The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-09
MILOER WEED FOR THE ELDERLY
Veteran Soldier and Smoker Discusses
Progressive Use of Tobacco.

| progressive Use OF lODaCcO
As youngster in the army, 80 odd
| years ago. said a smoker, Il smoked
plug tobacco and liked it; used to cut
| on thin shavings, across the layers,
| from the end of the plug, and roll them
! and crumble them between tile palms
of the hands, and then load up tlia Old
pipe and smoke. 1t took a powerful
| draft to get this tobacco started, but it
| held fire well, and made a good long
| smoke. and after "a supper of boiled
pork, hard bread and tin-cup coffee
| that. you see, was what you might call
pretty solid food to smoke on--a pipe
! of cut plug was a delight. But gra-
cious goodness. I couldn't begin to
smoke that now; pipe like that now
would knock me clean over but l do
| like to get a sniff of just such pipe
on cool morning before breakfast in
| the open air, when | happen to walk
| behind man smoking one.
Il continued smoking after l got out
of the army. Smoking a pipe a good
! deal, but not plug tobacco, and coming
finally to smoking chiefly cigars, and
| these rather strong; and | came final
| ~ too to rely on tobacco a good deal
| to brace ME up in my work. and it was
| a great help and comfort, and l could
do better with it than without it, bus
! at last the time came when it was
| just the other way, when it did not
| stimulate me, but when, rather, my
|
freely used for fuel, tobacco didn't
| generate the heat nor afford the slim
| illus at all that it once had. 1t was
| still a comfort, but no longer help in
| the work. and in time it came to be a
| drawback. to retaId rather than to Ia
cilitate my mental operations.
| 1T gave a little glow at the very
outset, but that was soon lost, and the
| brain. as one might say, became opaque
and insensible, and so tobacco came to
| be worse than no help--a hindrance. as
| far as work was concerned. One time
wise friend told me of friend of his
who had been immensely benefited by
| abstaning from tobacco, and | made
up my mind to try that myself was
sort of run down and half played out
and for two years and half used
no tobacco whatever. 1t was hard
work to give it up, but l soon got used
to being without it and soon I began
| to feel better and had a better tone,
| better nerve and a better grip general
| ly. 1t did me pile Of good to give up
! smoking that two years and a half; it
seemed to sort of shake out of me the
| ragged nerve ends and to freshen me
| and brighten me and strengthen me.
| 1t was giving nature a chance and ma
ture responded by giving me buoyancy
| and power of resistance. Nothing ever
| did me any more good than that long
| period Of abstention from tobacco. 1t
/ brought me around into good shape
again, and then once more I took UP
smoking. That may seem foolish, per-
haps it was, but that's what | did
II had few cigars-the last from
box which I had been smoking when I
| stopped-and l got out one of them with
| anticipa tons of great pleasure. These
anticipations were realized, though only
| at the beginning, for the smoking Of the
cigar, before l had goth through with it,
| pretty nearly upset me. But the next
! 81 I,,'t tl,at IN
| that fell into the old habit of smoking
readily, so hard is it to give up the
| habit and so easy to resume it, But
very soon found that for my own COM
| fort and welfare. if / We're to use to-
| bacco at all, l must use it in modera-
| ton. Mine is a mental occupation, but
| I suppose man can work as hard with
| a pen as he can with a pick.
| when 7 resumed smoking l tried it
| as a stimulant at work, but | very
promptly found that that wouldn't do
! at all. 1t gave a light and agreeable
| .xaltation at the outset, but as before.
| one not at all lasting, nor of sufficient
| force to be valuable and not only tha-
! effect, brief and fleeting, but continued
| smoking while at work served now, as
! it had come to do years before, only to
| clog UP the brain. In fact. I found that.
| as far as | was concerned, | could not
work and smoke, too. / would have
| liked would IKE now Tor lnat mat
| ter-to smoke all the time. and smok
| ing is d tremendous relief from care,
| and an uplifter, but as l found that in
! my own case | couldn't smoke and work
| at the same time, so l found later that
| it wouldn't do for me to smoke recA-
| lessly, even out of working hours. |
didn't drink at all, my general health
| w good, appetite excellent and enjoy
ment of food keen. but with all this
strength and health l was less able than
ever to stand tobacco.
Il have an idea that this was be-
cause my good health made me in every
way so much more sensitive, but, any
how. ] could stand now less tobacco
than ever. and. too, l found myself all
the time seeking milder cigars. To get
the maximum amount of enjoyment out
of tobacco | must use it in moderation,
and that with me now consists in two
mild cigars smoked consecutively after
dinner at night. ! do not hesitate to
say that | find in the smoking of these
two cigars my chief minor enjoyment
of the day and | do enjoy the smoking
of them nightly. But if I have sense
/ stop then. If | smoke later or just
before going to bed I am likely to lie
awake for it. SO I find, under these con-
ditions, tranquility promoted. not by
the use of tobacco, but by abstention
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