"CIGAR KING."

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 76, 1 April 1910, Page 3

"CIGAR KING."

DEATH OF MR. GUSTAVO BOCK. Smokers of Havana cigars will hear with regret of tho death of Don Gustavo Bock, the "Cigar King" of Cuba, which, telegraphs the New York correspondent ol the London Daily Mail, has taken place at his home in Havana in his seventy-fourth yeai. He was the man who was chiefly responsible for the introduction in quantities of Havana cigars into England. Fifty-one years ago he landed in Cuba a penniless German workman ; four years later, with little capital but, with limitless enterprise, he commenced in business as a cigar manufacturer ; and until his last illness twenty-three of the most fumous cigar factories in the world were under his personal supervision The story of his life was lold by a London cigar merchant who for forty years had been his personal friend. •"Gustavo Bock was a business genius," he said. "For many years his progress was slow. He was a man who talked little of himself and much of the good works of others, but I remember one night many, many years ago when he told me of all his great ambitions. "Ah, but I will succeed, I will succeed !' he cried. deco"rated by'the' kaiser.^*" "Time went bj, and slowly his business developed and his plans enlarged. Then in 1881 ho launched out for the first time in the great enterprise of exportation. Germany was his first market, then followed England, and afterwards, slowly but surely, he secured the markets of the world. And as he marched on from poverty to great wealth he never forgot the poor people of Cuba. Though the London clubman as he smokes hia fine Havana will hear with regret of the death of the creator of so many of his hours of pleasure, it is the poor of Cuba who will receive tho news with th<; deepest sorrow. .So many were his good works that the German Emperor decorated ' him with the Royal Order of tho Prussian Crown." Many good stones aie told of the way in which. Mr. Bock introduced his goods into foreign markets. For a long time America baffled him. Eventually he hit upon the idea of consigning a largo quantity of cigars to a New York* jobber. The Revenue officers were informed that a consignment of cigars wns to be landed under a false declaration, and when the jabber was interviewed he declared he knew nothing about the goods. Promptly tho Revenue officers seizod the cigars and offered them fo»- sale In less than a week aftei the s*u- the Havana factory wae flooded with orders for "Bock" cigars.