The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-10-27


kind of fact to be taken into consid-
Grafton, which may have some connec-
ton with the charges some people
make against cigarette manufacturers.
Five years ago there were but few
cigarettes made in this country, and
at that time the ends of cigars which
were thrown into the streets were con-
sdered worthless, unless twas to some
of the news-boys and boot-backs who
were willing to put great deal of dirt
in their mouths for the sake of smoke.
Three years ago the demand for Amer
ican-made cigarettes began to increase,
and then the ends of cigars that had
been thrown away had such value
that the Italian immigrants in this city
began to gather them from the street,
aud to-day there are on Crosby and
Mott streets alone, as has been found
from personal inquiry, over a hundred
men who make living by gathering
this refuse tobacco. That number may
be found on two streets, and it is GER
tainly safe to say there are others in the
same business.
Is it not just trifle odd that as the
demand for cigarettes increased so did
that for cigar stubs. A member of
large cigarette manufacturing company
said to the writer: "You have heard of
the new alkaloid from tobacco which u
French chemist has just discovered?
Well, our chemist was on the point of
making that discovery Just as it was
announced to the world, and l as
sure you it is one of the most powerful
of poisons. being very similar to sui
phuric acid.
Every boy knows that rice-paper
wouldn't hurt fly in case he should
smoke it; therefore when he buys cigar
cites he is always careful to get those
which are wrapped in that kind of pa
per, or at least those which it is said
have rice-paper around tsem. Now let
any boy 60 to paper manufacturer
and ask him the simple question as to
whether he or any one else could make
paper from rice, and the answer will be
that rice has no fiber, consequently pa
per could not be made from it. The So
called rice-paper is made from rice
straw, and it is easy to imagine Just
how much rice there is in it. The
cigarette papers are neither more nor
less than a kind of tissue paper of
different degrees of fineness; and that
statement came from the same manu-
facturer who told about the poison.
1t is well known that tobacco acts to
a certain extent upon the brain as
liquor does. Not long ago gentleman
who was anxious to know how this
stimulant or narcotic-since it acts on
different natures in both ways-might
affect the brain of growing boy, asked
one of the leading physicians in this
city what his opinion was in regard TO
the matter. This is what the physician
replied:
Il can tell you what you want to
know, or can tell you how to find out,
without any of the big words you are
afraid of. Smoke one cigarette, then
put a clean cambria handkerchief to
your mouth, and breathe through it two
or three minutes. You will find vel
low deposit which went into your lungs,
and if you have any common-sense you
can tell yourself whether it is likely to
be injurious. Had this physician
known of the story with which this
article begins, he could have said to
what extent it might be injurious.
Tobacco does not often Kill people,
III We hION lOlS VI Oitl lllCh WIN nave
always used it, and they are lively as
crickets,' some bright boy may urge.
But if he will study into the mat
ter a little further he will prob
ably find out that these men
either did not use tobacco when they
were growing boys, but only when they
became men, with their minds and bod
les developed and hardened to endur-
ance, or that they had strong constitu-
tons, such as we seldom find among
our city lads of to-day.
And now, boys, for last argument,
even though it seems trivial one after
the terribly sad story which has been
told you. This smoking of cigarettes
makes you ridiculous. Grown people
think you silly and laugh at you when
they see you trying to be men by this
silly caricaturing of what all grown
up smokers themselves pronounce a
foolish and senseless abit.-Harper' s
YOHU1 PeOGLe