From Parsing Old-Time Pipe Tobacco Blends: What’s in a Name? What’s Inside? Steve Umbrello 2015
Connorton’s Tobacco Brand Directory of the United States; In its day, Connorton’s was the bible of tobacco brands. (To illustrate the explosive nature of the American tobacco business, the 1903 edition listed “…no fewer than 9,005 brands of plug and twist, 3,625 fine cut chewing tobaccos, 7,046 smoking tobaccos, 3,646 different kinds of snuff and 2,124 ‘cigarettes, cigaros [sic] and cheroots’”
In the 1899 edition, pages 363 through 544 contain the entries of all registered smoking tobaccos to that year, single-spaced, about 40 entries per page, an overwhelming number of entries. I chose the brand names that typify what “sweet” bespeaks without regard for their known taste or smell; of course, it is pure conjecture on my part as to their sweetness. In scrolling through the myriad brands, not surprisingly, I found as many that conjure up rather unpleasant or comical thoughts, such as Best Cock Wins, Black Prince, Brown Dick, Climax, Flip Flap, Jack the Ripper, Mule Air, Rats, and hundreds of others, some deserving an “R” rating.
This may not be solely about plugs but interesting nonetheless
A Random Sampling of American Pipe Tobacco Brand Names (Pre-1900)
BRAND NAME COMPANY
Almonds and Raisins G.W. Gail & Ax
Ambrosia; Sweet Flavor The Spence Bros. Co.
Angel’s Food; Apple Blossom; Apple Pie; Honey Dew; Old Pie Daniel Scotten & Co.
Apricot; Bay Fruits G.W. Gail & Ax
Beechnut Harry Weissinger Tob. Co.
Belle Flower Joseph G. Dill
Blackberry Long Cut John J. Bagley & Co.
Blossom S. F. Hess & Co.
Bourbon Cotterill, Fenner & Co.
Brownie E. O. Eshelby Tob. Co.
Cantelope P. Lorillard Company
Carnation Mixture; Old Peaches Cameron & Cameron
Cherry; Golden Plum; Licorice Drops; Peach and Honey P. H. Mayo & Brother
Cherry Ripe; Sugar Buns Henderson Tobacco Co.
Cherry Sweet; Sweet Nectar F. W. Felgner & Son
Dairy Queen Marburg Bros.
Donuts; Mint Julep; Muscatel Snead & Carrington Tob. Co.
Egg Nog; Nutmeg John J. Bagley & Co.
Extra Sweet Scented B. Leiderdorff & Co.
Favorite Flowers; Fruit Cake Hancock Bros. & Co.
Favorite Fruit; Forbidden Fruit; Gladiolis; Grape Juice Wellman & Dwire Tob. Co.
Fruit Juice Globe Tob. Co.
Fruits and Flowers E.T. Pilkinton Co.
Golden Apple R. A. Patterson Tob. Co.
Java and Mocha Mixture Grill Bros.
Latest Sweets American Tob. Co.
Maple Sugar Middletown Tob. Co.
Mint Drop Chas. Breneiser & Sons
Nectarine W.J. Pogue
Pudding Taylor Bros.
Sweet and Juicy T.F. Williamson & Co.
Sweet Orange Gradle & Strotz
Many of these names are certainly melodious to the ear, and some might have been fragrant to the nose, but given the era in which tobaccos were mixed, merged, mingled, and matched, if their names bespoke their content, they were probably sauced, syrupy, and soggy, overly perfumed and pungent. Among the many suppliers to this industry from the early 1800s to the mid-20th century that provided boxes, caddies, cutters, dies and tins, knives, presses and signs, there were those who furnished assorted flavorings, barks, berries, decoctions, extracts, infusions, oils, perfumes, powdered drugs, preservatives, tinctures, Tonka beans, and vanilla
