Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-07-14
Opiun-Smoking in California.

" OF the better CLASS Oh Snlne>e IN Sdu
Francisco smoke opium, but not in ex
cess. They will lounge on their ! tile
hunks. enjoy twelve or fifteen pipes in
the course of an afternoon or evening.
chat. smoSe tobacco, and drink tea or
rice brandy Few except the confirm
ed opium use the drug TO pro-
duce insensibility or the opium sleep.
The primary effect of opium is that of
good tobacco, increased tenfold. Ii
soothes and tranquiilizes the nerves and
laps the smoker in delicious state of
Sybartic ease and voluptuous enjoy
ment. it induces species OF day
dream, but its effects in this regard
have been greatly exaggerated. 1t Sc
dom produces the drunken stupor
which follows undue indulgence in
liquor The European who contracts
the habit of opium-smoking usually
Graves an inordinate amount OF the
drug. A man whom | know smokes
regularly every day six bits as cents)
worth of opium. or about fifty pipes.
He is a walking skeleton. and, when not
under the influence of the narcotic. he
trembles like paralytic. His cheeks
are sunken. the bones seem starting
through the pallid skin, and the whole
maniS a living wre k--strength, energy,
will, manhood, al clean gone. He lives
only for his daily indulgence in the
drug, and his body could dispense with
it no more than his lungs could per-
form their functions without air He
is a walking barometer; sensitive to the
slightest change in temperature ana
racked by neuralgia pains when exposed
TO cold. Fatally insidious. too, is this
opium habit. 1t saps the moral strength
and enleebles the will: then. shorn of
these two allies, il takes man of ex-
ceptionll strength of character to free
himself from its thralldom.
The poorer classes of Chinese in'Cal-
ifornia and these comprise ninc-tenths
OF the who'e number-use opium as a
solace to their hard life. Ii is one OF
the few pleasures they allow them
selves in slavish struggle to Law up
money. No store, wash house. manu-
factory or restaurant is without its
opium layout The habit of opium
smoking is universal. as common as the
use OF tobacco among American men.
A very intelligent Chinese merchant.
who speaks excellent English, in re-
cent conversation with me on the evils
of opium smoking, sad: 1T is the
curse of our people. and is far worse in
its effects than Your whiskydrinking.
A man who drinks liquor gets some
strength from the stimulant, though
this NAV last only a few minutes He
NAV even live to old age and never 90
fs.h ..l Ig.rt f,... g
are far different. 1t taxes away |
strength, it never gives anv. 1t weak |
ems man, Jhins his blood and steals all |
his energy. 1t MAKES him feel the cold. |
makes him what YOU call invalid-no |
good tor any real work He NAV work |
at a trade. but he cannot carry on any /
business which requires thought or cal |
culaticn. For myself. | smoke few 4
pipes frequently with friends I. is So
cal and pleasant. but | ALWAYS take the |
greatest care not to smoke twice in sue. /
cesslon at the same hour. When feel
the longing to smoke, which always at
tacks you Just twenty four hours after
your last indulgence, | never give way
To il"
The bane of opium-smoking in Cali
fornla Is seen in the younger genera
ton. California children are very pre-
cocious; ther seem to have an exagger-
ated desire to indulge in ever. thing
which is forbidden. Every Chinese
wash-house throughout the State is the
center of evil Young bows learn there
to smoke OPIUM and contract the habit
which ruins them body and soul The
Chinese receive bows with great favor.
and are always ready TO initiate them
into any vice. In the cities the evil is
worse. as the opportunities for its graf
ltication are met on every side. There
are many squalid opium ''dens' in the
Chinese quarters. and these have their
re rular white customers The notice