Show the queer of a 1 imola dutch smoker who at elect in its of the question whether it ia injurious to tobacco the cleveland plain dealer recalls the history of van klaes a famous old merchant in holland who was such an inveterate smoker that he was nicknamed pop big ho made a largo fortune in the india trade and built a mansion near rotterdam in which ho collected every imaginable kind of pipe it was said that he smoked one hundred and fifty grammes of tobacco every day and died at the age of ninety eight years in making his will after bequeathing to his rela tivee and charitina pro portion of his estate he added therol the fol lowing clause 1 I wish every smoker in the kingdom to be invited to ray fune ralin every way possible by letter circular and advertisement every smoker who takes advantage of the invitation shall receive as a present ten pounds of tobacco and two pipes on which shall be engraved my name ray crest and the date of my birth the poor of the neighborhood who accompany my bier shall receive every year on the anniversary of my death a large package of tobacco I 1 make the condition that all those who assist at my funeral if they wish to partake of the benefits of my ivill must smoke without interruption luring the entire ceremony my body ahall bo placed in a coffin lined throughout with the wood of my old havana cigar boxes at the oot of the coffin shall bo placed a box of the french tobacco called caporal and a package of our old dutch tobacco at my side my a matches for one never knows what may happen when the bior rests in the vault all the persons in the funeral procession arc requested to cast upon it the ashes of their pipes as they pass it on their departure from the grounds it is said that van klaes on the day that ho made this eccentric will summoned a notary who was also a notable smoker and said to hita fill my pipe and yours I 1 am die he then dictated the will and died |