have been the victor, he smoaking faster than and being many pipes before the rest, but at last he was so sick that 'twas thought he would have dyed, and an old man that had been a builder and smoaking gently came off the conqueror, smoaking the three ounces quite Qut, and he told me that after it' he smoaked four or five pipes the same evening."

About forty years ago a gentleman agreed to smoke a pound weight of strong foreign cigars in twelve hours. • The hundred cigars making up the pound were all to be smoked down to ' one inch butts.

The match was decided on a Thames steamer plying between London and.; Chelseaa,and by taking up his position.!, well forward the smoker had the full benefit of the wind. The.contest began at ten a.m., and in the first hour the smoker consumed sixteen cigars.

After nine hours' smoking eighty^ six had been disposed 0f,,, and witnT three hours to go and only fourteen cigars to smoke the backer of time gave in. The winner declared that he felt no discomfort during the contest, -. and finished off the hundred cigars T that evening.

More recently a solid silver cigar case and two hundred cigars wereoffered to the smoker who consumedmost cigars in two hours. Food, drink and medicine during the contest were forbidden. There -were seventeen en- ■ tries. After the first hour ten com- • petitors retired. The winner, who smoked without pause from start to finish, reduced ten large cigars to "_ ashes in the two hours, while his near- \ est competitor only finished seven.

The people of Lille are inveterate smokers, and to decide the championship of the town a smoking Contest - was held. Each competitor was provided with a pipe, fifty grammes (abOut an ounce and three quarters) of tobacco, and a pot of beer. The one • who smoked the tobacco first was to - be the winner. .

At the signal, the air was filled with clouds of .imoke. In thirteen minutes a working man, forty-five years of age, had reduced his weed to ashes, while seven minutes later the second man had finished his little smoke.

After such herculean smoking matches it is scarcely necessary to mention the American contest, in^which - the winner smoked one hundred cigarettes in six hours thirty-five minutest. ,