The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-05-31
SHOCK FOR COWBOYS,
Pure Food Laws Revolutionary
Work on Texas Ranches.
EYES OF SMOKERS OPENED.

Turned Out to Be Largely Alfalfa, So
the Government Says-Some Trying
to Stop Smoking.
DR.. Harvey w Wiley and the United
States pure food law have played hay
oc with tobacco smoking in this part Of
Texas, writes the Uyalde correspond
ent of the New York Sun. The habits
of the cowboys have been revolution
lied by an innocent looking little pam
phlet issued recently by the govern
ment It contains the analysis of vari-
Gus products in general use and among
them a popular brand of smoking to-
bacco which is much used throughout
the southwest.
When jim Belford came in from his
ranch to get his mail the other day he
found copy of the pamphlet in his
box. 1t had been sent to him by his
old friend Major Nose Harris Of San
Antonio, deputy United States internal
revenue collector for the Uvalde dis
trict. Major Harris had written upon
the front leaf Of the pamphlet:
'"This will tell you what kind Of stuff
we have been smoking"
Mr.. Belford took the pamphlet over
to the store and glanced through it
while his order for ranch supplies was
being filled. The composition Of the
brand of tobacco smoked by almost
every man in Texas was given as fol
lows: Tobacco, q per cent; alfalfa, GO
per cent; arsenic, 6 per cent; opium, 1
per cent; fluid. per cent.
Could it be true that he had been
smoking alfalfa? And to think that
what he supposed was pure tobacco
also contained arsenic and opium! He
read the analysis over a second time.
Then he arose and walked over to the
counter where the storekeeper was fix
ing up the goods he had bought
bill, put me up about three pounds
of alfalfa, mixed with arsenic and
opium and little tobacco thrown in
he said
Bill Jennings stared at Bedford in
amazement
whats the matter A, Jim? You
ON Sa,e e e2cep tff to en- 5ai th"&i s
did have a few b. ~ alfalfa hay
it, SO I quit
ooh, yes, you do sell all of them, and
you have got them in stock right now"
Bedford replied. II want you to read
this document"
Jennings read the tobacco analysis
and announced forthwith that he did
not believe word of it. 1t took Bel
ford some little time to convince him
that the analysis had been officially
made and must be correct
'What am | going to do with all the
stuff I have on hand?' Jennings in
quired.
Judging from the amount of alfalfa
il it, 1t ought to make good cattle
feed" Belford suggested you'll be in
luck if you amt mobbed by some of
the cowboys when they hear that
you've been selling them alfalfa and
arsenic and other things in the guise of
tobacco
The first thing that attracted Bel
fords attention that evening when he
rode up to his ranch corral was a
bunch of his cowboys sitting upon the
board gate, each with rolled ciga-
rette in his mouth and the strings of a
tobacco sack hanging out of his hip
pocket. They were the very picture OF
contentment as they poured wreaths Of
smoke from their mouths.
Bedford rode up in front of them and !
silently looked them over for min.
ute. Should he break the news to |
them? Would it not be best to let
them continue in ignorance of the kind |
of stuff they were smoking? Then he |
thought of the arsenic and opium and !
decided to tell them about it.
''You are a nice set of hay burners
he said by way of beginning.
The cowboys looked at him in sur
prise.
ITS wonder every one of you and
me along with you have not been
locoed from using arsenic and OPIUM"
he continued
The cowboys were aroused by this
time. They demanded to know what
he meant by his insults.
Il mean that that tobacco which
we've all been smoking is mostly al
falfa, arsenic and opium, and I've got
the document here to prove it,
Mr.. Belford then read the analysis
OF the tobacco from his seat in the sad
die. When he had finished the cow
boys solemnly threw away their ciga-
Iettes and emptied their sacks of to-
bacco upon the ground
Il guess the cattle will eat the stuff"
one of them said.
Il have always heard that alfalfa is
one OF the most fattening things there
Is, said another. ut is no wonder
that Tim Hall is so betty. He has been
almost l1vin' on this tobacco"
There was big laugh at the ex-
pense of Hail.
The news Of the character of the to-
bacco which they had been smoking
spread rapidly from ranch to ranch
ard created stir almost equal to the
excitement of the roundup. The aban-