Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-05
A TERRIBLE DRUG.
Experience of Man Who Drank the HasheeSh
and the Effect it Produced.
Manchester Union

and the Effect it Produced.
Manchester Upion.
But d few miles from this city lives a
man who was once as fine drug clerk as
there was in the city of Boston. But that
was some time ago, he is forgotten by the
fraternity in that city. His name Is Roll
phie R. Sanford, and he is at present
| residing with his widowed mother, who
owns a fine residence not far from Man
| chester. His experience with hasheesh is
worth reproducing.
A representative of the Union saw San
ford some time ago, and as it was Just
after dinner and he had partaken of his
meal with unusual relish, he was in the
mood for talking, why, my boy" said
he, "drug clerks of course have secrets.
You want me to tell you little story, Ell?
If shd4d tell you some of my secrets
of course they would lie secrets no longer,
but I'll give you little of my exper-
fence with hasheesh. It's stuff that no
one wants TO NEEDLE with with impunity,
allow me to inform you. I'll had not
been careless l would not row be able to
tell you my experience with hasheesb.
at was some eight or ten years ago,
when I was at work for prominent drug
gist in Boston. For some little time
had beer suffering with dyspepsia, and
the ailment bothered me so that life
became unbearable. I at last mixed up
doctoring that gave me relief. l was to
take it before meals, and placed the bot
tie on the shelf behind the prescri ption
counter among other bottles which is US
ually found in that place. One noon l
went to take my medicine. / took down
what thought to be the right bottle, and
discarding the use of a spoon, L placed
the orifice to my mouth and took a large
swallow. Horrors The taste told me
that 1 had made mistake. l looked at
the bottle and-well, my friend, 1 had
taken large dose of Indian cannables,
or otherwise hasheesh. / knew what the
result would be. l staggered back to the
rear part Of the store. How queer felt.
How light was growing. Up, up, up,
went until my head bobbed against the
ceiling. [ was like cork floating on dis
turbed water. glided along, and could
look down and see the huge bottles, each
one with hideous face laughing at me.
The stools on the marble floor seemed to
want to keep me company, ana their click,
click on the marble flour souneed like
thunder in my ears. Suddenly L was
plunged into inky blackness. From
the black nothingness flashed out bright
balls of light. / reached the sofa and
sank down upon 1t. My tongue seemed
to swell, and [ tried in vain to scream,
but no sound issued. [ seemed to know
that there was long, long hour before
my fellow clerk would be back from din
ner, and that he might not come into the
rear room and discover my con dition.
The events of days and weeks came be-
fore my mind in all the details, and l saw
faces-beaGtiful faces-angelic in their
divinity, which seemed to becken to me
and then vanish with hideous laugh.
All normal conditions and relations seem
ed to be presented. Again I was tossed
to the ceiling and thrown by some in
visible force from one side of the room
to the other. | felt no concussion, but
bounced about like huge foot ball.
Then 1 fell back into dreamy contem-
piatlOns, and years seemed to pass by.
Fantastic pictures were worked, my limbs
felt weighted with lead, just the opposite
to my experience of what seemed to me
years ago. l heard somebody say, why,
Rolphie, old fellow!' what's the matter?
Rolphie, Rolphie! The words reyer-
berated like thunder. My shop mate had
returned. Again he tried to shake me to
myself, and ] never hated a man so cor
daily as / hated him at that moment.
He got a doctor, and I tell you, my friend,
they had no easy time to bring me to my
self. Every word they uttered surged in
to my brain and seemed to jar me to
pieces. That was popularity of the
stuff. / suffered from that experience
long afterward, and it appears even at
this day, when / think it over that have
that feeling coming on, so powerful was
the impression made on me that time"