OCR Text |
Show """""MSBJS-SBSSSSSBBBBBB1SJS-BSSB--SBBBSBJ CUBAN CIGAR MAKERS ARE LITERARY. Cuba's cigarmakers have a pleasant custom, which is gradually spreading to the factories of the United States, and which cannot fail to have beneficial results.- . According to the Bookman the workers itt the large factories pay a weekly sum of 15 cents for the services of a reader. The, reader sits aloft in a small railed box Resembling Re-sembling a pulpit, placed in the center of the room so that his voice may carry to all parts of the gallery. He reads three hours daily, generally in the. afternoon. By long custom half of this time is given up to newspapers, chiefly those of Havana, though some readers read-ers of more than average education read from American newspapers, newspa-pers, translating as they go. The remaining hour and a half is given up to novels, and the character pf those selected speaks much i for the taste of the tabaqueros. -v - v '. . , : -- - Choice of reading is not left to the reader, but is governed by an elaborate ballot system. The tabaqueros elect their own officers. Each one pays into the funds kept by the treasurer the sum of 15 cents a week creating a fund of f Z0 to $73 weekly, where 200 to 500 cigarnikers are employed: This fund goes to pay the reader's sal-nry, sal-nry, which r?.res from 30 to G0 a'week, 3 well as to purchase l::'.,s &v.l covspapers. Each day the president and secretary go c7-?c-',jrT"r3 T:!1 fr? rrr ?rr, r-r!.!r j wfcr.t ii to be read rilosl |