Cigars and Consumption

By Barbara Schock

 A favorite gathering place for young Carl Sandburg and his friends was the Schultz Cigar Shop at 441 East Berrien Street. Julius Schultz was seldom on the premises. He would be away, selling his cigars to the stores and saloons of the Galesburg area. He called his cigars Private Stock which may have made the cigars seem more exclusive.

 Cigar smoking was very popular in the 19^th century. Local manufacture was common because the process of making cigars was a hand operation. Later the manufacture of cigars became automated and the small makers disappeared.

 In the early 1890s there were four other cigar manufacturing shops in Galesburg. Henry Gonsert was located at 118 East Main Street and Henry Mayer at 230 East Main Street. The Slaven Brothers made cigars at 647 South Seminary Street and George Sanderson had a cigar store on the Public Square.

 When Schultz was in his store, he did not object to the presence of Sandburg and the other boys. They usually gathered in the back part of the store. This was the place the cigars were manufactured by “Nig” Bohnenberger. If asked, he would explain he was called “Nig” because he was “dark-complected.” His parents had conferred his nickname upon him.

 Mr. Bohnenberger was fairly well informed, because he was an avid reader of the daily newspapers. He formed opinions on the issues of the day. He would express them as he rolled the cigars. The boys listened avidly to his pronouncements. They also did a lot of singing in the back of Schultz’s store. If the store was closed, the boys would hang around and talk and sing while standing or sitting on the sidewalk in front.                        

The boys enjoyed watching “Nig” sort the tobacco leaves and roll them into cigars of a uniform shape. One of the final steps of the process was the wetting of the wrapper leaf with Mr. Bohnenberger’s saliva. Then the wrapper was tightly fitted around the cigar, to assure it would remain firm.

 Mr. Bohnenberger was afflicted with consumption, the disease known as tuberculosis. Its progress became more and more apparent. With increasing frequency, he was wracked with coughing spells. Eventually, the sickness claimed him.

Date	Title
October 7, 2013	Cigars and Consumption
September 30, 2013	Forrest F. Cooke & August Sandburg
September 16, 2013	Forrest F. Cooke, Mayor
September 9, 2013	Dusty Streets
September 2, 2013	Typhoid Fever
August 26, 2013	Coffee and Water
August 19, 2013	A Horse! A Horse!
August 12, 2013	Gaddial Scott
August 5, 2013	The Racetrack
July 29, 2013	John Peter Algeld - Part II
July 22, 2013	John Peter Altgeld - Part I
July 15, 2013	Tramps, Tramps, Tramps
July 8, 2013	Lady Liberty
July 1, 2013	Galesburg's Fourth
June 24, 2013	John H. Finley
June 17, 2013	The World's Columbian Exhibition
June 10, 2013	Fruit Short-Cake
June 3, 2013	Horatio Alger, Author
May 27, 2013	Memorial Day, 1887
May 20, 2013	Professor Jon W. Grubb
May 13, 2013	Beginnings of Lombard University
May 6, 2013	Young Sandburg’s View of Lombard College
April 29, 2013	Thinking
April 22, 2013	Robert Colville, Master Mechanic
April 15, 2013	The Galesburg Opera House
April 8, 2013	Grocery Stores and Sample Rooms
April 1, 2013	A Hearty  Breakfast
March 25, 2013	The Lost Wallpaper Legend
March 18, 2013	Martin G. Sandburg
March 4, 2013	The Edison Talking Machine
February 25, 2013	Joe Elser, Civil War Veteran
February 18, 2013	Remember the Maine...
February 11, 2013	Lincoln's Birthday
February 4, 2013	Curiosity