The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-27
Fun That day Kill.

| Among the number Of bright boys wht
had set out to become business men va
lad fifteen years of age, employed in
lawyers Office. During his leisure hour
and on Sundays he was in the habit o
smoking cigarettes. the smoke of whict
he inhaled. from this be passed tt
chewing tobacco, and it is said that wber
he was not smoking a cigarette he al
ways had tobacco in his mouth, and occa
sionally combined the two. His parent:
endeavored 10 break him Of the habit
but all they could say and do had no ef
feet. His health soon began to fail rap
idly, and lis family, who were not aware
that tobacco would ha e such injuriou:
effects, fancied that bis weakness was
caused by the close con ;ncment which,
lie had to undergo at his place of busi
ness
He soon became so i'll that he could
not sleep at night, and his appetite began
to fail. His counteDance was very sallow,
and he had severe headaches. Finally
his mother took him to see q physician,
who, on examining him, thought that he
Was suffering from want ofthe right kind
of fod, and prescribed tonics and things
that are nourishing hnd Strengthening.
But instead of improving in health, the
poor Lad constantly grew worse, and was
soon confined 10 his bed. The doctor
then learned that the boy had been ad-
dctcd to the excessive use of tobacco in
every form, and he came to the conclu-
sion that his patient was suffering from
nicotine poisoning. Nothing that could
be done had any eltec in restoring the
suffering boy. He fingered for about a
week, when congestion of the lungs sci
in, and The heart began to fail in its
functions. This was the beginning of
the end. Within twenty-four hours he
was dead, killed by the foolish habit he
had formed of smoking cigarettes and
chewing tobacco.
A gentleman who writes good deal
for Young People, on making inquiries OF
one of The largest manufacturers of ciga-
relies in this city, was Informed that the
annual average of cigarettes consumed
in this country amounts to not less than
thousand millions.
Now perhaps this statement in itself is
not so very wonderful, when We think OF
the number of people in this country of
ours; but take it in connection with the
fact that the consumption of tobacco and
cigars has not decreased in that time,
and one naturally asks how it is that
such ia increase can be had in one form
of smokers articles without falling of
in the other forms of the material.
A gentleman who has two large retail
tobacco stores, on being asked the reason
of this increased demand, said that so far
as his experience could be relied upon,
it was due mainly to the fact that they
were consumed largely by boys who took
their lessons in smoking by the use of
these miniature cigars.
Now, let us see if we cannot fluid out a
few facts about the materials that so to
make up these cigarettes which are so
universally used:
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 considered
worthless, unless it was to some of the
newsboys and boot. blacks who were will
ing to put great deal Of dirt into their
mouths for the sake of smoke. Three
years ago, the demand for American.
made cigarettes began to increase and
then the ends of cigars that had been
thrown away had such value that the
Italian immigrants in New York city be.
gan to gather them from the streets, and
to-day there are on Crosby and Mott
streets alone, as has been found from per-
sonal inquiry, over q hundred men who
make living by gathering this refuse
tobacco. That number may be found on
two streets and it is certainly safe to
saw there are others in the slme business.
Is it not just triAe Cd that as the
demand for cigarettes increased so did
that for cigar stubs2 A member of a
large cigarette manufacturing company
said to the writer: "You have heard of
the new allaloid from tobacco which a
French chemist has just discovered ?
Well, our chemist was on the point OF
making that discovery just as it was an
uounced to the world, and I assure you
it is one of the most powerful Of poisons,
being very similar to sulphuric acid"
Tt is we'll known that tobacco acts to q
certain extent upon the brain as liquor
does. Not long ago, q 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 wa, in regard 10 tle matter. This
is what the physician replied:
II 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 ono cigarette, then put clean
cambric handkerchief to your mouth, and
breathe through it two or three minutes.
You will find yellow deposit which
went into your lungs, end you have any
common sense you can tell yourself
whether it is likely to be injurious. p
Had this physician known of the story
with which this article begins, he could
have said to what extent it might be in
furious.
Tobacco does not often kill people,
for we know lots of old men who have
always used it, and they are as lively as
crickets," some bright boy may urge.
But, if be will study into the matter
little further, he will probably 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 bodies developed and hardened to
endurance, or that they had strong con
stitu.ons, such rs We seldom find among
our city lads of to-day.
And now, boys, for last argument
even though it seems trivial one alter
the terribly sad story which has been tolo
you. This smoking of cigarettes makes
you ridiculous. Grown people think you
silly, and laugh at you when they see yor
trying to be men by this silly carlcatur'