The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-08-03
Uniting THE PIPE"
An Old Californian Tells His
Experience With Opium.
How he Became Addicted to Smoking and
How he Broke off the Habit.

ooh, yes" he said, as he sauntered
through Chinatown and was assailcd by
its unsavory odors, 81 have smoked
opium. recognize the familiar smell"
"And still continue to do so?"
mo, thank God, my experience with
the drug was short and decisive, but
sharp while it lasted. Tho opium habit
is like getting into a quicksand, once in
its grasp escape is almost impossible"
"You got out, it appears.
But not without a struggle. I feel
the effects of the drug even to this day,
and it is many years ago since curiosity
induced me to try the first pipe. OF
course, 1 had to give some excuse for my
f~oolishncss: I wished to learn the Sc
cret of opium's control over the minds
and bodies of its votaries. This is how
it was, and I might rs we'll make a clean
breast of it. [ am not u DeQuinccy, but
I'll tell you as clearly as I can my feel
ings while under the influence of the
drug. I had become acquainted with a
gambler, one of the most expert in the
state, whether in front or behind the
game. l noticed that he often left the
table, when dealing, and after he re-
turned, say in half an hour, his manner
had undergone a change; he manipula-
ted the cards with greater steadincss
and ease. One day I asked him the
plain question:
cd, why do you call on q sub
%stltute, and quit the table 80 ~often9"
"'Opium, my boy he said, in a fe-
verish way. 4 can do nothing without
it. steadies the nerves. Deprive me of
my periodical pipe and Pm like a fiddle
minus strings. Ever try a whiffY
"sNo.'
"'Then you'd better take my advice
and continue to let it alonc.'
But my curiosity was aroused, and af-
ter accompanying D to his ~favorite
opium haunt several times, I resolved to
realize the sensations derived from smok-
ing, whatever they might be. I hit
my first pipe, as the slang goes, about
= " ShS I t1Oou, NIo SIluuuCT
now as the remembrance of the terribly
sickening experience I passed through
recurs to me. It was hard work in the
beginning to get the pipcstem properly
adjusted to my mouth, and the method
of smoking is different from that when
you are enjoying tobacco. In inhaling
opium smoke you draw the fumc into the
lungs by a long pull, and then inhale it
slowly. A pipcful will last about one
minute, and then you have to roll n new
pill, and so on, till the desired effect is
obtained. Like most beginners. I
smoked too much at the start, but hard
ly felt the power Of the drug till I arose
from the bunk where I had lain. Then
1 became comparatively helpless, and
staggered like a drunken man, zirzar-
ging toward a watcr-pitcher, of the con-
tents of which I drank a cupful or
more. Nausea followed, and when I
reached my wooden couch again, my
lower limbs gave way completely, and 1
fell inscnsible and helpless. I lay in
that state for three hours, or until D.
who had missed me, and suspecting
where I had gone, found and brought
me to myself. With his help I got to
my room in the hotel, where I again fell
into a sleep, disturbed by rcstlessness
horrible dreams. I would awake
screaming and with the idea some one
was in the room seeking my life. In
fact, l made such a racket that the
night clerk threatened to have ME ar
rested for being drunk and disorderly
and alarming the house. He summoned
who sat with mt till morning,
when I still felt the effects of the drug,
but was able to rise.
"'Well, old boy said he, in a banter
ing way, how do you like it as far as
gomez
"1t's a pretty rough introduction I
replied, 'and I guess I'll go no further
"'That's right said he; you'd better
stop now; but Til bet q twenty YOU
won't. Of course, you smoked too
much, and then drank water to make
The matter worse If thirsty after the
pipe, all practiced opium smokers drink
only good strong tea
"'Well, I'm done with the stuff, any
"tNo, my boy he said, quietly;
you'll tackle it again; you don't like to
give up beat
Cd knew me better than I did