Dan, I figure it shows that, even in those olden times, some bosses didn't hire anyone that smoked cigarettes. Why only tar is mentioned, and not nicotine, I've no idea. ;-)

Actually, for some vague reason the guy wasn't interested in having former sailors on his work gang. Were seafaring guys bad workers? Possibly he'd had a bad experience with sailors in the past.

HANK, Thanks! My head was gettin' so/too big & it was ready to explode. I needed that. Some folks tell the truth, others have tact. As my wife says, I'm an acquired taste.