Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-11


| TERRIBLK ILLUSTRATION.
EDITOR BLAD FL an moved ny 8 con-
trolling sense Of duty to large and IL
cressIng class Of young persons, TO take
the lib Ity of forwarding for publication
the following extracts from private let
ter from an old and dear friend. The
writer of the letter ssys:
81 am gong to -, CT Saturday, to
see my poor, unfortunate son -. l an
afraid he never will get of his bed alive
WHAT sad eudinglof 8 misspent life! |
could not make him realize his condition.
| When WAS at b )me three weeks since,
he was apparently better, had some
strength, but his mind was badly affected.
l could not get my wife 20 consent TO
placing him in 40 Institution where be
could have proper treatment. She
| thought no enc could c1re for MIN as sne
A more devoted mother never lived; but
it would have been better II she coulG
have realized what would be the effect of
keeping him at home.
81 FEAR TIE END IS DRAWING NEAR.
| Last week he mad stroke of psrslYsis-
nas lost the use CT one side-cannot turn
over in beds losing strength very fast
cannot take nourishment enough 10
keep up strength; while he has some
thing growing IN his throat which seri-
ously iuterferes with swallowing sny-
! thing"
TIE cause Of such sad state OF things
is very readily told in the fathers words
as follows:
| "My dearisou has been an
| INvKIRRATE SMOKER OF CIGARETTES.
| have SO often told him that they would
kill him if he persisted in their use. The
physician told me the cigarettes were
more harmful to my son than would be
Intoxicating liouors-that he knew of
several persons VINO had been sent to in
sane ssylums or account of their use.
do not expect him ever to recover his
mind, while look for an early close OF
| the sad case in bis death. he wss very
bright boy and promising young man,
would soon h;ve made his mark credita-
bly,, but for tnss one sad, fatal practice,
against which the strongest protests and
most snectionate appeals Of parental Lore
could not avail. II is now "tso late,"-
"too late" Amid sll this, he has been
very kind to his mother, and rendered
her all the assistance in his power, as
also has his loving wife.
az have long been fearful that this
smoking habit would eventually affect
lin as It did General Grant, and that he
would suffer as did that great man; but
hoped tor something better, which Is
probably never to come. II has been
hard for me for a long time past, to be
conhoed by business so much away from
home, with the eyer-presert burden OF
my dear sons case on my mind and my
heart. hear from him daily"
THE END OF THE SAD STORY
WAS not long In coming, In news OF the
death Of the young man, whose case is
thus touch'ngly set forth by mis- distressed
parent. 1t Is sad TO think Of father be-
ing relieved By the death of loved child.
And yet, children sometimes prepare
their parents for just such sorroWtul
anomaly.
Mr.. Editor, as al item OF news, this
story has interest. But what shall we
say OF 1t as warning and protest
against the tobacco habit, long SO
general, and now fast be-
coming both more general and more fatal.
1t is most alarming, this rspid in
crease IN that pernlcious practice. One
can hardly pass block on the streets of
our cities-and especially of Toledo
without being enveloped in slckening to-
bacco smoke, coming largely from cigar
cites in the mouths of young men an1
even of boys. Do the parents and friends
of these know what Is their haoit2 And
so knowing. do they take steps for stop
ping it1
The poor boy, shove referred to, long
puffed his cigarette with as strong sense
of growing manhood and defiant aecu-
rity, and with as little consideration for
the warnings and pleadings of friends,
as do those who now follow his sad
course.
1t is not essential, In this connection,
that every one, or even 8 considerable
per cent. OF such smokers should come to
the shocking end of that mistaken young
man. 1t is enough to knoH-frst, that
his experience was the legitimate and sole
result OF his practice; and, second, that
the degree of effect in each case, is owing
to the extent of practice and that every
cigarette or cigar, especially smoked by q
young person, to the extent of its power
for evil, is certain to make Itself felt.
The use Of tobacco in such form is
the extent Of its use. G. ".
Toledo, April s, 1888.
During the past week the Ohio Legis-
lature has put itself on record by passing
bill, introduced by Mr.J P. Haley, q
representative from Cuyahoga county,
making 1t crime to sell cigarettes 30
persons under sixteen years Of age. The
bill passed with vote of 81 TO l, after
being amended SO as to include tobacco
and cigars. Some doubt has been ex-
pressed II the bill can pass the Senate,
IS manufacturers and dealers are masking
a strenuous effort to secure its defeat,
bat the high minded fathers and mothers
throughout the state will send to heaven
Qnanineus snd heartfelt thanks II the
bill is passed and becomes law.
GIVES IT 10 TIE IRISH.