San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-06-08
uorrors OF the Opium Habit.
r.Om the Helena al. ~ Herald.

islninaI with as much gusto rs the ma
satOn ~ tbe happening warrants. Ii was
tais - sueh A feeling a Herald reporter
WIN himself knocking at the door Of
iouISS; , at the suburbs of the city yes
a osU, afternoon. The portal was
t tsrang open by a-well, it wouldn't do
;rS description-young man ~ years
g oae After stating the why and
Q, orefore of the call, the reporter was
,w nGd in, and response in the affirm
Nv was given to the expressed desire
aa ~. an exhibition of the manner of
smoking opium.
The cabin had three apartments, the
.n,re one being occupied as n bed
cenS n was within this chamber that
,Ss ledger was wont to indulge in the
W. .nodlv drug, and he at once prepared
~ show the modus operandi.
Erom beneath the bed tray was
.oten and placed on the coverlet. A
souple of pillows was placed ON the
o Oontre of the couch against the wall.
Throwing himself across the bed, with
t;s head resting on the pillows, and the
.rav drawn up within reach of his hand,
.bc smoker Lit the little lamp and ar
ranged the different articles for use.
Taking the clay pipe head-shaped like
Tow top-he scraped out the seconds, z"
and then attached the bowl to the pipe
stem, The pipe stem is made of BAN.
hoo and is about two feet in length.
From little tin box, he took small
ouantity of opium on the end of wire
the opium resembled in appearance
q dark colored jam-and held the drug
over the flame of the lamp. The stuff
was worked up into proper degree OF
softness by repeatedly rolling it on the
head of the pipe, and eventually it was
nlaced around the hole in a manner sim
FLAIR to the earthwork thrown round the
cavity in the ground made by an earth
worm after rainstorm. Then the
howl of the pipe was held over the flame
and the smoker pulled away as long as
the opium lasted. About dozen
smokes were taken in this manner be-
fore satisfaction was derived. The oil
in the lamp that fed the flame is known
as peanut, and is used because of it's
non.smelling and non-tasting proper
ties.
The victim of this terrible drug did
not exhibit any signs of delirium after
having finished his smoking, and
eyinced no more disturbance of the
mind or body than an old-time tobacco
smoker would show after O couple of
evening pipes. He was more inclined
for conversation, however, and the re-
porter had no trouble in learning all
that was possible about the effects from
the use OF the drug.
81 was brought up on the Pacific
Coast" said the young man, "and past a
great deal of my time among the chi
nese, in fact, learning to speak their
language with much fuency. I was
persuaded one day, seven years ago, to
try the smoking Of one pipe of opium,
and from that time L have never been
able to get rid of the desire for using it.
Again and again have I tried to break
nv self off the habit and failed, every
year making myself weaker. To-day l
feel certainly unless rid myself of the
desire will be dead in twelve months.
It has come to be death or victory. In
O few days I start to Arkansas Hot
Springs, and there I expect perfect
cure to be effected. My left lung-l
always lie on my left side when smok-
ing-is entirely destroyed, and my right
lung is going the same way. feel my
self debased, morally and physically,
by the war of opium, and 1 would glad
ly die this moment to save one person
from contracting the habit. At the
risk of many friendships I have stopped
number of my comrades from learn
ing the habit, and have even caused
arrests to be made sooner than permit
myself to see young man become the
wreck that am"
"How will you manage to smoke when
traveling?" asked the reporter.
II will be forced to stink away like a
dog to some clubhouse while the other
passengers are eating at the stopping
places for meals" replied the young fell
low, "and as 1 have lots of money l can
bride people to secrecy when necessary.
Do you know" he went on to say, that
when L awake in the morning great
quantity of water will pour from my
eyes, nose, mouth and ears, and 7 ex-
perience the fortunes of hell until the
pipe is lighted. Then 1 can eat heart
lily; but every four or five hours during
the day I am forced to smoke or l would
go mad. Now I want you to promise
me to do all in your power to put down
the use of opium wherever you go, and
should you ever come to be father OF
a family, shoot any of your children
dead on the spot should you discover
them acquiring the habit of smoking
opium. [ wish L had been shot myself,
this day seven years ago, and [ would'n
be living the life of torment l am feel
ing now. At night 1 have the most
horrible dreams you can imagine, and