The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-19
The Wlrssenger.
THE TRUST.

The cigarette fiend is getting in his
deadly work daily. Within a few DAYS
we saw an account of a northern youth
killing a man deliberately on the high
way and robbing him. He is of un-
sound mind and smokes cigarettes in
great excess. The Baltimore Herald
of 18th December, gives this:
Cigarettes are raduall reducing
Charles McKim, IA years old, a tall,
iight-haired boy, whose father is dying
of consumption, to a state of idiocy.
He smokes three packs, or 80 cigar
cites, a day, and has been doing this
for three years. When arraigned in
the Harlem Court, at his mothers re-
quest, he Knew how much twice eight
is, but he said eight times eight are
eighty-one. He is only in his first pri-
mary grade in school, though he is ii
years old. His mother aid he was
very dull n was fast losing his mind
The woman appealed again, and Mag
istrate sent The boy to the
Catholic Protectory."
So bad, so destroying of mind and
body are cigarettes tina railroads are
excluding all cigarette smokers from
employment. One North Carolina road
does not allow employees to smoke while
on duty. The South Carolina division of
the Southern railway prohibits the en-
ploying of any cigarette smokers, and
those now employed who smoke the
deadly enemy of health and sanity
must either give up the habit or re-
sign. This will cause other roads to
follow a wise example.
The Georgia legislature adopted an
anti-cigarette resolution on 18th inst.
The resolution reads:
BE it resolved by the House, the
Senate concurring, That the Senators
and congressman from Georgia be re-
Guested to introduce and support a bill
authorizing the State of Georgia to en-
act legislation looking to the interview
ton of the importation of cigarettes in
the State"
The explanation is given for the
adoption of this resolution instead of
one preventing all manufacture or i'm
portation in the state of cigarettes, is
that under the ruling of the federal
courts, the passage of the Howard bill,
which has been pending before the
house, would have stopped the manu-
facture Of cigarettes in this state, but
they could have been brought to Geor-
gia from other states.
The Atlanta Journal says that the
war on the vile, danger Gus cigarette
by the Southern railway may have a
wide application, and may extend be-
You'd South Carolina into Georgia, and
throughout the entire system of the
great Southern road. 1t says there
is already a rule similar to the South
Carolina order, which is being enforced
in the superintendent office of the
Atlanta division. General Passenger
Agent S. H. Hardwick reports that the
order is already having a good effect
among the employees, and that many
letters are coming congratulating the
road upon issuing such a benevolent,
business-like, necessary measure. He
says: Many young men have been
ruined by the d~etestable cigarette. Two
young men whom / know we'll. one in
Montgomery and one in Asheville, On.
CO died from the effects of their excess
sive smoking"
Superintendent Vaughan says Il
think the cigarette habit an exceeding
Iy bad and very dangerous one among
employees of any road, and expect to
watch carefully in the future about
his injurious habit" He had to dis
charge a flagman, who was one of the
most careful and painstaking men,
and who was fast climbing right up
to the top" because he caused a COLI
sion of trains. He over-smOked him
self with the cigarette, was made sicl-
and fell asleep. He says recently rid
ing in the cars he saw a young man
enter the cars with bandaged arm and
in a sling. The road surgeon asked
him what was the matter, and the an
.swar came "cigaretteS." 1t had para
lyzed him. He was the son of one of
Georgia's most prominent officials.
Let the cigarette be ruled out every
where. If young fellows will a to
smoking let them use the corn-cob or
a good cigar. 1t is far better not to use
any tobacco. Any man who is a man
with any w~ill-poWer remaining can
stop smoking and drinking. If he can
not cease then he is to be conmiserat-
ed and needs the attention of a doctor.