The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-15
Heard and Seen
in Public Places

II am afraid said n farmer from the
bright tobacco belt. hat much of this
talk about reducing the tobacco crop III
my section of the country In order to
bring the tobacco trust to terms, Is mere
~ talk, and Is going to be mighty little
practiced In my Judgment, the crop
Will be curtaied some on account of the
scarcity of labor, but beyond this every
tobacco farmer that know anything
about is doing his level best to make
more Of the weed than he did last year.
Some years ago, when labor was more
plentiful, the rule IN my section vas to
plant 90, 900 hills to the hand. BY and by
labor saving machines came along and
admitted Of 5000 hills to the hand This
yearsI am sure the farmers are putting
IN not les than 10000 hills to the hand.
with no cast-iron assurance that they
are going to get the hands to work 1t at
that ratio.
A few weeks ago Justice Crutcheld
fined a tobacco store proprietor so and
costs for selling n small boy cigarettes
in violat ton OF the law Al Falrbrother,
the editor. of that remarkable publica;-
ton at Greensboro, n. c.. called " Every
thing commends the action of the "Ono
john" but thinks he will have to go
further before he works out a thorough
reform. He says:
1.-THE law prohibiting merchants from
selling cigarettes to boys under fifteen
years OF age is often violated but not so
often as would be supposed from the
number Of knee panty kids who suck the
coffin-nai1s. The way the game is worked
In this country is for the kid to give his
nickel to a negro and ask him to buy
the cigarettes. The negro collects two
or three for his scrvlces-just like the
honest miller takes toll from the grst-s
the kid gets what he wanted the lner-
chant has violated no law, and the negro
Is happy. And where be the wise man
who could frame a law that would put
a stop to this sort Of business. Nowhere
under the sum-, and that Is why the pro-
cession of kids grows larger and that is
why cigarette making Is often assailed
bySthose who protect the youth. Tho man
who smokes n cigarette generally fastens
the habit on himself in youth. The cigar
cite habit Is growing the kids most all
smoke EN- now, and some of5the recent
disclosures in high and dizzy life in the
great cities where theYShave gas and
automobiles reveal the fact Tint women
are also consuming many Of the little
rolls that lead to moral death. No doubt
about the fact that youth should be
protected. not only from cigarettes. but
from all other vice; but how to frame n
law that would catch that negro who
lovies toll for his labor-how can you
catch him e.
Mr.. John N. Ryland who died gat his
home. Pennington, King and Queen
county, Monday morning, at the adj
vanced age of. nnety-one years, wns UNI
doubtedly the Oldest graduate OF Rich
n,ond College, and the oldest Vrgnian
who attended the University of Virginia.
Mr.. Ryland, WHO was a brother Of the
late Dr. Robert Ryland, at one time the
president OF Richmond College. attended
that institution in 1888 and 1884, gradual
ing in the latter year. He then attended
the University during the years 1895 and
1896, and probably graduated there in
the latter year. 1t would be interesting
to know who is now the oldest living
graduate Of those Institutions
It is said that Or. ]. b. Matthews, who
formerly lived In Manchester,- who be-
came a morphine ncnd, and who is now
under sentence to serve eighteen years In
tho North Carolina penltentary for kill
Ing his wife In Greensboro, has been en-
tirely cured of the morphine habit since
he has been In Jail. The Greensboro ply
slcian who has eboen attending him says
that such n result could not have been
accomplished had DR.. Matthews been
OUT iOl jail, Jul DcillS ,uSP'1NSt' " H''
liberty and his consequent inability to
get the drug except by n PHYSICIANS or
der, that 1t was comparatively an easy
matter to break him Of the habit * Rch-t
nlond physician, commenting on these
facts and statements yesterday, said:
well, that Is probably true ] have
no doubt 1t is true, and simply proves
what I have always contcndeI, that the
way to cure men Of several of the troubles
! !, llntf han Ia n In IN
where they can be managed strictly by
the orders of the doctors. IT is Just MS
easy TO cure a person of the morphine
habit. or any other habit. or almost
any disease, as 1t Is TO cure cold, If
there were some way to force the patient
TO follow instructions. That can't we'll
no done outside of jail, !"