The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-12
LOADED WITH DEADLY DRUGS.
All Sorts of Poisons for Cigars to Suit
the moker.
F,on the WASHINGTON Star.

the moker.
From the Washington Star.
"I'm sorry, sir" said the tobacco dealer,
"but l haven't got another cigar of the
brand you've been buying lately in stock
Sold the last one this m rniug, and don't
expect t. have any more in until the first Of
next week.
''Good gad" exclaimed the customer;
you don't say so"
Fact, sir; but here's something equally
good in an Havana filler, at the same
price"
81 don't want anything else; I've sort
o. got used to the old kind, and no ether
cigar seems to fill the bill any more. The
last box of them l bought here went to
smoke inside of week, and must have
some more of the same brand to-day or
bust. I'll try elsewhere"
The shopkeeper looked after the man as
he went out with a grin, and then, turning
to Star reporter, who had come IN for
pacaage OF cigarettes, said: That's another
of 'em!"
Another of whatp inquired the news
paper man, listlessly striking a match be-
meath the edge of the counter.
''DRUGGED TOBACCO FIENDs."
"New to me. What are theyW
I'm tell you confidentially," said the
dealer. Its sole Nh fact that about half
thu domestic cigars sold nowadays are
drugged with one thing or another. Nor
pbine, choral and all sorts Of 'nerve-sooth-
ing stuff are used for the purpose, but most
of all valerian. These pOisons, in combina-
ton with the tobacco, produce a very ag ee-
able effect; but of course they create a
necessity for more, and pretty soon the
smoker say, Of valerianloaded brand
finds that no other cigar suits him. SO he
goes ahead taking the poison in this way.
without knowing it, until he is a slave to
the valerian vice. OF course you know
what an awful hold that particular drug
soon gets upon man, and what an effect it
has upon the constitution"
"Valerian, you say, is used more than any
other kind of poson!"
YES, it is the favorite drug for cigars
1t acts very pleasantly upon the nerves,
ami the man who S TO work hard with
his brain finds that it rests him. Besides it
has an effect peculiarly its own as an
antidote for alcoholic poisoning. The
tippler who has been spreeing over night
finds that nothing sobers him up SO quickly
as cigar indicated with it,"
And how is the drug put into the cigars,
prayp
HOW CIGARS ARE LOADED.
THAT is very simple. A s)lution is made
of it of the proper strength and the work
man, before rolling the cigar, sprinkles
few drops of it over the tobacco leaves.
The latter are rolled into shape, and your
weed is ready loaded"
Are not these drugs expensiver'
Rather; but very little is required for
each cigar, and the investment pays. In
this way, you see, each manufacturer r.
tains his customers by creating special
vice which his own goods alone can salts
supply. That man who left the
shop just after you came in is one of the
fiends. He has bean smoking brand of cigar
which, think, is loaded with muriate of
cocaine. That is the latest ingredient, YOU
know. And now he fiads that nothing else
satisfies the craving. Bad, isn't it? But
I've got to sell all these brands of cigars
that are on the market. or else go out of
the business. | can't afford to have my
customers 60 to the place across the street
because they don't find what they want
here. Poisoned cigars are what the people
visa to buy, and l must supply the demand
or go bankrupt"
is this cocaine that you speak of particu-
Iarly dangerousp
Physicians say it is. I've heard that it
comes in the shape of leaves from Peru,
where such leaves are chewed by the ma
tives for the wonderful powers of en-
durance that the juice gives. About six
J ears ago, I've understood, it was dlscov-
cred that this juice, applied to any portion
of the body, would re der that portion in
sensible to pain. 1t used to be worth
dollar drop then, but now it's compare
lively cheap. Cocaine has all sorts of sur
prising uses; bat it's a dreadful habit to
acquire. A little of it in cigar braces the
smoker up sstonishingly; it beats DIR.
elixir. However, it soon
attacks the brain, and
LEAVES THE VICTIM A MENTAL WRECK
'Bo you think of anything else that is
put IN cigars to make them more agreeable
for smokings" asked the reporter.
NO." SAID the tobacconist. Though,
now | come TO think of it, small fire-work,
are the very latest things in cigars, of the
sort one gives away to ones friends Elk
plosive smokables are no longer considered
the thing for such practical joking; they
may injure an eve or badly SINCE whisker.
But very much condensed Bengal light,
or even an almost microscopic Roman
candle, viii satisfy the requirements of
humor quite as satisfactorily and without
accide tai peril to the victim. We have a
few such always in stock; help yourself to
"a rOttnle