Weekly Trinity journal., 1859-02-05
saturday, FEBRUARY 5, 1859.
Our Friend, tho Opium Eater.

| OuI fIlenSii Iuo Sp1ulu 11sAISA'
We used to cabin with queer old fellow who
we after while discovered consumed Incredible
quantities of opium. In his sane time he was
most excellent and exemplary old man, and even
during hallucinations consequent of his peculiar
intcmperance he had but one perceptible great
sn-he was, We think, the most notable liar that
ever existed any considerable time out of the
place where distinguished liars are said to con
gregatc after very hNsty Judgment. But the Doc
tor never told malicious lies his most stupcn-
dous performances always related to his own eN-
ploits, and were, we are persuaded implicitly
believed, at the time 10y himself. To this day he
is unaware that any person ever discovered the
source of his marvellous stories and, we trust
that in the companionship of home, in one of the
most beautiful States of the Mississippi Valley,
the Doctor finds less occasion to extract obliVi-
BUSINESS from the Internal drug.
The Doctor said he once mined on tho klamath,
and, according to one Of his opium stories had
unearthed amazing quantities Of gold, but we
could never discover what came Of it, and our
friends oft repaired boots, breeohes and walnut
coored coat bore evidence Of great antiquity (;
we could never learn what induced him to quit
country where the river rippled in conflict with
bouldcrs OF solid gold, and where Indian women
wore buckskin gowns ornamonted with precious
stones and golden llagree worth thousands OF
dollars We do not believe that he ever saw tho
klamath, but the beautiful name suggested the
scenery which he painted with the weird pencil
4I,o hn rod nm
accountably morose and Respondent seldom
speaking, and always with evident annoyance at
being disturbed and at light would sit for hours
looking into the fire, completely lost in revery.-
| This occurred, as We afterwards found out, dur
ing opium famnes he had exhausted all the
slender drug stores and doctor shops-no more
of his invigorator could be had. But one day
we met him at the cabin door in wonderful ella
ton we noticed his little package, and where
he put it-under the head of his bed aud dur
ing his first absence from the cabin wo resolved
to find out what was the mysterious stmuant
for he never could be induced to touch liquor
About four pounds Of opium were discovered
with the Sacramento druggists label packer
had obtained IT, Thonccforth his stories in
creased in magnitude, until he, even, entered the
spiritual world and wrested away Heavenly So
crets hid from the Saint of Patmos in his Apoc-
aypse
We shall never forget his description of Hell,
related one cold winter night when storms wero
sounding in the woods. lie had stood on an en-
inence overlooking the dreadful gulph as it is
described in literal ronderngs of tho Scriptures.
Dante never saw more frightful vision.
On ono occasion he had been seized and car.
red to a wonderful cave, near klamath Lake, by
a band Of robbers, all Of whom he eventually
slew, escaping with vast treasures. The cave was
of immense proportions, with apartments gor-
ecously furnished or filed with nestimable spoils
A beautiful woman wife Of the robber chief as-
sisted him in the work Of determination, hut he
never gave satisfactory conclusion of her hsto-
ry From previous conversation, in his sane
hours we conclude that the Doctors female
friend of the cave existed only In his recollection
Of a sister who had been seduced away ruined
and abandoned by gambler of ST.. Louis.
We found n chance number Of Iittl0's LiDing
Age, containing an article on the % Persian Arse
mic Eaters" This seemed to possess wonderful
fascinating power for him he read and studied
and commented on the subject with great intelli-
gence and Camness he knew its truth by eXpe-
rience, and illustrated the writer's theory that
by increasing the portion, person might be ena-
bled to consume enough poison in day to des-
troy n score OF others in health. We are certain
that he ate enough opium in day to have laid
half a dozen persons in unwaking sleep. We
have since learned that he went home 10 the
East his claim turned out WE'LL aud as his for
tunes improved he gradually Overcame the Opt
um Fiend-from which God hencelorth defend
the old Poison Eater.