THE BUTT MERCHANTS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1929, Page 7

THE BUTT MERCHANTS

Although I have never been conscious of the large army of pickers-up of discarded cigarette butts the cable says are having trouble in Paris. .1 have often been amused at the little “wallads” in the streets of Cairo, and in a lessor degree of Alexandria. In Cairo they do a thriving trade. Cigarettes are- the common smoke in Egypt. Men never smoke the pipe in the street; it would need a wheelbarrow at least to transport the “hubblebubble” water X > 'l° le y Bm °l {e 111 those parts. These pipes are rather like a ewer wth a yaid or so of gas tubing attached. The tobacco in what is called an Egyptian cigarette (though, as a matter of fact, there is not a leaf of the plant grown in Egypt) is saturated with saltpetre and so ‘burns away very quickly so that the boys have to be very spry in picking up the butt and exting'ushing it. The most amusing part of this odd trade comes when the little fellows have their tins full. They meet by MTangeinent at some street corner alongside some convenient high wall, and, squatting on the pavement (“mrkvsh the passers-by”) with the days gleanings in little heaps in front of them, they solemnly proceed to gamble for the lot. Instead of dice they use a wooden matchbox. To score the thrower has to make it stand on either end, and not on the side, which is a much more difficult feat than it'sounds. The tiny brown brats some of them almost babies—will sit there without a smile on their knowing little facies and wi I gamble away until one of the gang has annexed all the heaps .Like the New Zealander, the Egyptian is a born gambler. w-MEEISH HAGA. I*- —< < •