Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-17

II was quiet evening and there were but
few passengers on the H-street car when q
representative ofthe RECORD UNION entered.
The horses logged along YEARLY, as though
blind to realization of the fact that the
days work for them was nearly done The
driver lazily whistled a sluggard tune and
feeble current of hot air struggled past
him through the half open door and made
the smoky lamps fare and flicker. TANNED
into one corner was the compact form of
Tom Clark. Toms face wore a serious
smile and the gray whisker on his chin
twitched With the muscles as he leaned
over, hands on knees and hat tilted back,
and he greeted the scribe
'Howdy. Nice evenin'.7
YES; pleasant, but dull"
"Umphl Did you smell that?"
"Waat?"
Sniff it, there. That's nice amt it?'
faint odor of sickly pungency was
waited on the bit of a breeze through
the window as the car rounded 3 corner
and gave US a brief profile view of face
pressed close to the car as the owner stood
upon the cross-walk, waiting for the vehi-
Gle to pass.
He's got at it.
cat WHAT"
Cigarette. He's paving his way to hell,
amt hep"
What do you mean ,"
Why, these cigarette fends all go to hell.
straight. They can't get in though have
TO stay outside, you know, and lay around
worse place and serve the devil in the
meanest way"
Il don't understand you, Tom"
why, the devil won't have em, YOU
see; they'd stink hell all up"
We'll, that is an idea"
Fact. You know X-2n
Eyes"
Il met him the other day. Had weed
on his hat. Well, Tom, said he, my poor
boy is gone Yes replied. L am real
sorry, too, 1 am. Nice boy was John.
Gone straight to hell guess Well, he
bristled up and said l was beast Guess
l was rude, but l really couldn't help it,
for l know what becomes of cigarette
flends. They can't get into heaven and
they won't have 'em in hell, so they wander
around on the edges, and oh Lord, how
they suffer The other day that same John
came and tapped me on the shoulder.
i" Hello say l, and hello" says he.
Where are you nov John {? l asked. Are
you in help
-" Not l. said he I went up to St.
Peters gate and was going in when he
stopped me-
8" Where did you come from?'
81 From Sacramento
What did you do down there
Well, l wo.ked.'
And smoked cigarettes
Yes
And that's what killed your
g L guess that's what ii was
Well, you amt wanted in here, you
smell too strong
Then 1 went down to sheol and there
came big devil 10 the wicket and he
shouts out: Get out o here you cigarette
fend, don't you see we have got six-line
barbed wire fence around this place, to
keep you fellows out. Some O. yout kind |
are SO thin tho, that they crawl in between
the barbs."
A stationer over in the corner drew up
his little son closer to his side, and smiled
grimly at Toms humor, but it was plain
TO see that he was more impressed than
amused. why, Clark, you don't think
things are so bad as that, do your"
Don't l. Why the cigarette is killing
more than whisky, sure pop. Don't l
keep track of it? Physical decay, paraly-
sis, heart disease, kidneys, liver, softening
of the brain-such as they hsve-and then
have EN- in hell"
Well, l agree with you that it is a vi
cious habit, and is destroying youth like
an epidemic"
Right you are, there l see you had an
article in the RECORD UNION about it. about
President Barnard of Columbia College
investigating the matter, and how he
found out that it is the worst affliction of
the day, and actually needs the interven-
ton of the law TO save the boys-and some
girls too, from ruin"
Yes, that distinguished man became
alarmed at the results Of his investiga
tions.n
And well he might. sir. He ought to
come out to Sacramento and see what
see. They say | am a crank on this sub
ject. May be, but do any of them prove it?
Do they disprove what l say2 Why, it's
killed of the hoodlums!"
1T has accomplished some good then"
Possibly. 1t got hold of the hoodums
first, you see, and il has Slapped their
strength, vigor and what ambition they
had, and in the place of the fighting,
roundabout hoodlum we have got the cigs-
'rette fend, and he's worse, a cursed sight
worse, sir.
Can you tell cigarette fiend2
Tell EN-? Yes, on sight and smell
EN- too. Why, they are to be told by any
one, when once the habit gets its grip on
them, and it will fasten on whoever be-
gins. Make no mistake about that, sir.
Il is dead shot. They are thin, cadaver-
Gus, holloweyed, yellow and black about
the nostrils, like chimney.top, fiat
chested thin necked; their stomachs cave
IN, their legs grow thin, they move about
restlessly, and are always 6ddling with
their fingers, you know, and then they
stink Ugh ~
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