The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-06-09

e1s'.s1 successful. He was
elected to the legis-
iature, became president OF the state
senate and in such esteem was he
held that there seemed TO be no Of
fce within the gift OF the people to
which he might not reasonably aspire III
Then opium claimed him as a de- ~
votee-not directly. but through itt
phne. OF its derivatives. | do .x--
not know how he acquired the habit
but the effect was soon apparent; he
began slipping backward - down \
down, down--much more rapidly than II
he had climbed up. In a short time MI
he out OF politics. and little Mn
later he out OF business The Nm
foundations OF success, that he had FIiI
laid with such labor and pains. crum. MIN
bled away: he became "fiend," NU\
pitiable wreck of an able man, by UUl\
word and Joke among the more MIN
thoughtless OF those who knew him INV
In time he reached point where W
he borrowed" from anybody who W
would lend" him anything from a Y
nickel to dollar. So strong was the
instinct OF the man in him. even then.
that he would accept nothing as a
gift but resorted TO the miserable
makeshht OF entering every Loan"
however small In a notebook that he
carried for that purpose. Could any
thing be more pathetic than the pic
ture OF a man of his attalnments and s5S7SYs
early promise borrowing" Is cents
quarter that both he and the IN
lender knew he never would or could
repay Yet he always insisted upon
this form. ~
This story would unquestionably r.
have a more horrible ending were Il I8 ~
not for the fact that the victim had
a devoted and prosperous brother
This fact kept the "hend" out OF the gutter
provision was always made for his material war
although II was quite impossible to intrust h
with the money for his board lodging and otl
necessities The brother did all that was n
sible 10 do to break the habit, and he finally 8
ceeded In getting the unfortunate one into
asylum and under the watchfu care OF physical
The habit was there broken but the patient ne
ly died in the breaking. Furthermore. the ha
had been done. and. although the man never w
back to morphine. he never anything bu
miserable wreck OF no use 10 himself or TO a
one else. His brother provided for him, but
continued to be a Joke or tragedy (as you
pened to look at ~. to the day of his death, 4
he died miserably.
That's one story OF opium In one form; a pr,
ising career checked In the very nom
of its greatest promise. and then ruined. Til
are many others. where there is no devoted bro
er. that will surpass II In horrid details OF des
dation. but the very fact that this man. with
80 swiftly and so far makes his story impress
and Illuminating
Struggled opium drifts naturally into tn
channels that lead TO its vicious and harmful
Duty-paid opium Is also thus used TO large
tent. but the smuggled article is almost VIII,
for that market Indeed without that mar
there would be little smuggling.
There are restrictions placed upon the sale
opium and it's derivatives but these restricts
all ha ms da IN 10 hat "a
band anyhow and liable 10 conhscation where
found. Neither national nor state government
successfully regulate the sale and OF
tice that neither is able to find So smugg
opium naturally follows subterranean cham
and reaches those who would have difficulty
buying openly. The very fact that II is con
band compels II to seek this market and the v
fact that this market Is under the ban of
law compels II to depend largely upon the con
band article. The fact that It is cheaper Il
the duty-paid article also commends II. but I
is merely Incidental
Struggled opium II is for the most part I
supplies the opium Joints" and the Joints"
only cater TO the smuggled article, but ere
the habits that make the demand for H.
Morphine is derivative of opium and is prol
ly to be considered herewith. Opium contG
an average OF about nine ten per cent. OF n
phine. There are also other derivatives OF op
that produce some OF the sensations the "ie
learns 10 crave. but morphine alone seems to t
the grip on him that becomes q habit.
passes quite easily and naturally from opium
morphine, usually taking II internally at FIRST,
then with the needle" II Is a saying am
physicians that "a man Is lost when he bel
to use the needle" This is not to be underst
a. meaning that all opium-users. or even a
1ority OF thew. pass to morphine, or that all Z