Here we have the Hindu, representing Hinduism - which is considered the oldest religion in the world.
It covers several branches of the same beliefs, but all of them have one thing in common, the belief that a person should endeavour to live virtuously, and perform certain rituals in order to receive good fortune, or at least the solutions to their problems.
Like many other of the ancient religions, they believe in the eternal cycle of being born, dying, and then being reborn in a different form, sometimes a lower form, to atone for any sins that you have done in this life, and sometimes a higher one, if you have performed acts of kindness in this one.
This set again both creates a connection and ties a loose end, for we have featured these fronts before, on the 3rd of November, 2022 - but in another version issued by Allen & Ginter, in 1888, and titled "World`s Smokers". There is a link though, for the Dominion Tobacco Co were associated with the American Tobacco Company, of which Allen & Ginter were a founder member.
Today`s version was issued quite a while after, though we are not entirely certain of the date, some records say they came along in 1904, others in 1910. There is no title as such, the wording we use for them comes from amidst the text of the backs, lines four and five. The fronts are also slightly different to Allen and Ginter`s cards, for they have the smoker`s name in upper and lower case, rather than all capitals.
Our cards are listed in our original World Tobacco Issues Index as :
THE SMOKERS OF THE WORLD. Sm. 70 x 37. Unnd. (50). See RB.18/166. Ref. USA/C.181 ... D50-2
A. Back in black, with series title
B. Back in brown, without series title
This text also appears in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, but the cross reference is slightly different, leading to RB.118, which is our newly updated Tobacco War Index, RB.18, its ancestor, having first been issued in 1951. The card code is also altered, to D635-700
As far as the original RB.18, that does not mention the Dominion Tobacco Co at all, only
166. World`s Smokers. Series of 50, with captions
Allen & Ginter issue in USA. Burdick No.33. Series title and list of subjects on back.
Murai issue. Burdick T.483. Fronts inscribed "MURAI`S CIGARETTES are the Best and Cheapest. Backs per Fig.G,1 in blueThere then follows a list of subjects in alphabetical order
The series was also issued by Dominion Tobacco Co. Montreal (Burdick C.181)